Wringing in the New Year

New Years Weekend started the weekend before. With Christmas and New Years on a Friday this time it made for some quality time off for us working stiffs. Of course in retirement it just means the stores are closed for some reason.

I made it out first by getting out to the digs on Friday evening, the moon was getting bright enough one didn't need a flashlight to get around. The folks made it out mid-day Saturday and Greg and family were out not too much later then that. Trains and cars were unloaded but not much of anything else was accomplished, just a nice relaxing weekend.

The Heisler even got to see the sun for a change and Sunday she was steamed up long enough to make two laps. I guess I needed to remember how worn out she is and to make a new mental list of things to be done; I ran out of paper for that list quickly. Sunday evening came all to quickly and the worker bees had to get back to the hive for Monday.

Not seeing a list of what got done during the week I do know that Al Ratliff made a trip to see Gary Coneley and picked up a load of firewood from his abode down in town. It always is an experience to see Gary's HO layout at his house, and to see what other project might be taking place as well. Gary and Terry Watson had been building a 'contraption' for some time. It is loosely based on ideas from Jules Verne with heavy influences from local liquor stores. It is quite a work and I haven't seen it since it has been finished, time for me to get back down there.

New Years Eve saw Greg make it back up the hill; with Sydnie off for Christmas break Becky took a few days off and stayed out with Mom and Dad for the week. Greg probably made good time running light up the grades. Matt 'Z' came up from Chula Vista and had the run of my trailer for a place to stay as I had to leave again for an other obligation on Saturday morning as well. The trains, one GE 47 tonner, ran late and the last train was as the ball dropped at midnight. Greg and Matt ran a lap every hour and spent the rest of the hour by the fire. New Years Eve morning I made a trip into Huntington Beach and picked up a trailer load of firewood for the patio area. I finally made it out by late morning Friday and the first order of business was to unload it.

With Matt 'spark plug' Zacharzuk in town dirt started flying. Work on the station switch projects got a great shot in the arm and by Friday afternoon the switch at the crossing pad which had stalled in dormancy for way too long was finally completed. After I finished with my gig in Corona it was back out for the rest of the weekend. As I cleared the rise just down the road for the front gate I could see action taking place on the Palmer Bridge as I approached. Greg and Matt were installing a switch throw to the lower switch of the Wye. Gary and Margret Stites had come out for the weekend as well and Terry Watson was up for the day as he had a few Museum tours to handle. Al Ratliff was running for parts and keeping the work train close to the action. They had already fixed the station bypass switch throw and soon were working on the throws for the upper Wye switches. The count was one new switch in and working, four repaired and working switches with the three way switch the next on the list. Saturday afternoon's project was just that, get that thing working again so one could travel across it without bouncing down the ties halfway through.

Two guard rails were installed that had long ago been tore out by derailed pilot wheels, and the switch throws were replaced and installed on the other side of the track for easier pedestrian access. We even bent and tweaked a few rails to help align the rails for ease of both the eye and the flange too. Soon the south leg of the three-way switch was reinstalled for the first time in quite awhile and by the time the sun fell over the edge of the hill signaling the end of workable temperatures the frog was in place on yet another switch in the station.

Saturday night came and went and Sunday morning it was back to work on the last switch in the station. By noon it was complete, two new switches built, rebuilt the two switches that make up the three-way switch and all the switches around the wye had working throws as well. That for a total of eight switches working. Great job guys, the station looks good and we can focus on a different area as this project is in the bag.