As many of you know, the WW&F Railway Museum had a Spring Ballast Party this weekend. And what a party it was.

Friday we had about 30 people, and ballast was spread for approximately 350 - 400 feet.

Saturday there were nearly 60 people, and 300 feet of track was jacked up and tamped into service. Another 200 or so feet of ballast was spread beyond that point.

Sunday I'm not sure of the number that were present, but another 300 or so feet of ballast was
spread.

Our goal was to get to the trestle, which was 1100 feet away from where in-service track ends. As you can tell, we did not reach it, but we were propelled well on our way to it. All ballast trains were moved using our steam engine #10, running the one mile trip from loading to unloading usually in 4 to 6 minutes (to cut down on wait time at the work site). I believe we made about 40 ballast runs the whole weekend.

In addition, a grand feast was put on for the volunteers for both lunch and supper on Saturday.
Friday the meals were somewhat less grand, and Sunday was leftovers.

Many thanks to all those who made it possible.

WW&F Railway Museum
jcpatten@lincoln.midcoast.com

Three hundred feet of track isn't much... until you start shoveling and tamping by hand. Then you gain a better appreciation of what all those immigrants had to do so many decades ago.

> As many of you know, the WW&F Railway
> Museum had a Spring Ballast Party this
> weekend. And what a party it was.

> Friday we had about 30 people, and ballast
> was spread for approximately 350 - 400 feet.

> Saturday there were nearly 60 people, and
> 300 feet of track was jacked up and tamped
> into service. Another 200 or so feet of
> ballast was spread beyond that point.

> Sunday I'm not sure of the number that were
> present, but another 300 or so feet of
> ballast was
> spread.

> Our goal was to get to the trestle, which
> was 1100 feet away from where in-service
> track ends. As you can tell, we did not
> reach it, but we were propelled well on our
> way to it. All ballast trains were moved
> using our steam engine #10, running the one
> mile trip from loading to unloading usually
> in 4 to 6 minutes (to cut down on wait time
> at the work site). I believe we made about
> 40 ballast runs the whole weekend.

> In addition, a grand feast was put on for
> the volunteers for both lunch and supper on
> Saturday.
> Friday the meals were somewhat less grand,
> and Sunday was leftovers.

> Many thanks to all those who made it
> possible.


ryarger@rypn.org