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Team:
Tucker Baker,
Everett Lueck & David Hearne
Saturday
It was an eventful day after the
storm. Long Leaf fared very well, although there are a few roof panels
on the engine house clerestory that need to be fastened back down.
We checked out the drainage work that we had done to prevent water
encroachment into the machine shop. We found that water is still getting
into the shop, although in much lesser quantities than before. Tucker
and I surveyed the exterior of the shop and with the obvious water in
the shop, we were able to locate all of the other areas that need to be
fixed to keep water out. No water entered the shop in the area that we
repaired in December.
Tucker, David and I cleared out the are under the planer mill which had
not been touched since the Halloween production of Louisiana Jones in
2011. The entire area underneath the mill was a literal rats nest of
plastic sheeting, rotting wood, paper boxes, dangerous electrical cord
and altogether totally unsafe as well as being a potential fire hazard.
We removed an entire trailer load of rotten lumber, plastic sheeting and
netting as well as much miscellaneous other trash such as plastic
bottles, electrical wiring etc. What we did not remove were large mats
of carpeting apparently put down at the same time for "erosion
control?". We salvaged as much good lumber as we could, stacking it
underneath the mill. We also removed the lumber framing erected inside
the planer mill power house at the same time and for the same event.
When we got everything out, we could see that one of the results of
leaving this material to rot underneath the mill for over 8 years was a
change in the drainage underneath the mill. This change in the drainage
was undermining 3 of the pillars on the southwestern corner of the mill
which could have led to collapse of that corner of the mill. We filled
in one undermining channel, and dug a new one to reroute water from that
area. We also brought in a 12" X 16' culvert to route water away from
the other two pillars at the corner, and brought in 3 loads of crushed
rock to stabilize that area.
Not bad for a Saturday with three guys.
Sunday
This morning, we inspected the
rail equipment at Sandersville and found that some of the inner track
north of Sandersville road had been badly bent by a dozer, since I last
inspected that area a few years ago. All of the equipment on both sides
of Sandersville road is still there, although in poorer condition than
in 2009.
The Sanders family seems to be very watchful over this equipment and
material, as was evidenced when we left the railroad and walked out to
the road. We were met by two young male members of the family who were
very interested in who we were and what we were doing. When we explained
that we were associated with the museum and knew Wil, we were
enthusiastically welcomed and we thanked them for their concern and
watchfulness over the area as well. Thus, should the Crowell's give us
access to this material, it is imperative that we both have the
permission of, and the active cooperation of the Sanders Family members
who live there as well.
-Everett Lueck
RR&G Director of Railroad Operations
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