RMNE Fall Track Blitz Weekend

Howard P. · **Posted:** Tue Nov 04, 2008 11:44 am

This past weekend, Nov. 1 & 2, Railroad Museum of New England volunteers completed one switch and 400 feet of new yard track at the Thomaston Shop Yard (TSY) in Connecticut.

35 workers on Saturday and 24 on Sunday consumed dozens of burgers, hot dogs and many pounds of salads, home-baked cookies, cakes and gallons of coffee--- all those calories fueled the installation of 200 track ties, 32,000 lbs of NH 107 rail, 1600+ track spikes and a few tons of other track materials.

The 5th (and final) switch in the TSY project was completed, a curved #10 turnout. Three yard tracks now are in place between the shop building and the NAUG main line. The 3 yard tracks will be extended south another 450 feet once plans are finalized for the next building on the TSY site-- a three-track carbarn.

The previous RMNE Track Blitz, which took place April 26 & 27, 2008, saw the construction of 380 feet of yard track and the completion of another switch at TSY.

At the same time the track work was going on outside, additional crews were working on replacing a traction motor gear case on NAUG 2203 (GE U23B), on the installtion of shop interior systems (electrical lines and compressed air piping) and on the continuing restoration of coach 5805 (carbody steel and interior wood work).

Photos of the most recent Track Blitz will be posted soon on the new "News From The Naugy" blog section of the RMNE website-- www.rmne.org.

Howard P.
MP 6, TSY

http://www.rmne.org

Howard P. · **Posted:** Tue Nov 04, 2008 12:43 pm

We are at the bottom of a narrow and rocky river valley, where all the good spots were taken 200 years ago. The TSY property is flat only because we helped three different rock blasting contractors buy new boats/vacation houses/girlfriends.

I'd give my left you-know-what for half of one of IRM's cornfields....

It's a tight location, and we probably could have jammed 4 tracks in, but with no space next to the shop building, 12-foot track centers, and maybe no adequate room against the mainline for a fence (us paranoid New Yorkers like our fences).

Howard P.
Cramped, CT

Stephen Hussar · **Posted:** Tue Nov 04, 2008 7:03 pm

Howard, that's great progress! Thanks for the update...I was wondering how things went over the weekend. Looking forward to seeing pictures!

Stephen

Howard P. · **Posted:** Thu Nov 06, 2008 12:49 pm

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File comment: Looking north at the three yard tracks, Saturday 11-1-08

11-1-08 looking north 3 tracks.jpg [ 130.2 KiB | Viewed 2766 times ]

Howard P. · **Posted:** Thu Nov 06, 2008 12:56 pm

Attachment:

File comment: Lifting rail out of the ex-B&M drop-bottom gondola, using Portland Terminal crane 198. The track they are on was built in the April Track Blitz. Taken on Saturday 11-1-08.

11-1-08 hoisting rail 198.jpg [ 138.45 KiB | Viewed 2749 times ]

Howard P. · **Posted:** Thu Nov 06, 2008 1:06 pm

The RMNE Saturday crew, posing for the group shot after lunch, on GE 45-tonner #42. Taken Saturday, 11-1-08.

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File comment: 11-1-08

11-1-08 crew on 42.jpg [ 155.78 KiB | Viewed 2730 times ]

Laying out ties, Saturday morning.

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11-1-08 laying out ties.jpg [ 108.06 KiB | Viewed 2729 times ]

GE U23B used for air supply to power two air spikers, Sunday 11-2-08.

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11-2-08 2203 & sw work.jpg [ 85.92 KiB | Viewed 2718 times ]

Howard P. · **Posted:** Fri Nov 07, 2008 1:29 am

Jeff,

Tell Nick that we'll swap the upper 8 miles of the Naugy for 10 acres of a McHenry County cornfield. The usual terms; Nick is used to this: "as is, where is".

*some restrictions may apply. Void where prohibited. Batteries not included. Some assembly required. Etc.

Howard P.
Legalese, NY

Stephen Hussar · **Posted:** Fri Nov 07, 2008 8:36 pm

Great looking trackwork, Howard, thanks for putting up the pictures!!

Stephen