Opening Weekend at Joshua Tree

The past weekend was a kick back affair at Joshua Tree. The Summer was kind to the track and John Griffin's attention to things over the summer kept the opening weekend light on tasks at hand. After getting John checked out on the Edwards Freight Motor earlier in the year and getting the box and "Bass Pro Shops" fishing seat off of the deck to make the thing functional as a work vehicle and able to move a bucket or two of dirt around the place, he took care of 99% of the roadbed maintenance necessary to get this place rolling. The only major, and I'll say major as we did a lot of little things all weekend, was get the wye switch back up to operational status. It was a family weekend for the most part. Allan and Lynn Ratliff with the GE and the ever present string of Westside Flats. Greg and Becky, and her sister Colette. Matt Z made it up from the Baja region to spend the weekend but not all the pieces to make his PE run made the trip. I got to try out the new equipment and this weekend I will find out if the improvements made will help the newest engine in the fleet tackle the grades. One interesting outcome of the desert summer was the demise of a few trailer tires from the sunshine and temperatures. The 'new' Airstream suffered two blowouts while sitting still from the effects of Sol on the not so new tires. At least one doesn't need to pull over on a busy highway to change them. Bruce's rolling abode has one splitting apart as well, but you can still see the air in it. The weather was most pleasant and enjoyable during the greater part of the weekend. After putting it all away Sunday afternoon the breeze picked up and it was okay during the cooking hour, but after bedtime the leaf blower went to work and cleaned up the place. Weather at home the past two weeks has been on and off, overcast one day and Santa Ana's the next, the annual last gasp of Autumn while Winter starts to kick. Bill Shepherd is back in town for a while and has probably got a project or three well underway by the time we get to see them. Anyway, I hope to have a great weekend for the Rudy Run, see you there.

Opening weekend at the tracks.

It is time again for us all to gather in the desert for a good time. Be it moving a little dirt up the hill. Pulling a string of cars up the grades. Or standing around the steaming bays enjoying the camaraderie. This weekend is for making sure all is well around the track and area. Over the summer John has kept the place looking good. Keeping the ground squirrels at bay from undermining the place. We have a few summer weeds to shorten and kick a few kinks out in places. But there will be plenty of time to exercise the locomotives too. See you this weekend, if not I'll have some fresh pictures of what we did come next week.

Fall has arrived in the Desert

A quick trip out to the tracks yielded some surprising notes on the past summer. The clouds had come back to Corona and with it cooler temperatures as we left a little later than planed from the house. As we cleared the Pass and dropped into the Coachella Valley it cleared and be came a clear yet blustery day. The first views of the summers rains were evident as you enter the gorge and start climbing the grade up to Morongo. The normally dry and road rutted wash showed that it had over four to six feet of new cutting from recent flooding. The roadway was not affected but the dirt road that used to go up the wash is gone in most places, replaced by a new course of the river or just cut away completely. Near the top of the grade where the water course was blasted out of rock to make way for the road it is washed clean, no sand or rock filling it as you go by. On the highway sand in the middle of the road tells stories of water crossing in the low spots. I brought along my buddy Honda Ray for the day as he helped load the trailer he should get to see where it was going. Past attempts to get him to come out and see the place had failed, this was a free trip for him. Breakfast in Joshua Tree was had and John Griffin and Terry Watson showed up as we ate. It is nice to get to catch up on things from the locals perspective.  As one turns up Quail Springs and nears the turnoff many low spots in the road still have sand patches that have not been blown away by the traffic that passes. Turning up Willow the water had ran on the lower section and the road itself is in good shape, a grading session might of happened when the road was damp enough to do good. It is not as wash boarded as it has been earlier in the year. The little yellow ground flowers are abundant half way up the road, reminding one of a good spring flower show. The summer rains had run in the washes but no damage on the railroad was noted, a good soaking helps the recent roadbed construction and the much needed moisture was evident as the Juniper bushes and tree where a healthy dark green. We quickly unloaded the dump trailer and Ray was off to see the place, Terry caught up with him and gave him a tour of the full size cars, he was impressed with the 15" and did want to see more of that; told him he would have to come out on a scheduled event for that as I didn't have a key for that. John Griffin has been doing a great job on the 7 1/2" track, filling bridge abutments and keeping the squirrel holes along the right of way filled up. He has been using the Edward's Freight Motor that was a donation from the Henning's as it was intended and is hauling buckets to where they are needed along the tracks. He has moved quite a bit of fill over the summer. I even took a trip or two around the system as all good superintendents should, surveying the whole place and deducing where we should concentrate our efforts this coming season. The only thing that needs done is to address the growing vegetation along the right of way from summer rains before they get much bigger.

 Ray was checked out and given the chance to see the railroad from the helm as I cleaned up and readied the truck for the trip home. We put things away and all to soon it was back down the road towards home. Autumn has come to the high desert and I am ready to get back out and continue our projects. Hope to see you out soon.

Summer is almost over and Joshua Tree time is around the corner.

With the Summer rapidly coming to a simmer it is time again to gear up for some time out at the tracks. I know life around my house has been all but a blur with many things happening over the course of time. Many at the same time. I've worn more than one set of tires off of the Motorcycle in the past six months. Some new additions to the rolling stock and engine roster have come my way as well. Looking forward to gracing the rails with them all. I will be adding the dates for the next season for all to be able to plan a trip or two or three out to the desert. We have had some decent amounts of rain this summer and things are a bit greener. If the precipitation keeps up a good Spring showing of flowers could grace us. Hoping to get a lot of work done on the infrastructure this fall and winter. Completion of the roof and steel work on the 7 1/2" Engine House should keep us busy in the steaming area. And of course the High Line extension will forever be an interesting endeavor. Work on the turntable at the end of the switchback can see some improvements, it would be nice to let the fill around the turntable stabilize to the most it can till it gets put in. Hoping to alleviate any future problems with settling.  Hope to see us grade and lay track to above Tedder Shed, where the siding "Pauline" will be. A water line will have to be constructed to that point and from then on water will be under the grade for future needs. Up keep on the existing trackage will always get attention, probably more so now as my new engines have 'skinny' wheels. As this list gets longer and longer as does the track to run on. Looking forward to a good year and to see all again and meet some new folks as well. October is around the curve.

A Mid Summers trip to the tracks

Made a day out of a little project yesterday and threw what I needed into the bag on the back of the Harley and enjoyed the day along the way. Yesterday was one of those Summer stormy days. Clouds and moisture from tropical storms way down south of here spin their way up here and make for Thunderstorms, Humidity and maybe Rain. The rain helped the fire burning in the San Jacinto mountains and it rained in the high desert in the early morning hours before light. The smell of rain, started as I cleared the Badlands on the 60 and rounded the curve into the San Timeteo drainage; the Cottonwoods and Scrub Oak smelled good. And further up around Whitewater the roads edges showed that it had rained. The Tamarisk trees were the smell as I made the transition to the 62 and headed up the hill. After that the Greasewood Bushes were the aroma clear up the grades up to the high desert. Yucca Valley got the brunt of the rainfall and a few intersections still had their curbsides full. Dropping down into Joshua Tree the roads dried up but one could tell a little rain had fallen. A quick stop for a taco at the corner and I was on my way up to the tracks. As I arrived Gary Conley was just finishing up his morning planting of sticky plants in the front of the museum. Looking good Gary, keep up the good works. Terry Watson rolled in before too long and they both went up and did a little work on the Espee Caboose. After breakfast I finished the chain drive repair on the Freight Motor and took it for a spin to check things out. As I rounded the curve above the first Trestle on the High Line there was a local resident too close to the tracks. At first he just sucked it in and stopped. I backed off a bit and dug out the camera, he decided to move a bit away from the roadbed and I passed on up the hill. On the way down he had scurried a bit from where he was and ten minutes later on my return up the hill he was nowhere to be found. I spent a little time searching the area to no avail; who said Tortoise's where slow? A cool day with a little sprinkles in the afternoon but all in all a great day. The railroad is in good condition and nothing that can't wait a month or two before tackling it. Looking forward to our Road Trip in August, hope to see most of you there. Have a great Summer, Brian.

Memorial Day Weekend was a kick back weekend with more time for reflecting on achievements than achieving more. Pack rats had found a new home in the patio area and eviction notices issued. And a plan for their non return was enacted. Now if we could just get those that use the barbecue to empty the ashes out the next morning the place wouldn't get a coating of ash for the next visitors to clean up. All the Ratliff's made it out with me not getting in till Saturday night after a day at Los Angeles. Monday Jeff Tolan and Greg Reiter made a trip out and wanted to move a little dirt; so they loaded buckets and hauled them up the high line while I finished grading the track above the switchback to the upper trestle. Now you can walk up there a lot easier when construction starts up again in the fall. A little summer rain will set it up fairly well. Monday afternoon John Fenlon from GGLS showed up with his SW1500 for a few trips around the railroad. He got the chef's tour of the place and then made a few trips around himself. Wasn't here long but I believe he had a good time on his whirlwind tour of Southern California.  The temperatures were not too high and the breeze did keep it in check. The boys were up on the 15" but that is theirs to report. Things are looking up up there. Not a lot of pictures taken either but it was an easy weekend. Here is a link to the pictures, just click onto it and enjoy, Brian https://picasaweb.google.com/Ratsgarage/MemorialDayWeekendAtJTMay24272013?authuser=0&feat=directlink
We move onto road trip season and the next outing we will see each other is up at Bitter Creek. See you there.

Memorial Day Weekend 2013

Now, not forgetting the reason for the weekend, it is time to get in another weekend at the tracks. I'm sitting home waiting to go to Los Angeles in the morning. The rest of the folks are out enjoying the desert. Come tomorrow evening I will probably be out there too. Should be a cool weekend out in the high desert and if emails predict they're should be a few people out that way this weekend. Hope to see you out there, Brian