Workday Wednesday Happenings June 3rd
Hey gang, a nice contingent of OVGRS members made it out this morning to work on the railway.
A number of projects were tackled in preparation for this Saturday's Narrow Gauge session.
Most of the focus was on the Lawrence Watkins Trestle area at Goodie's Gulch...so named after our "Good Man", Mr. Bernie Goodman!
Wow! What an awesome surprise it was for me to discover this amazing image of Ken on the sign now established on the Brunt's Brewery Facility!
Our good friend Chris created it using computer software.
Chris tells me he used this image of Kenny to create the sign.
Thanks so much Chris for this very special moment in Fred's backyard this morning!
Pete, Pat & Bernie get down to business with the remaining plank we have had stored beneath the Northland Ore Dock.
It will be needed for the lead into Fallentree Mine and into Lilly which comes off the mainline out from Nelson Yard.
Alas, we discovered it to be too warped (as it resided outdoors for quite a while) and so Pete & Bernie headed over to the nearest lumber store to purchase a new length.
This warped piece will be cut into shorter planking to act as bracing beneath parallel roadbeds whenever required.
Indeed, nothing goes to waste on this property...especially with the price of lumber these days!
Henk & Bill get started with the removal of the Fallentree Mine roadbed which houses the two ore spurs.
These planks will be reused in place when we finish with the crossing of the Gulch.
The new board has been purchased and Bill & I get ready for the angled cut to be made.
Bernie has taken the above image and the next batch you will see.
Bill & I have determined the angle and marked it with a pencil.
Pat 'goes to town' with the saw!
It was a challenge to cut as Bill hadn't replaced the blade in some time.
Bill may have indicated that this particular blade was useful for other purposes and not for these thick planks.
In the meantime Pete gets going once again with the "bucket brigade"!
Man...even with the pale 1/3 full, carrying it was like hauling a ton of bricks!
We've determined that the planking beneath the turnout here at Lilly should be replaced.
The heat at this time in the morning was impacting our ability to get things done...but we all persevered.
Bill heads over to measure the length of the trestle.
Yuppers, everything will fit.
I have now learned to trust Mr. Scobie's measurements! 😎
It was great having a larger contingent out today as so much work is required each week simply to keep the railway in decent working shape for our Saturday operations!
Mark worked diligently all morning long.
Indeed it took a great deal of teamwork today as we also settled some of the retaining wall issues at Lilly.
Time for one more 'test fit' of the trestle...which is actually quite a solid structure in and of itself!
Mark, Bernie & Pat then devoted a great deal of their time repairing areas of the trestle that had worn with time.
Indeed we do like to kibitz around as well!
When I finished up with the retaining wall issues, I headed over to lend a hand on the trestle work.
To think...Lawrence had designed and built this all on his own before he passed away.
We are thrilled to have resurrected it to once more to grace the gap between the Fallentree Mine neighbourhood and the sidings at Lilly.
It's not quite neurosurgery, but many of the bents required the efforts of four hands instead of two.
Many hands make light work!
We're no dummies!
We hauled the trestle over to Firgrove where the tall hedges shade the work area.
Ralph Yard substituted in as a great workbench!
Thanks Bernie for that tremendous batch of images!
Pat sent along these next two images and the video seen below.
It is now past 1:00 PM and Pat (behind the camera) Bernie & I remain to finish up most of the work on the trestle.
We departed Fred's place just before 2:00 PM.
Indeed, it was a long day...but a rewarding one!
Pat sent along this video where I thought he was simply taking a picture of me...thus the delay mid video as I wasn't aware the video was taking place.
Thanks for the two pics and the video Pat!
Pat is all smiles looking over a job well done by the team!
Our other Pat gets on to the whipper snipping.
Chris cleans out the rust garden...
...along with Mark.
Pat was busily searching for missing structures that have gone AWOL over the winter break!
Meanwhile back at the main work area we use string to determine the height at both ends of the gap.
Indeed, this will be a huge refurbishing project!
We have successfully determined the level of the plank.
Pat brought out this long metal plank to help us align both ends of the subroadbed on the two sides of the gap.
Pete has been working hard and takes a short break with Freddie.
Chris took this image of me gathering dirt and gravel to fill in behind the newly placed retaining wall.
Chris also took the next batch of images you will see.
Thankfully the garden gloves help to prevent the wire bucket holder from penetrating into my hand too deeply!
Bill & I worked on a new retaining wall using the extra patio stones piled up in the crew lounge.
A great deal of fill will be required in behind the flat stone.
We have replaced the old plank supporting the turnout here at Lilly with some new lumber.
It's going good!
Mark & I 'test fit' the trestle.
Bill suggests we turn it upside down for the test fit and he was right!
Chris also included this video effort of Mark & me test fitting the trestle in place.
Thanks Chris for the great pics and the video!
There's the plate that we will eventually screw onto the board just before we re-introduce the bridge.
It looks a tad messy at the moment and the plate is not centred on this board, but everything will fall into place nicely when we get back at it next Wednesday.
Mark used this tool to aid in squeezing the nails into the wooden structure.
Mark is all smiles as well!
Indeed, the lads worked with dedication and devotion on this day.
Joan will be so happy to learn that the trestle Lawrence created will continue to see trains running atop it on their way to deliver the goods to Lilly.
Fred kept busy in the crew lounge attending to a number of necessary chores and repairs!
Bob donated this lamp holder to Fred.
Near the end of our marathon effort we relaxed in the crew lounge...in the shade!
Now...I'm not implying that Bill is a 'shady' character!
There is nothing more elegant than the repetitive structural elements that are found in a wooden railway trestle!
A gentleman by the name of Matt Thompson discovered this surprise when he went to run his train on his garden railway...a robin's nest with a number of little ones being looked after by mom and dad.
You never know what you'll discover when you head out trackside!
Check it out by copying and pasting the link below into your computer's browser!
https://www.facebook.com/MIwoodworks/videos/this-robin-kept-trying-to-build-a-nest-on-my-train-tracks-and-i-kept-kicking-her/1419294513290797/
And...when I got home, Lilly was there to greet me although by now the thermometer read 29 degrees Celsius (84 degrees Fahrenheit) and it was too hot to play ball!
We close off this blog entry with a lovely image of two brothers; Fred & Ted, taken by Mary.
Thanks, Mary & Ted for sending this our way.
And a great big 'thank you' to the entire WDWD gang for their efforts on this day!
We are the OVGRS in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
