Work Session

November 12-13, 2021

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

Friday, November 12, 2021

Friday Volunteers:

Everett
Casey
Cody
Staff and faculty of Steven F. Austin University
Hans Williams, Dean of the School of Forestry

Everett arrived at 9:30 AM and lubricated all of the axle bearings on the log car.
Cody and Casey (both volunteers and also owners of AK Heavy Equipment Moving) arrived promptly as advertised at 10:00 AM.

After some discussion, C&C decided the proper way to get their truck into move the car, the forestry department provided a 4" X 4" X 6' timber to bridge the gap between the end of the rail and the trailer, and Everett headed off to purchase a 20 ton jack to lift the wheel off of the block that it was sitting on, to install the bridging timber.

When he returned, the truck was in position, the wheel was lifted, the timber inserted and the car prepared to be winched on to the trailer. AK uses a special trailer that allows the wheels to be rolled into the middle of the trailer to act as a fulcrum, and the truck end then jacked up to put the bed directly on the rails.

Moving the car then started using the winch on the trailer. As soon as the lead wheels hit the 2X4 on the trailer (for rails) the car continued to move forward but the truck did not. There was no kingpin in the truck to keep in in place. Fortunately, loading was stopped while about 1 inch of the truck bolster still rested on the truck. After much jockeying around with chains and the truck winch, about 1/2 of the car bolster was on the truck bolster and after chaining the truck in place, the loading was started again.

After the first truck made it on the car, it was then discovered that the ties were so rotten that the spikes popped out and the rails moved way out of gauge and spread. A combination of wood scraps from the wood shop, and some clamps and the rails were then kept in place long enough to allow the loading to be completed around 1:00 PM.

TXDOT routed the wide load thorough the town of Chireno, and the crew stopped there for lunch at the Chireno Cafe. It was very appropriate, as Chireno was the far end of the Angelina and Neches River RR, and the hub of woods operations for the Angelina County Lumber Co, so the car stopped there for the last time as it left Texas for good.

The crew arrived at Long Leaf at sundown, went to beans at Fuzzies, and bedded down on air mattresses in the Long Leaf Commissary, joined there by Michael Brown, Jason and Noah Rose.

Saturday, November 13, 2021

Saturday Volunteers:

Cody
Casey
Everett
Michael B
Mike M
Jason
Noah
Wimbley
Carson
Clint
Blake

At 9:00 AM the crew gathered to unload the car onto the temporary spur track. Cody backed the truck into position and the unloading began. The car rolled on its own off the truck (held by the winch) and almost completely onto the track. It had to be barred the final few feet as it was now going up hill, The hand brakes were tightened (they work), the truck moved off, and 16' of rail and ties was added by the crew so that the car would clear the loop main line by a reasonable distance for regular operations. Blake, motorman on the M-4, had to wait with the car load of AmeriCorps volunteers doing brush cutting, while the car was rolled by 6 people back into its final position.

Mike and Michael removed the smoke box door on #3 before lunch and after lunch removed the smokebox front to begin the removal of the boiler from the frame.

The crew then moved to the Engine House were more bracing was put under the the work started last week to make the pit temporarily usable to repair, store and move the light weight equipment. The operating crew moved all of the light equipment around, and all went to beans at Mi Tierra.

After lunch, C&C went back to another moving job, and the remainder of the crew completed the pit and moved equipment. After cleaning the orange RR&G trailer, Jason, Clint, Noah, Carson and Wimbley took the M-8 and the trailer down to the Commissary so that Jason and Noah could bring back the M-4 up to the Engine House and Carson, Wimbley and Clint tested the ability of the M-8 to take the trailer around the loop (several times without problems) so it can be used for alternate transportation now as well.

The M-2 was spotted over the pit for electrical work, which will be continued on the 19th and the crew went home.

-Everett Lueck
  RR&G General Manager

Friday

SFA University - Nacogdoches, Texas

Loading ACLCo #315

Cody Akin & Casey Akin from AK Equipment Inc. are RR&G volunteers.

Heading out

Leaving Chireno

Saturday

Long Leaf, Louisiana

The kingpin holding the frame to the lead truck was missing. The guys chained it in place, but it shifted a bit during loading.

So, Cody prepares for Casey to shift it back into place with the forklift.

Casey lifts and eases the frame back onto the truck.

DONE!

Cody backs the rig into place.

M4 passes by on the Loop

Checking the alignment

That'll do.

Up she goes

ACLCo #315 touches RR&G rails for the first time

Rechecking the truck with the missing kingpin

Wimbley

Future RR&G Engineer

Mike Miller tows 315 up the slight grade

Everett ties down the  brake

DONE!

Mike Brown brings over some ties so we could extend the track and back the car away from the Main

The crew gears up for the job

Laying ties

Placing rails

This is why we added the rail and backed the car...

..TOO close.

Carson drives a spike

Wimbley takes a turn

Jason butted the bucket of the tractor against the 315 to keep her from rolling too much while the crew pushed the car down about 20'

Plenty of clearance now!

M4 continues on her brush cutting mission

Carson - Wimbley - Clint - Noah - Jason - Everett - Cody - Casey

Mission: Accomplished!

After completing the 315 offload, the crew went to the Engine House for several objectives.

First up, move the H1 and the passenger trailer off of Track #2.

Next up: continue temporary reinforcements of the Pit

Newly promoted GREAT grandfather Everett Lueck shows the young guys how it's done!

M8 shoved M2 (dead) and 4 flats (including the crane) back into the Engine House during a major reshuffle of the equipment.

Wimbley & Carson put the H1 back on the far side of the Pit, next to the M1

EVERY piece of equipment had to be moved out the Engine House to accomplish these moves.

Casey & Cody return M8 to the Engine House

The new RR&G key & tag board

Wimbley & Carson test the M8 & trailer combination.

They were successful and now we have "protection" for the M4

Heading out onto the Loop

Noah & Clint

Putting the train back in the barn

Parting shot of ACLCo 315 in her temporary parking spot