Thursday, July 3rd

In Cold Brook, Earl Pardini and Jeff Otto will be replacing the three remaining rails for the Cold Brook extension from MP 22.7 to MP 22.75. They will be meeting at the work train (parked at Cold Brook Depot) at about 9am, and could use extra hands. If you come later, you can park at the end of Cold Brook road and walk back to MP 22.7.


Friday, July 4th

In Cold Brook, George Peck will be leading a crew to continue any rail replacements remaining, and performing other work to get the Cold Brook extension ready for service. George could use extra help, and will be meeting at the work train (parked at Cold Brook Depot) at about 9am. If you come later, just look for the worktrain which will be working between the station and MP 22.7. A test run with the Coach and Engine 29 may be made at the end of the day.


Saturday, July 5th

Cold Brook

In Cold Brook, on Saturday July 5th, George Peck will be leading a crew starting at the work train (parked at Cold Brook Depot). Plans are to do finish work on the Cold Brook Extension, including laying ballast. George will be at the work train by 9am, and will move it west along the extension as needed.

Tom Healy will also be working with the tie handler doing cleanup on the Cold Brook Extension from Cold Brook Station west. He will need a helper to cut some trees so they can be picked up by the tie handler, so bring a chain saw if you have one.

Phoenicia

In Phoenicia, the 702 crew will do finishing work on the windows and vestibules. Work will start at Phoenicia at 10am.


Kingston

There will be no work in Kingston Saturday.


Sunday, July 6th

Cold Brook

On Sunday July 6th, George Peck will continue finish work on the Cold Brook extension. George could use extra help, and will be meeting at the work train (parked at Cold Brook Depot) at about 9:30-10am.


Kingston

In Kingston, on Sunday, July 6th, the Cornell Street yard will open at 9:30am. Plans are to begin preparation for siding installation.



Ernie Hunt
Volunteer Coordinator
Catskill Mountain RR

Thursday July 3rd

On Thursday, July 3rd, Earl Pardini and Jeff Otto led a crew at Cold Brook consisting of Joe Marsh and Al Schoessow. George Peck came by later in the day.

They changed out 2 rails at MP 22.72, and set up for changeout of the last two tomorrow at MP 22.75.


Friday, July 4th

On Friday, July 4th, George Peck led a crew making final repairs to the Cold Brook Extension prior to opening the extension to regular train traffic. The crew consisted of Earl Pardini, Jeff Otto, Joe Marsh, Mark Glaser, Greg Peck, John Patane, Jeff Otto, Paul Hintz, and myself. Two rails were changed out at MP 22.75, a culvert was repaired at MP 22.57, and ballast was put down and the track jacked and tamped over the new culvert at MP 22.48. The crew then cleared the line for the first regular run to Cold Brook, Train 46, which arrived at Cold Brook Station about 4:15 pm.

Tom Healy also worked with the tie handler to continue brush and tree cleanup along the Cold Brook extension ROW.

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Saturday, July 5th

Phoenicia

In Phoenicia, Al Johnson worked on paint preparation on the 702, and George Liucci worked on the west vestibule of the car.

Cold Brook

In Cold Brook, George Peck led a crew doing more finish work on the now-open Cold Brook Extension. Present were Jason DiTolla, Greg Peck, Derek Stapleton, and John Patane. Tom Healy continued cleanup along the ROW.

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Ernie Hunt
Volunteer Coordinator
Catskill Mountain RR

Saturday July 12th

On Saturday July 12th, due to the NAROCA meet which starts about 9am, George Peck will be working in the Phoenicia yard on cleanup. Anyone who would like to help out on weedwacking or otherwise straightening out the yard are welcome to join him. He will start in the yard about 9am.

The 702 crew will be working on the interior of 702 preparing it for painting starting about 10am Saturday,

Dave Baker may also be working at Phoenicia and Mt. Pleasant brush cutting; contact him directly if you would like to join him.

Cornell Street Yard will be closed on Saturday.


Sunday July 13th

George Peck will be in the Phoenicia yard Sunday morning starting about 9:30am.

Earl Pardini will open the Cornell Street yard at 9:30am Sunday. The main project will be further preparation work for siding construction.


Ernie Hunt[u]

Saturday, July 19th

On Saturday July 12th, George Peck will be working on putting in a few more ties east of Cold Brook Station to finish up trackwork to MP 22.1 (we are to 22.13 now), and marking out the run-around for Cold Brook. He will be meeting people in the Phoenicia yard about 9am, with plans to be at Cold Brook station around 10-10:30am.

Al Johnson will be working on the interior of 702 preparing it for painting starting about 10am Saturday.

Dave Baker may also be working at Phoenicia and/or Mt. Pleasant brush cutting; contact him directly if you would like to join him.

Cornell Street yard will not be open on Saturday.


Sunday July 20th

George Peck will be in the Phoenicia yard Sunday morning starting about 9:30am.

George Liucci will be working on the 702 on Sunday starting at 10am. Anyone who would like to join him, George will have you working on seat parts.

Earl Pardini will open the Cornell Street yard at 9:30am Sunday. The main project will be further preparation work for siding construction.


Ernie Hunt
Volunteer Coordinator
Catskill Mountain RR

Saturday July 19th

On Saturday, July 19th, we had several work parties operating out of the Phoenicia area.

George Peck, Derek Stapleton, Jason DiTolla, Dick Wilhelm and Dave Mason performed miscellaneous equipment maintenance in the yard at Phoenicia. Otto Vondrak joined them for the track inspection to Cold Brook before the first passenger train.

Dave Baker and I performed brushcutting at Mt. Pleasant and in the Phoenicia Station area.

Jeff Otto and Mark Glaser surveyed switch parts in Phoenicia, Shokan, and other areas in preparation for siding construction.

Finally, Al Johnson, Thom Johnson and Ed Palmatier continued painting work on the 702.

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Sunday July 20th


Phoenicia

George Liucci continued work on the 702 vestibules, and George Peck did some more work in the yard.

Kingston

On Sunday, the following worked: Earl Pardini; Jeff Otto; Bob Blake, John Patane, Joe Marsh, George Cook, Dick Ray, Todd Syska, Peter Fluchere, and George Peck.

Jeff Otto writes:

"We did a lot of varied work on the tamper, fabricated an impact socket to remove screw spikes, did some exploratory digging between O'neil St and Downs St to successfully find the buried pile of 90# rails, began to set up an additional rail storage area there, loaded the side dump with some of the spoils from that digging, and loaded all the plain 105# rails onto the future passenger flat to move them to the new storage area (and get them off the ground to make way for the coach siding). We still need to torch the bolts to separate some jointed pieces still on the ground, and then load them, some turnout parts, and a few junk rails to finish clearing the area."




Ernie Hunt
Volunteer Coordinator
Catskill Mountain RR

Saturday, July 26th

On Saturday July 26th, George Peck will be working in the Phoenicia yard about 9am, with plans to continue maintenance work on various machinery around the yard.

The 702 crew will be working on the interior of the 702 continuing paint work on the interior starting about 10am Saturday.

I will be at Phoenicia yard weed-wacking at about 10am; if there is enough interest I will lead a crew cutting brush and trees on the ROW east of Phoenicia.

Cornell Street yard will open Saturday at 9am. Plans are to continue loading rail and preparing for siding installation.


Sunday July 27th

George Peck will be in the Phoenicia yard Sunday morning starting about 9:30am.


Earl Pardini will open the Cornell Street yard at 9:30am Sunday. The main project will be further preparation work for siding construction.


Ernie Hunt
Volunteer Coordinator
Catskill Mountain RR

Thursday, July 31st

On Thursday, July 31st, Joe Marsh will lead a crew to take the CMRR sickle bar cutter and run it out-of-gauge from Cold Brook to Phoenicia. This is needed to clear the ROW of brush that has been interfering with train operations. His crew will consist of Al Schoessow, Al Howes, and Dick Wilhelm. There is room for a few extra volunteers who might want to learn about operating the sickle bar cutter. Joe and the team will be meeting at Shokan at 9:30am Thursday near the crane.


Friday, August 1st

On Friday evening, August 1st, Earl Pardini will conduct an air brake/rules class at Cornell Street Yard at 7pm. All who have not yet passed this test are strongly urged to attend.


Saturday, August 2nd

On Saturday August 2nd, Dave Baker and George Peck will be organizing a brush cutting work train to clip overhead branches interfering with train operations. The crew will work out of the work caboose and side dump with chain saws and pole saws. If you have a chain saw or pole saw you can bring, we will really need it. George will be at the yard at 9am, with the work train leaving the yard between 9:30am and 10am. George needs a conductor for this operation, so anyone qualified who is available should contact George directly.

The 702 crew will be working on the interior of the 702 continuing paint and vestibule work on the interior starting about 10am Saturday.

Cornell Street yard will be closed Saturday.



Sunday August 3rd


George Peck will be in the Phoenicia yard Sunday morning starting about 9:30am.

Earl Pardini will open the Cornell Street yard at 9:30am Sunday. The main project will be further preparation work for siding construction.




Ernie Hunt
Volunteer Coordinator
Catskill Mountain RR

Thursday, July 31, 2008

On Thursday, July 31st, Joe Marsh took out a crew and ran the sickle bar cutter from Cold Brook to Phoenicia, greatly widening the ROW and removing 80% of the brush hitting the train. The crew consisted of Dick Wilhelm, Al Howes, Al Schoessow, and Burr Hubbell.

Many thanks to the crew for performing this very necessary maintenance task for the CMRR!



Saturday, August 2nd, 2008

George Peck, Dave Baker, Zef Fessendon, Burr Hubbell, and Mark Glaser cut overhanging trees from MP 26 to Mt. Pleasant today, greatly opening the ROW.

Ed Palmatier, George Liucci, and Tom Healy continued work on the 702:

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Tom Healy also did maintenance work on the tie handler.


Sunday, August 3rd

On Sunday, the following worked: Earl Pardini, Todd Syska, Ernie Klopping, Bob Blake, Greg Vaughn, John Patane, George Cook, George Peck, and Jeff Otto.

Writes Jeff Otto:

"We continued clearing the new rail storage area (loading and dumping the side dump a few times in the process), unsuccessfully dug around for the reported buried pile of 90# rails, bolted the short fence panels to Wonderly's, added a vertical locking pin to the West track gate, and laid out the centerline for the storage track (perimeter stakes still need to be set for grading)."


Ernie Hunt
Volunteer Coordinator
Catskill Mountain RR