Trestle to the Sky Completed

On a cold, desolate and windy hillside on not the warmest day of Winter, a few hardy, brave or silly souls watched as Mike Thompson ran his little Shay up the High Line and over the newly completed trestle and back onto Terra Firma once again. A lot of people had a part in the construction from start to finish, being it a lot, or a little, it all paid off as once again we are in the dirt hauling business if we want to extend track. Here is a link to see it on You-tube-- http://youtu.be/UQr6XL1nOao

The weekend started pretty busy, Two GE 47 tonners, Stites and Ratliff, the Tolans brought out the D&RGW #50, and Art Barter hauled out his Shay..
Art showed up early Saturday and promptly set out to haul a load of dirt in buckets up the High Line. All day long he trekked them up the hill; when asked how many trips he had made, he replied he had lost count. But he always had a smile on his face, even ate lunch on the fly. Kevin and Jeff Tolan made it out Friday night and spent Saturday helping out, Rusty pulled Yeoman duty and hauled steel and whatever else was needed up to the work site all day.
Even pushed the Yankee Girl Dump car in the afternoon to bring big loads up the hill.

Gary and Margret have been building resin plugs to fill the ends on the steel tubing used for the trestles. They started on the Lower Ophirish trestle and had enough to just about finish the new trestle. They have almost one hundred more to make to fill all the holes on the trestles on the High Line, great work you two.

The dedicated crew worked till it got cold Saturday and we finished the rail and tie work Sunday morning. After the short but sweet ceremonial first engine photo shoot it was back to work to stay warm and two sections of track were ballasted beyond the trestle by the end of the day. Allan Ratliff hauled buckets up with his GE and the Thompson Shay pushed the Yankee Girl Dump car up the grade, the Shay sure sounded good with that load on it.

With the Standard Gauge Meet coming up in February it would be a great time to see the railroad and the surrounding desert, make plans to visit this next month, see you there. Brian

New Years Weekend at Joshua Tree 2011

Winter in Joshua Tree stayed somewhere else this weekend. T-shirt weather, clear days, no 'W', and we got a few things done as well. The trestle was extended three more bents which allowed us to add two more lenghts of rail to the span. Our next outing should finish the trestle and put us once again on Terra Firma, or at least a decent fill.




Friday afternoon, Santa came in a blue van. Bill Shepherd showed up with the first of many of a donation of ties from Oroville. Originally from the Klamath and Western when Train Mountain took them over. They were treated and some never have been in the ground. A quick unload with plenty of help created a nice little, ha, stack on three pallets of 5100 ties.

Saturday we worked on the trestle, drilling anchors, setting bents, welding stringers, adding rail, checking curvature, taking pictures, discussing matters of the world, enjoying company, working at the speed of 'lite', screwing down rail to messy ties, load testing and feeling a sense of accomplishment. Come out next time and see it finished.



Saturday night, trains left the station hourly and then back to the poker game. We had quite a group out till late, or early, depending on the perspective. They didn't keep me awake, I left after the 10 o'clock train. Train service ended after 1 o'clock. Sunday not much of anything happened, just enjoyed the day, and a beautiful one at that. Did some welding and working on the Yankee Girl Dump Cars, in preparation of finally having wheels for them.

If you're thinking of spending some time with us now is a great time to see the desert, see you next time. Brian

New Roof on the Car Barn

Our miracle man, Bill Shepherd, has done it again; during his Fall pilgramage to JT one of his everlasting signs that he has been here before will be the new roof on the Car Barn.
The old rolled roof and the South wind have fought for years and the wind won. She would work the roof and all the roofing nails would just pull out everytime we would get a good blast.
Finished in the same material as the Station, when viewed from just the right angles they match and fool the eye that they are the same building. This welcome addition to the grounds will protect the contents from the elements for years to come. Thanks again Bill from all of us at JT.

Vice Presidents Foundation Weekend

Vice Presidents Foundation Weekend, December 10, 11 2011


Mike Thompson, he is the Vice President, wanted to get a jump on pouring the rest of the foundations for the Trestle to the Sky on the High Line. They are five bents left plus the head wall, leaving us six more to form up and pour so he can have the dimensions for the heights of the bents left to be constructed.

The dates were thrown around and this weekend worked best for most, you learn early that one weekend does not work for all. Allan and Lynn Ratliff arrived Thursday and I made it out late that night as well. Bruce Thompson ambled in Friday afternoon with Mike and Nathan showing up after dinner. Greg and Becky Ratliff finished the Friday night arrivals. Saturday Morning was the Lunar eclipse, I caught a look at it as it dropped below the edge of the hill around 5:15 am.

Mike was up not much after dawn and we all got an early start on the task at hand. With the portable power on the hill and the table saw at the end of track/trestle the forms for all that remained were finished by noon. Allan on the GE 47 tonner made plenty of trips up and down the grade for this or that during the morning in addition to preparing the train for concrete duty. Before we broke for lunch we cleaned up the site of anything that was not needed or in the way on the hill to make it easier to get around when pouring started after lunch.

Paul Westover made it out and brought us a load of track panels that he puts together at home. After a quick photo and text on the phone, showing the progress to a few that could not make it out the pouring project started. The batch plant was stocked with bags of ready-mix out of Tedder Shed, water hose stretched to location, etc.

I ran the mixer and loaded buckets down the hill. Allan ran the GE and string of flats up and down the grade. Bruce had switch duty at Brown, the High Line switch, to help speed up train movements. Mike, Greg, Paul and Gary Conley schlepped buckets from the end of the trestle to whichever form they were filling. We had four set of buckets going on the fill, so the wait at the top or bottom was minimal, heck, until we got a good rhythm going there was not much time to even get in a sip of beer.

Communications went up or down on the train. Number of bags used, how many forms filled, keep them coming, two then one more load. The sun had long disappeared at Tedder but was still out up on the hill, Allan said there was quite a difference in both locations. Twenty-one bags of mix, plus the other stuff that goes into the concoction went up by train in a little over two hours, about fifteen round trips. Bill Shepherd added a little to the finishing touches as the crew wrapped up for the day. A good accomplishment, usually two days worth of work done in one, all because we had the help to do it, thank you all involved.






Sunday, we have forms to pull off the concrete and a little edge breaking to do. Clean up of the form wood as we will not be needing that stuff for a while, probably the fire wood pile will be a good place to stack it. We need to run a string line over from on end to the other to get the numbers for the bent heights. The steel is purchased and the square tube is at Mike’s to be cut, so that the next project will be at Thompson Garage Floor Welding.

Should have a few bents welded up by New Years, and the rest by Mid January. Great weekend, see you at the next one?

Rudy Run 2011, November 10-13

This years Rudy Run is now in the books, the weather cooperated to an extent giving us both a rainy day and beautiful clear ones on the same weekend.

Quite the crowd had assembled by Thursday night, and even though we were to play this weekend, the arrival of three more bents for the trestle made a welding party on the hill the event of the day on Friday. A load of channel iron Thursday about dark from Vagabond Welding of Yucca Valley sealed the deal. By noon, always a slow start the first day, stringers were being cut and transported up to the trestle job. The sun made an appearance and warmed the afternoon. With enough help; the stringers, ties and rail were extended as far as we could go, even a new bent foundation was dug. And by the time the day was over all that was left to do was screw the track to all the bridge ties.

Visiting trains ran as well, the sight from the end of track affords quite the view.By Friday night the steaming bays were full, seven steam engines, three electric and a complement of personal pedal contrivances.

Saturday we arose to a sprinkling of precipitation, it never really let loose,if it did it wasn't for long, it just kind of spit on occasion. It didn't stop many from getting in a day of running, just a low key kind of day, By afternoon it had stopped raining all together and by dinner time the sky was showing stars. Sunday was calm and clear for miles, the Annual Meeting took up the morning with time afterwards to run a bit before the start of the packing process began. The work on the trestle was wrapped up with the ties all secured to the rail.

A good weekend for visiting and meeting new faces at the track. A time to enjoy the fruits of our labors, as well as to continue with our efforts with ample assistance was had. Looking forward to the next time is a good thing, see you there, Brian

The Opener Weekend

Halloween Weekend has come and gone, the place is ready for the Rudy Run in less then two weeks. We did a little work on the next trestle, even had Allan Ratliff's GE 47 tonner testing the span. Hope to see you out for the meet, till then, enjoy.

Itching for a Trip up the Hill?

Tired of that same old loop? Itching for a trip up the hill? It is getting that time of year again; when the leaves start to turn colors and fall to the ground for some sap to rake up.

That means it is also Joshua Tree and Southern season. The fall brings new life out at the tracks. Renewed enthusiasm, a trip or two turning at the wye below the station and making a run up the grade, waiting for the downward train and then up to the reverse loop where you wait for the uphill train before you make your decent back to the station. Ah!, Railroading on the hill, we'll be waiting for you.

Check the calender or drop me a note at; ratsgarage@yahoo.com