Red River & Gulf Railroad

Work Session

May 18-19, 2018

To join the fun, contact the railroad at: WorkSession @ RedRiverAndGulf.net (no spaces)

Schedule

Friday - Saturday

May 18-19, 2018

0800 - 1800

1. Clear out flange ways of dirt on engine house leads

2. Clear out vegetation (for good with the extra dirt from engine house leads) near switch to eye

3. If we have enough hands, insert ties between end of serviceable track and washout

4. Cut ties for embankment near opening of washout culvert

5. Continue work on box set over culvert

*Numbers 1, 2, & 3 are doable. We'll do 4 & 5 if we have enough people show up.

What to Bring (Optional)

-Chainsaw (gas)

-Loppers

-Leaf Blowers (gas)

-Machetes

-Work Gloves

-Work Boots

-A Positive Attitude (Not Optional)

Volunteers:
Everett Lueck
Mike Miller
Robert Stokes (staff)
Tucker Baker

Friday: Finalized plans for 106 movement methodology. Began surveying and debris / vegetation of line to
Sandersville.

Saturday: Cleared 1000-1500 feet work of vegetation within gauge and right of way. Excellent team work
of loppers and hedge trimmers. Hedge trimmers are highly recommended for future ROW work. Rough rail
joints grinded smooth and rough rail grinded until batteries went out on grinder.

Results:
- 106 movement plan in place. The track in front of 106 is cleared and ready for relay immediately

- Sandersville line back to active service past burn area to current end of serviceable track, about 800' past burn area

- End of track at location and marked (reason: major rail kink due to another section of track that burned

- Right of way cleared for scenic views of track and safe operation in first gear for motor car use

Lessons Learned
- Bring hedge trimmers!
- The bees by 106 seem to be immortal, not even diesel kills them

- A few sets of rails need to be swapped on burn relay area to avoid rough ride
- Additional grinding needed on burn relay
- Vegetation clearing, track lining, and tie replacement needed to re activate more track

-Tucker Baker

RR&G Road Master

In looking at the #106 over the weekend, it is obvious that not only is the engine shifting slowly, the
tender has moved as much as 3-4 inches to the firemans side (left) and the front truck having slid of
the rails has dropped between 5 and 6 inches, tilting to the left. All of this has happened in the last
several weeks. There appears to be a massive cavern developing under the rear of the engine and
especially the front of the tender, and it is happening quickly. All that is keeping the front truck
of the tender, and the tender itself from dropping into this hole is the 35# rail under the left side
wheels of the front truck, the fact that the rear truck is relatively stable yet, and the engine and
drawbar still appear to be stable.

This causes this project to take on a whole new urgency.

Mike, Tucker and I are in agreement that in order to stabilize the engine as much as possible, as quickly as possible, that we need to get a cement pump truck out there, and fill the cavern with cement. Mike will be calling concrete companies tomorrow to see what sort of deal that he can arrange, and will have photos also. We were all so busy talking about all of this, and then clearing the railroad that no one took photos of the problem. Mike will take photos this week, and Wednesday, he and Bob (the new museum employee) plan to cordon off the locomotive, and start removing decking in the immediate problem area.

-Everett Lueck

RR&G Director of Operations