Spring Break in the High Desert

This past weekend we made yet another trek to the tracks for a little R & R at the RR. Friday was an enjoyable afternoon and evening around the patio. A small dedicated few made progress over the weekend. Friday evening the breeze came up but sometime in the night it abated. Saturday dawned nice enough and the task of installing the I-beam for the overhead hoist was tackled. Bill Shepherd had left one panel with screws in it so it could be removed for this task. Simple enough, Bill likes his screw gun and there were plenty to remove. Then to get the beam in place, fortunately there is a bank nearby to rest the end before getting it in place. Once installed the beam was a tad long so the handy-dandy Hack saw came into action and saved the day. Not much to remove, just that extra on the end due too an angled building and a square cut. With that finished the wall could be replaced and the trolley installed on the beam. The breeze came back while this project was going on and the plan to paint was scuttled. A bumper was installed at the turntable end of track to keep equipment out of the construction area unexpectedly. The breeze didn't stop the visitors from arriving and visiting. Saturday nights dinner was inside for reasons the salad wouldn't blow off the plate. Sometime Saturday night the Zephyrs abated again and Sunday dawned warm and calm. The paint crew seized the opportunity and in no time at all the second coat was applied to the new engine house. The lead tracks were then relaid with steel rail for photogenic reasons and the engine house is a couple of more steps closer to completion. A good, weekend with enough projects completed to make one feel an accomplishment was made. Good weekend, great visitors and the blooming desert was worth seeing once again, the desert is coming alive as we saw many critters basking in the sun. See you next time.         https://picasaweb.google.com/Ratsgarage/SpringBreakWeekendAtJoshuaTree?authuser=0&feat=directlink

The Engine House is up, and Painted

This was a very productive weekend with just a skeleton crew, great weather and good times. Friday was a Good day and spring in the High Desert is worth the trip out. Allan and Lynn Ratliff made it out Thursday and I even made it out before noon on Friday. My buddy Don drug out the dump trailer with yet again another load of wood and pipe from my project in town. Matt Z made it to Corona for the soon to be famous Carne Burns at the Garage on Thursday nights. Greg and Becky rolled in before dark too. A afternoon trip to the store for paint in readiness to paint the fresh wood on the Engine House.
Saturday morning the paint crew was assembled and we put the first coat of color on the Engine House. It sure is easy when you don't have to cut around the windows. The windows will be installed as they are fabricated hopefully over the summer. The same goes for the engine doors. Bill Shepherd will install the people door and the roofing after he returns in the fall.  The rest of the day was spent enjoying the great spring day.
 Sunday we installed 50 feet of track on the switchback tail to extend it to the point where the turntable will be. Bill Shepherd had excavated beyond the old end of track so that we would have a siding equal to the length of the short leg of the wye at the bottom. That is the limiting factor, if you can turn on the wye you can clear the sidings on the high line too. There is a nice narrow hand dug cut before the track opens up for the turntable area. Great work Bill. Now we just have to get the siding in. We have plenty of fill that needs to get up the hill for that endeavor.
 It was a great weekend and we go back out in two weeks for the Spring Break run. April 11-13, make plans now to see the desert before all the wildflowers disappear. See you there. A link for the pictures on Picasa below. https://picasaweb.google.com/Ratsgarage/EasterWeekendAtJoshuaTreeMarch2931?authuser=0&feat=directlink

Spring Break/Easter Weekend

This coming weekend we have another trip out to the tracks planned. Bill Shepherd has been busy out by himself erecting the wood portion of the Engine House. The doors and windows will be added over the summer and this fall, after it cools down, but the wooden structure is up and tar papered for the summer. We need to get a coat of paint on it to protect it from the elements and that is the big plan this weekend. Of course we will get in the honorary egg roll and other festivities we are famous for on this great weekend. This Friday would be a Good Friday to come out and spend the weekend. Bring your painting clothes. Bill has also etended the grading and wall work on the switchback up the High Line. A handmade cut through the small hump into the next open area where the turntable will be installed. We have about 50 foot of track to lay there. I on behalf of all the members would like to thank Bill for his dedication and deligence in his endeavors for the railroad and the museum.

Here is a link to the Picasa Album for the photos of the Engine House project. Right click and open a new tab. https://picasaweb.google.com/Ratsgarage/JoshuaTreeSouthernEngineHouse?authuser=0&feat=directlink

Narrow Gauge Meet March 7-10, 2013

If I were to pick one thing that covered this weekend it would be this video from Dave Fontes that he shot Saturday afternoon. I was a great weekend and well attended too. We had six steam engines at the bays and six other engines out as well. Two GE 47 tonners, both Al Ratliff's and the Stites engine. RGS 41 was down from Salinas with the Burns boys. Bill and Holly Boller arrived with the Bumble Bee 268, Ron Schmidt, Peter Moseley and John Dolph came down from Portola Valley as well with C&S #10, complete with the new boiler and some more detailing then in the past. It was nice to see #10 back on her home track as she was our work horse  in the early days when she was under Rudy's wing. We didn't get any snow to push with the plow but it tried Friday Morning early. The rain stayed away except for a brief moment Friday night. Mike Thompson had C&S #13 up from Eastvale, the two C&S engines the closest they got to each other was in the steaming bays; that would of been a nice lash up. Ray Bjerrum and Becky came down from the San Jauquin Valley but no third C&S to make the trio. Dave Fontes came south for the weekend too, with him he unloaded his RGS Ten-Wheeler #22 a first timer to run the rails out here, Dave also has a RMI engine in Westside lettering for yard service and hauling the cold steamer around.  Doug Maywald, who recently picked up Karl Hovanitz's RGS 20 from Bitter Creek, brought her out for a run and it ran most of the weekend. He and his son Bailey learned there is more than running around in circles out here; we have real grades and bi-directional running, they picked up on it real quick. The Tolans bought out Sumpter Valley #101, those Davenports look good in Yellow. Paul and Celeste Lavacot were out and RGS Work Goose #6 made a hot lap around Sunday.  Matt Z had his Juice Jack running around before he let the smoke out of something and it was unceremoniously pushed into the truck for a trip home. Plenty of people out all weekend even though the meet was pretty much not known as our website isn't up to date, a problem that is being rectified as I type. Dinner around the BBQ and the patio was Carne
Asada on Friday, a Matt Z regular thing these days if we can get him away from his duties in Chula Vista for the weekend. And the ever popular Steak Night on Saturday was a grill full. I've got some Picasa pics also. just right click on the link below and open as a new tab, that should magically appear. See you soon, you missed a great weekend if you didn't make it out to this one.   https://picasaweb.google.com/Ratsgarage/JoshuaTreeSouthernNarrowGaugeMeetMarch7102013?authuser=0&feat=directlink

Narrow Week.

I have certainly not forgotten one of the best weekends we have had out at the tracks so soon. All that needed to get done around the home front had to be done in three days; and getting the story and pictures up didn't make the cut. I'll leave you with a teaser for sure. Bill Shepherd is in town and he is doing miracles for the organization. See you after I get back home, Brian

President's Weekend/Standard Gauge Meet

This past weekend was our President's Weekend, Standard Gauge Meet. Not that you could only be Standard Gauge prototype with skinny wheels, if you brought it out you could run it. And those that did had a good time. The late winter weather was very hospitable, which lent itself to being a enjoyable outing. The breeze was blowing something fierce in the San Gorgonio Pass area Friday, but as one turned and headed for the high desert the Zephyrs ceased. Friday evening was cool but not chilly. Having got out to the place just minutes behind Al and Lynn we had the GE unloaded in no time at all. The second Skoglund flat car returned to native trackage after an interesting time at Rat's Garage getting new trucks, couplers and a sub frame to assist the old wooden car through a few more decades. The Linseed oil still stinking up the right of way as she rolled around. A new paint job added the finishing touches and she rode effortlessly all weekend no issues at all. The Barter Boys, John and Art showed up in the afternoon as well, bringing their Ten-wheeler and the Shay along with plenty of cars to pull around. The Barter Coal Co. wooden hopper cars ran many a trip spreading ballast along the high line. They are a wonder of late 19th century wooden car technology with their rods and levers working as the prototypes did when things were done with brain and brawn. Greg and Becky made it up in the early evening and we got to see Sydnie too. Basketball season is over for now so she got to spend time with family. Robert and Barbara rolled up from the low desert where they snowbird from the Great White North. Saturday dawned just as beautiful as the day before and a little warmer at that. Soon the Westside flats were hauling the necessary equipment to the Engine House area for the assembly and welding of the front door frame. It is of steel so it will look as of wooden beams. Final prep for alignment before we drilled anchor bolts happened as well as some concrete poured to support the one side to make the doors square with the bays inside as the alignment was a tad off; not bad as the whole engine house never was really planned or built at one time. Art and John spent the day running their engines and easily running loads up the hill between laps down to the station. Soon the sun was setting over the hill and it was time for activities around the patio. Timmy and Scotty Lewis rolled in before dinner and spent the rest of the weekend with us. They came up from Chula Vista to the Santa Fe shin dig at San Bernardino Saturday, so as being halfway here made the rest of the journey. There was plenty of red meat cooked over a tantalizing bed of Oak coals along with plenty of side dishes. Saturday evening was filled with many stories around the fire barrel, one knows not how many may have been true, but fun none the less. Sunday was even better weather wise than the two previous great days. T-shirt weather is once again back in town. Erection and welding of the door frames was in order and quick work of the project with plenty of help and advice filled the morning. Timmy had Matt Z's freight hack out for exercise most of the day, only the batteries kept him from running it more. One of the weekend fix-it projects was the switch frog to the middle track on the east side of the station. It has been giving a few engines fits for some time. It was given a proper bending and re gauged and it gave not a hint of trouble the rest of the weekend. Robert spent some time oiling, fixing and adjusting the Edwards Freight Motor and it ran quite well for him. He said it had been a few years since he had a vehicle with a manual choke and it would come back to him after a bit. I guess I'm spoiled, my favorite around town vehicle I drive these days has a manual choke, standard transmission and roll up windows; and I think of them as luxuries. The 47 Ford even has a hole for a hand crank, not that I would want to try that. We had five trains running over the weekend, plenty of people with smiles abound. March 8,9,10 is the Narrow Gauge Meet, we hope to see you out for another great weekend in the high desert. As usual, click on the picture below for more great views of the good time had by those that attended.

President's Weekend at Joshua Tree, 2013

A Little Snow at JT

One of our local members, John Griffin, took a trek up to the tracks this morning, February 10, 2013, after we recieved a dusting of snow in the area. It was not much but enough to add a different look to the area. As the sun poked over the mountain it quickly melted away, as you can see in his pictures from up the fire road. Just click on the picture below to see the slideshow. Thanks for sharing this wonderful morning John.

A Little Snow at JT 2-11-2013