Workday Wednesday - August 19th

Workday Wednesday - August 19th

We catch up with Fred on "Workday Wednesday!"

George is present...

...and Lawrence too.

Say, who's this lad fooling around in the back of class?

Why...it looks like Bernie.

Indeed it is.  Bernie decided to check out the conditions beneath Mount St. Helens as we have been doing for the past number of years.

Apparently a few cars derailed in this location during Saturday's train running.

So, rather than "check it out," let "do something about it!"

So the lads did.

We first pulled the track out beneath St. Helens...

...which was easier said than done!

Lawrence was having a Dickens of a time unscrewing the little screws that hold the rail joiner in place...

...so...when all else fails...get creative!  And...Lawrence did just that.  He inserted a full screwdriver into the chuck of the drill!

Et voila!  She worked boys!

More digging and pulling out of rotten wood allowed us to place a couple of 2"x 6" sections in for the base.

Yup, as Marcel and Bernie point out...she's rotten for sure!

The length beneath "The Mount" required two boards...

so out come the C-clamps to hold the bracing in place...

...for the screws.

Everyone is pitching in...

...getting down and dirty...

...but having fun while we're at it!

A cross brace is now beneath the area where the tracks join and gravel has shored up the timbers.

Note the braced area approximately halfway down the line.

It's coming together.

We chose to run the board beyond the curve for the time being.

Bernie's cap keeps an eye on things.

Fred uses sign language when talking with Lisa!

Just a "check-in" on some of the latest developments with regard to the machine shop I am building in O-scale.

I painted many of the detail parts last week.

Working in O-scale is a blast!  Today I will be working some more on a couple of harnessed horses as the year Doug has set for the machine shop is somewhere between 1910 - 1920.

While some of us may continue to work on the trackage beneath Mount St. Helen's on Saturday, trains will still be able to be run across both ends of the line.  You will be able to start in Craig Leigh and head to Nelson Yard or Glen Hammond.  From there, you have the choice of working in Peter's Pond and Cedar Rock or you may head across RP&M rails up to Bell and Wellington Lake at which point you would have to turn around.  Lots of fun!

Have a Wonderful Wednesday all!

Mike Hamer, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada