Super Saturday Work Session

Super Saturday Work Session

A number of folks gathered to work on various aspects of the railroad in anticipation of our upcoming inaugural session of the 2024 season to take place a week from today.

It was with profound joy that we were able to enjoy the company of Joan for a short while this morning.  She brought over many of Lawrence's railroad books that Lawrence wanted to go to the group.

In the next week or so we will be assisting Joan in dealing with all of Lawrence's railroad equipment which he has graciously donated to the OVGRS family.

Joan relaxes in the board room with Father Fred.

Bernie got down to business with the lawn mower.

The grass is long and still wet with dew, but our diminutive lawn mower is up to the task.

Dilip gets busy with the oil can to lubricate the choke cables.  This particular turnout throw did not work at all - it was as stiff as a board.

Dilip attempts to move the turnout by hand.

Following a thorough lubrication job, the turnout now works again beautifully!

Steve & Seanna arrived the property.

Being electronical geniuses, Lawrence had a great deal of electronic equipment that may just come in handy on the railroad.  We'll leave that determination to this "electric" couple!

Chris used his green thumb to pull tons of weeds along the right of way!

There's Chris!

The garden blower came in handy cleaning debris from between the ties in the trackwork.

I used this combination of simple machines (the lever and the wheel & axle) to make work easier.  Indeed the dolly did all the work in transporting the bags of stone Henk had purchased which he had left at the front of the property.

I had to remove more of the dirt from beneath the roadbed under the sidings at Ironwood and insert the stones in place.

I hadn't done anything wrong...but they still put me "behind bars"!!!

I'm working the gravel in under the road bed.  The large piece of foam really helps as I have no kneecap on my right leg - lost in a hockey accident when I was in my early twenties!

The gravel tidies things up nicely!  Thanks for picking up the two more bags, Henk!  Later in the morning Malcolm and I will install the missing ties after I have tacked down the rails and added a few necessary rail joiners.  This area of the railroad is progressing nicely!

The gravel goes in.  In a little while Malcolm and I will deal with the rail joiners and track ties.

I was telling Steve my concern regarding the issue of a new ore chute facility that will have to be built but perhaps couldn't fit between the new spur tracks and the mainline in behind.  

Steve immediately came up with a novel idea..."Why not have the facility located beyond the mainline up against the fence line!  Then have an enclosed conveyor system transport the ore to the building located above the spur siding!"  

Brilliant idea, Steve.  Plus, it will look really cool to see the mainline trains navigate beneath the enclosed conveyor.  

Next thought - "Who would be able to scratch build the facility?"  

Is George around?  Big smile!

Malcolm conducts some "house cleaning" in and around St. Helens!

Henk arrives and delivers loads of sausages and burgers for the upcoming season.  

The coffers are now bare, Henk tells us, but if members purchase locomotives and rolling stock which have been donated to the group which was Lawrence's wish, we should build up the account in no time at all.  

While still working in the corner of the property I overheard Henk inform the lads that the cost for lunch will be $3.00 per person this season due to the higher costs of all things grocery related.  

Henk has now verified the cost at $3.00 for a sausage & bun and the same for a hamburger & bun.  Beer will be $2.00 and a soft drink will cost $1.00.  Water is whatever donation you would like to give!

Malcolm, Bernie and Henk pose for a trio shot!

Chris and Fred in discussion.

Because the two mainline tracks that "sandwich" the new double siding are on grades, it creates a slight optical illusion.

  Bernie had wondered if our new sidings were out of level but I informed him that we had already checked them out last week when we placed the freight traffic on both sidings.  Indeed, they both are perfectly level.   

This now begs the question for the Workday Wednesday crew..."What should we do about the team track at Spruce that rides up on a rather large grade where cars must have a car stop placed on the rail to prevent the rolling stock from, well...rolling?"  

I feel that it would take a full day's work session to lift the team track in Spruce and level it as there is much involved in the process seeing as the roadbed is screwed directly to the "cross brace" wooden members hidden below.  Not an impossible job though!

Chris gets out the water sealant to protect and "pop" the appearance of the Rat Portage depot.

No, this wasn't our lunch beverage!

Looking great, Chris!

Chris also created new signage for the structure.  Awesome!

Chris then installed the windows he had 3D printed.

Wow...this is one gorgeous looking station!

Brilliant!

Some more of Chris's scratch-building handiwork!

"You are a master with that printer!" Henk tells Chris.

The lads engage in further conversation.

Henk & Malcolm enjoy the morning's company.

Fred and Chris in a deep conversation.

Henk managed to find a new lamp and shade for the crew lounge.

Apparently these were going for some 25 bucks at IKEA, but Henk managed to wrangle this one from the used bin for $4.99 if I heard him correctly!  

Fred had to finagle with it a bit at his workbench in order to make the assembly mate properly.

Our marvelous magician, Henk.

As I was getting up to leave, I noticed this new sign at Wellington Lake!

This puppy will handle the weather much better than our older wooden signs.  Lovely, I say!

Bernie, was this your doing?

Yes, it was Bernie's doing!  

He sent me an e-mail saying, "I did the signs: STUART, WELLINGTON LAKE, and replacements for RAT PORTAGE, GLEN HAMMOND & NELSON YARD to date. I am not sure how they will stand up to UV and rain. I was having difficulty finding proper size wood. There are still a few more to do. I do have a new wood one for IRONWOOD. Need to do SPRUCE and PETER"S POND."

Chris sent along this photo of Fred observing Malcolm and me hard at work filing and inserting ties beneath bare rail at the new sidings.

Joan, it was great seeing you out today.  Rest assured, Lawrence's wonderful donation of the railroad equipment to our group will go a long way to helping many of our members who may be in need of locomotives and/or rolling stock.

What a wonderful time at Fred's this morning with everyone in great spirits as we await the beginning of our train operating season!

We are the Workday Wednesday crew reporting from a Saturday morning!

The OVGRS of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada