Garden Railroading: Saturday's Sun & Wednesday's Workday From Bernie

Bernie's Pics of Saturday's Sun & Wednesday's Workday

Bernie sent along some images he took from yesterday's full-on work session.

Little 'ole me appears in many of them as proof that I actually did a few things along with Bernie & Father Fred! Heh heh!

Bernie also gave me some images to post to the blog taken this past Wednesday when a number of folks gathered to work on the railroad even though the forecast was a lousy one that really didn't materialize.

Those excess pieces of foam I brought over to Uncle Fred's are perfect when you have to kneel for extended periods of time especially in the early morning hours when the ground holds its moisture longer.

As Fred was cleaning the nibs off ties for me I was able to insert them beneath the rails. We were like a mini-assembly line.

For empty rails nearest to the rail joiners I was able to slip the rail joiners down the opposing rail and then run some ties with their nibs still in place down along the empty rails to ensure true track gauge is kept in place.

Fred then received a telephone call from his cousin in British Columbia. He deserved the rest from the work he was doing as he was a tie-cleaning machine!

Bernie snapped this image of me standing up momentarily to catch my breath. Even though I am a skinny runt these days...all that crouching for long periods of time pushes the stomach together and standing becomes a very welcome relief!

As you had seen in the blog posting I created yesterday - here Bernie, Fred and I have brought out what Fred calls a "kernel" of ore cars to verify their fit on the far siding to be installed at Ironwood Brick.

We then place three freight cars on the nearer siding...just resting their trucks willy-nilly to verify if three will fit there and they do!

The track to the right is floating in the air currently as the wood you see will be the base plate between the two sections of sub-roadbed wood.

Fits like a puzzle!

We tack the turnout in place after we have screwed the next length of roadbed in butted up against the pre-existing one.

The process went on all afternoon.

By 4:00 PM it was time to take a quick rest and have a drink before the major clean-up of tools and old rotten wood we had pulled out from the the various areas where we had toiled.