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

The June work weekend is approaching quickly! We have a lot to do and are encouraging YOU to come out and help! The work weekend runs Friday through Sunday, June 12, 13, and 14.

We have a good variety of work planned for the weekend. With our new machinery, much more of the work is mechanized and easier than before! We regularly have teenagers, women, and even 78-year-olds coming out to help! If you can run a leaf blower, pick up and distribute spikes, or set out tie plates, you can help us reach our goals while the machinery handles the HEAVY work!

We got a lot done in May, but fell behind due to the broken rail and smaller crews. We installed 12 ties past MP4, 12 ties in the cut before MP5, and placed ballast and tamped west of the water cistern.

In June, we will spend one day out on the line installing ties west of MP4 down to Deer Creek Bridge, one day performing regular maintenance on the Class I track, and one day extending the Class I track between the auto body shop and the township building.

The west end of the line is struggling with poor tie conditions, and it gets worse every year. In order to keep our sold-out motorcar runs operating over the west end of the line, we need MORE people to help fix the spots that require attention to keep the line safe and maintained. There is more work than the regular crew can handle! We would hate to have to cancel this program due to a lack of volunteer support.

As always, the railroad will provide cold drinks, ear plugs, and gloves. We’ll also have lunch out on the track on at least one day!

Any questions or comments, please let us know!

The May Work Weekend is coming up fast — this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, May 15, 16, and 17! The weather looks perfect for spring trackwork, with sunny skies and temperatures in the high 60s and low 70s.

We will be installing ties on the big hill from the high trestle fill down to Deer Creek Bridge, where tie conditions are poor and the rail is loose. This area must be repaired before the Sunday motorcar excursion to New Freedom. More than 80 ties need to be installed, so there is plenty of work to do, and we would love to see a big crew turnout to help!

This is a great opportunity to come out and lend a hand if you have not been out in a while or if you are new to the group. We will gladly provide training and help get you started.

On Sunday, after the motorcar train leaves town, we will take the Plasser tamper out to work ballast and correct low joints west of the water cistern. The motorcar train will then follow us back up to the wye track later in the afternoon.

As always, there is plenty to do, and we need to take full advantage of this stretch of good weather. It is your railroad, and without you, we are rust… and ghost ties!

Please bring your lunch, as we will be working out on the line in an isolated — but very scenic — area. The railroad will provide water and cold drinks. We also just received a truckload of ties ready for installation, so let’s get them into the track where they can do some good!