and Dedication of the Bill Shepherd Lift
March 12-15
The best decision for having a meet was to have it in March instead of February. The weather was absolutely wonderful; mild temperatures, clear skies, and the next day was ‘more of the same’ all weekend.
The Meet started early for Gary and Margret Stites, they came the week before, a calendar mistake to their favor. Gary got in some valuable throttle time on his GE 47 tonner, learning the ins and outs of its operation quite well by the end of the weekends. The painting project and detailing are coming along fine, good job Gary.
Bill Shepherd has been in town for a few weeks now and his handy work is to be found all throughout the place.
The Gazsi bay is complete and filled now and the steps are forming at the south end of the steaming bays, a greatly needed and appreciated addition and completion to the steaming area. A concrete curb was added to the turn table pit area to keep the soil from eroding into the pit. The only thing left is the erection of the engine house to add the final crown to the improved and expanded complex. Bill has also completed the pedestrian entrance at the front gate. You must come see it for yourself, this is a project that Bill has worked on for over a year in secrecy and it is now de-classified for our enjoyment.
Bill has also been trenching away at the campground septic system, when finished it will need more than four hundred feet of pipe to complete. Bill has also been finishing up the steps and retaining walls around the new lift area. I’m sure there will be added attention to details as we dedicated it in his name on Saturday, a very fitting expression of our gratitude for all his hard work, dedication to detail and the stamina to see it through to completion of many things around our great museum and club.
The dedication on Saturday was well attended. As a background for the occasion, three locomotives sat on the leads from the hoist. Giving those assembled a touch for what can be done at the new facility. The Speech for the dedication was short and to the point about how all who come out to Joshua Tree leave ‘finger prints’.
Finger Prints, from the early days of when the original founders of the club put their mark on what is out here. From the building of the 7 ½” railroad that started in 1979 to its present scope has taken many more different sets of finger prints to evolve to what we have today.
Some people’s finger prints lay below the surface where they are not as readily seen. Some people’s finger prints might lay behind the scenes, and yet we only see those that are on the surface, those that created through what has been called ‘sweat equity’ the physical plant of the organization; the roadbed, the track, the facilities that make a railroad more then just a circle on the ground. So in honor to one that has left many a ‘finger print’ about the place, we dedicated the new hoist as the Shepherd Lift. Fittingly Bill even wore a blue shirt to match the hoist’s color well. Thank you Bill, from all of us, for all you have done and for many things yet to come we are very appreciative of your time, toil and techniques.
On the operation side of the meet we had a very good turn out. Ron and Peter made a light load trip south with one C-16, #278, in tow. The Burns Family made it down with the whole train behind the RGS #41. The Thompson boys had C&S #13 out for the weekend as well. The Tolans made a light trip as well, only stuffing the van to the gills, no trailer, had the ‘Chloe’ along. Erin Swain and his growing family made the trip from Flagstaff with the Fitchburg Mogul.
On Saturday Jeff Tolan and Erin had double headed with Paul Lavacot’s string of log buggies in tow, power to weight ratio for that drag was pretty low. Allan Ratliff had GE 47 tonner #17 polishing the rail as well, hauling log cars around all weekend, even had a new load to pull; stacks of untreated ties for the soaker.
The days were warm and the nights delightful, Terry Watson had the Museum open all weekend for those that wanted to see the sights. Peter Moseley had not been inside since Gary Conley and Terry had spruced up the exhibits and stated that his Father would have been impressed with what and how they have arranged the Museum. A new addition to the shirts available at the Museum is a nicely embroidered hat with the JT&SRR logo on the front, and for the Narrow Gauge Meet a special run was made with that on the back hoop. All 36 went quickly and could be seen throughout the area all weekend.
Many new faces were seen about the place over the meet as well as many old ones that haven’t been out for a while. Paul Westover invited his folks from Tehachapi to see the place for the first time. Paul’s dad has been cutting the ties for us for quite some time, now it all makes sense. Paul’s brother Richard and his family was up from Santee and has vowed to be out again to help in the ‘finger prints’ with some sweat equity of his own, Paul says he hasn’t stopped talking about the place yet. Kim and Linda Beard spent the weekend and stayed in the ‘romantic’ Pullman car, this is the first time Kim has seen his peddle car set out track near Burns Spur, it was well used over the meet with his and Shepherd’s peddler filling the track. The Chula Vista club had many make the trek to see the sights as well as Ron Wilkerson from Riverside.
A new addition to the layout was the new place signs that the Burns have started making, the original is at Burns and is ceramic from Liz’s art class, the newest and how the others will be made are wooden and double sided. The first new sign fittingly was placed at Tedder, just in front of the Tedder Mansion, below the same named trestle. The placement of the signs adds yet another ‘finger print’ to the railroad.A great time was had by all and it was over all too soon. Next time out will be Easter Weekend so find all the eggs early or bring them out to hide between the cacti, see you there, Brian
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