We’re going to do it again!

After a very successful day last week working on track bolts and a few other things, we’re going to finish the job this Friday, October 9th.

Last time, we made it all the way DOWN the hill to past Iron Bridge. This Friday, we will go UP the hill from Iron Bridge to the Red Board and beyond. There aren’t as many loose bolts on this section, though there are a few.

As always, we need your help! The more people we have, the faster we go and the more we can do!

We have our handy-dandy pneumatic drill with reamer, impact wrench, and Milwaukee grinder for “spinners,” plus the small work cart to conveniently carry bolts and tools at the end of the work train.

This is important work to keep the railroad in good, safe, maintained condition for our heavy fall traffic. In this particular case, without you, we are just… rusty loose bolts!

We will work from lunchtime until 5 PM, and then the track inspection will be done. We will also be working on equipment and other small maintenance jobs in the morning, so come if you can!

As always, if you have any questions or comments, please let us know.

Our October Work Weekend will run Thursday through Sunday, October 15–18, 2026. We’ve added Thursday so we have more time to tackle the many worthwhile projects on the railroad.

We’ll be making several improvements to get the railroad ready for the busy fall season:

• Thursday: We’ll replace loose track bolts, shore up sunken joints, and install gauge rods west of the red board. This work will help keep the west end safe for motorcar, maintenance, and inspection traffic.
• Friday: We’ll install new crossties at two spots on the mainline just west of the water cistern, and place new ties between the Mill Street and Bailey Springs crossings. We’ll also install up to 14 new switch timbers, some as long as 14 feet. Switch work is always interesting, and we don’t get to do it very often!
• Saturday and Sunday: We’ll work between MP 2 and MP 3, just west of the I-83 bridge, where loose rails and sinking track need urgent attention. Several rail lengths have no sound ties. We’ll install new ties, add stone, level the track, and replace bad track bolts. This is one of two trouble spots on the west side that need repair soon.

We’ll need four equipment operators and a large crew to get the weekend’s work done. We need you! Please don’t assume someone else will come out. If you’re reading this, we could use your help—especially from our younger volunteers.

Come enjoy the cool fall weather, work alongside our friendly teammates, help improve the railroad, and take a fall ride over much of the line.

We have plenty to do, and the tools and equipment to do it right. We’re continuing to invest in the railroad’s restoration with a good supply of new ties, which should last about 40 years. Strong railroad earnings and stock purchases have helped make these investments possible. We’re also waiting for a larger shipment of 224 Grade 1 relay ties, which have been very hard to find all summer.

We hope you can join us! If you have any questions, please let us know.

Thank you!!!

The railroad will hold its August Work Weekend on the 7th, 8th, and 9th, Friday through Sunday as usual.

Expecting hot, sunny days, we are going to work in the shade in the cut between Owrig Summit and MP5, where there is a long stretch of loose rail that is hindering motorcar and maintenance traffic through there. We will put a bundle of ties in where needed and strengthen that stretch of track.

Depending on the weather, if it is hot we will install ties in the shade between Iron Bridge and the Iron Bridge Road crossing on the Class I track. We need about 40 ties there. If it is cool and nice, we will probably finish up the stretch from Waltemyer School Road #1 crossing and work toward the #2 crossing. There are 22 ties needed there, and we will keep working our way down the hill toward Tolna as we can.

As you can see, we are working on getting Coach 1341 fixed up and in better shape for the busy fall season. The coach crew can always use help.

Considerable work was done to Locomotive #10 in July, but more is needed. The Caterpillar diesel engine has three bad head gaskets that need replaced, some traction motor ducts need repaired, and the fan belts need changed (now that we know what belt fits properly). The mechanical crew can use help too, on #10, and there are tasks to do on #12 as well as we wait for the wheels in the truck to get turned to the proper profile and returned to us.

We are waiting on a fan belt for the Kershaw ballast regulator and are planning to get that machine into service. If turned around with the ballast plow facing west, it will also be our snowplow for the coming winter. It can plow up to 20 inches of snow!!!

The railroad is also purchasing a nice Nordberg Model A hydraulic spike driver. It is in good condition and ready for use. It is smaller and simpler than the B model we currently have and will be easier to use and maintain.

This will help make our tie replacement work easier and faster. Our tie work is now almost entirely mechanized except for spike pulling. That is generally not a problem on our railroad, as spikes in old ties are generally very loose or missing!!!!

We need your help to continue with our important work!! Through July, we were at 172 ties installed. With another load of ties coming in early September, we’ll have the material to get over 400 ties installed this year if the weather holds and we have robust crews. It is up to you!!

We have been trying hard to improve tie conditions on the west end to keep our motorcar runs going strong and safe. There are several more spots out there that need heavy work, and we have been trying to take care of one bad spot every month! But west end work takes more travel time to get there, leaving less work time on site each day!

And we need to keep up with maintenance and improvements on the Class I track, plus work to extend the Class I, so there are really three big track areas to work on!

We are making steady progress. We need you to help!

To All,

We will be having the July Work Weekend Friday through Sunday, July 10, 11, and 12.

This is a change from the previous schedule due to crew leader scheduling issues later in the month.

We are sorry to have to make the change, but we hope you will come out and help the railroad on these new dates!

No track, no trains!!

We have a number of track issues that need to be addressed, along with several improvements that are planned. We’re expecting good summer weather and hope to continue making steady progress.

Friday: We will continue installing ties through the curves west of MP4, working our way toward the Deer Creek Bridge.

Almost every joint through this section is out of gauge, loose, or has bad ties. There are also several locations west of MP5 that need spot ties, and we’ll be working on those as we move forward.

Saturday: The train is running, but we may head out beyond the Class I connection to work on loose and missing track bolts. There are many that need attention. If we can get ties loaded and everything ready, we may also do tie work if we can get out of town before the train.

Sunday: The HOTT train is running, so we’ll probably begin installing Class I maintenance ties around the picnic grove area. There are many ties there that need to be replaced.

As always, there is plenty to do, and we need your help! Yes, each and every one of you can contribute in some way. The coach crew needs help, the mechanical shop needs help, and the station, buildings, and grounds crew can always use an extra hand. Just see one of the crew leaders, and they’ll get you set up.

In June, we moved the red board a considerable distance west. There is no shade out there, and it’s hard work in the hot summer sun. We’ll hold off on moving it farther until September, when temperatures begin to cool.

For now, we have plenty of maintenance ties to install!

It is your railroad. You can help. Without you, it will rust!

Regards,

David Williamson