Work Session

May 1, 2021

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

Team:
- Clint L. Jr
- Jeanie L.
- Jason & Noah R.
- Mike B.
- Mike M.
- Glen A.
- Everett L.
- Angela A.
- Andrew A.
- Kevin P.
- Tucker B.
- Domineaux & the Pest Control Staff

Accomplishments:
 

- Drop Pit Demolition started
- Repairing locomotive parts in the Machine Shop
- Machine shop lathe and sharper lubricated and fine-tuned for use
- Recovered three air compressors
- Drop Pit covers built
- Practice session on M4  and M2 motorcars

Saturday

Crew #1 of Mike B., Mike M., and Glen were working in the Machine Shop. MB has several locomotive parts, including a Heisler drive shaft, needing repair. Glen deserves credit and a tip of the hat for his work repairing and lubricating the shaper and large lathe in the Machine Shop to full operating condition. With the full crew on hand, the drive shaft was hauled over the shop and was hoisted into place on the lathe. Glen, MB, and Mike spent most of the day fine tuning these parts. It is great to see the machines doing the work they were intended for! Mike Miller, MB, and Glen have devoted a great deal of time and attention to the Machine Shop and we thank them for it.

Crew #2 of Angela, Andrew, Jason, Noah, Kevin, Everett, Clint, Jeanie, and Tucker focused on getting the drop pit demolished so the repairs and rebuild can begin. The tractor was used to drag the flat steel stock out of the way and with some oil and hard pushing, the A-frame hoist was pushed out of the way as well. In a future project, this flat steel stock will become "ties" for the track #3 in the Engine House for the concrete portion. First order was to clean out all the dirt and debris that accumulated in the pit. Next step was to pull out the spikes and tie plates using claw bars, crow bars, and blocks. These spikes were cleaned and sharpened for the near-at-hand day when we will use them to rebuild the pit. The next process was to begin pulling out the rotten timbers and the timbers were in much worse condition than we originally expected. The top two timbers began to fall apart when pressure was exerted with lining bars and a chainsaw. Essentially "mulch", the remains were shoveled from the pit. The large chunks were easier, and were tossed into the tractor bucket to haul to the burn pile. The fine debris was shoveled out and into empty 55-gallon drums, and then the drums were used to haul the debris to the burn pile. The difficult learning curve came when it was discovered that a third and final layer of 12 x 12 beams were at the bottom of the pit, rotted out, but more difficult a stubborn mule to remove. Portions would cut out, some would chip out, while others had to be convinced out with a hackmatic, a pickmatic, chainsaws, shovels, you name it, we swung away at the timber, but only small bits were coming out. The next steps from here are to finish the pit demo and to use a backhoe to remove the stuck-in rotten timber.

In the late afternoon, a team of Jason, Angela, Andrew, and Tucker began recovery of several air compressors. These were 11 inch and 9 inch air compressors ("air pumps") from some of the steam locomotives at Long Leaf. MB had located two 11 inch pumps near the Insley Crane and pulled one out of the woods with a come-along. Recovering this one was easy: a few lining bars and leverage had it rolled into the tractor bucket and on its way to the Machine Shop. Using a chain hoist and a jib crane, the air pump was swung over the blacksmith forge and placed on its back on the parts table. The second one proved much, much more difficult and took considerable effort by the tractor, chains, and the volunteers to pull out of the mud and vegetation. The team was quite proud to recover this one to the shop! The third one, a nine inch, was on the sawmill pad. Using a chainsaw to cut off the timbers it was affixed to, and an angle grinder to remove an old pipe, the last air pump was brought to the Machine Shop and set up on blocks. This is part of our continuous efforts to recover historic artifacts and equipment, make purposeful curations of related equipment, and to preserve these pieces by getting them out of the elements and safely indoors.

Sunday

The team split into groups again, MB headed into the Machine Shop to use a voltage meter to check some of the light fixtures where the bulbs were out. Jason, Kevin, Angela, and Andrew formed a fantastic assembly line to quickly finish the drop pit covers made from recovered lumber. Tucker and Noah used the tractor to empty the garbage cans in the dumpster and to bring the final timber pieces pulled out to the burn pile. With the rain holding off, some training and operating was held on the M4 and the M2. We look forward to certifying more operators for the RR&G! Toward the end of the session, MB, Jason, and Tucker repaired a ladder where a rivet broke. Once repaired, MB and Tucker replaced the burned out light bulbs in the Machine Shop.
 

-Tucker Baker
  RR&G Road Master

We cleaned out the pit prior to demolition. In hindsight, this was a silly waste of time, but it did get us a nice photo of the old pit.

The new pit will look quite different, but will likely outlast everyone that is constructing itl

Sure looks good! It's almost a shame we had to tear it apart!

With the spikes pulled, Angela and Everett adjust the rails prior to installing temporary gauge bars.

Tuckers moves sheet metal away from the pit and into the storage area.

Everett, Angela, & Clint.

Andrew & Noah dug a trench to divert water away from the pit.

Water draining into the pit is what rotted the lining timbers and got us into this mess.

Tucker moves the last of the sheet metal.

Everett & Jeanie supervise.

Kevin sharpens spikes

Teamwork was needed to move a Heisler driveshaft to the Machine Shop

Continuing to demo and clean out the pit

Retrieving boards from the scrap lumber pile to build a cover for the pit.

Noah used breaks to collect blackberries for a pie that was made when he got home.

Training the next generation

Glen, Mike & Mike work in the Machine Shop

This century old shop is still doing what is was built to do!

Cutting up the 12x12 timbers into manageable chunks. The full block weighed an estimate 1000 pounds.

Attempting to retrieve the lowest timber. We failed and will need to use a backhoe at the next Work Session to finish the demo.

Tucker attempts to break up the last timber by hand. This worked, but required far too much effort and time.

The backhoe will make quick work of this mess in a few weeks.

We even tried the air hammer, which worked pretty well. But, in the end, the amount effort required exceeded our work force.

Pulling an air pump out of the dirt where it has rested for more than half a century.

Not an easy task...

Victory!

Loading the air pump into the bucket for transport to the Machine Shop

Unloading one of three air pumps that were retrieved.

Success!

Angela, Noah, Jason, Tucker & Andrew

Everett cuts up the frame for another air pump so that it could moved to the Machine Shop

Tucker takes the air pump to its new home

Sunday morning we completed the temporary cover over the pit. This is purely for safety.

Tucker & Noah

Noah & Angela do a bit of clean up

Victory

Done!

With the work projects complete, we turned our attentions to training some new Motormen.

Tucker instructs the rookies on how to operate FC&G M4.

Kevin prepares to take her out.

Andrew takes a turn

Near Hearne's Gulch washout.

As soon as we can, we'll construct a new bridge over the gulch.

For the time-being, it'll remain a mess.

Jason took Angela and Andrew out for some training on RR&G M2.

Noah worked the horn.

Angela takes a turn as we head for the barn.

After tying down the M2, we called it a weekend and made tracks for home.