Memorial Day Weekend May 26,27,28 2012

We're throwing in another weekend to enjoy the desert this season. We have done a super job on the high line this year. The trackage is past the point of the switchback and we have laid track up to the upper trestle. We need to finish the switch, grade the upper line and work on the tail of the switchback.

In time it will have a passing siding and around the curve the turntable will find it's home as well. This time of year we could have a scorcher or a nice weekend. With the mild winter the weather isn't being predictable, but we are going anyway. If you'd like to make a day of it or spend the weekend, make your plans and see you out at the tracks. The last couple of Runs we have had trains out that wanted to haul dirt up the hill, we have plenty to move if you want to try. We at one point in March had them dumping it along the track as we couldn't keep up with the bucket brigade working up the hill. We have that solved, try your hand at it now. See you Memorial Day Weekend, take a little time to pause and remember why we have that weekend too.

Train Mountain after Ramble is stopping by the weekend of July 14,16 2012. Their offical day is the Monday but we'll be out the whole weekend for the curious, and the dedicated.

Easter at the Tracks

We didn't have the Easter Egg Roll or the Chocolate Bunny Ear Eating contest but we did get a little work done up on the Hill. Easter Weekend was a laid back, get a few things done, kind of weekend. Dad spearheaded the patio rehab project which when finished will have a cool 'barn door' wind break on the windy side of the patio. Sort of a box car door arrangement to move the break out of the way when we don't need it. Does anybody have an old narrow gauge box door hardware assembly floating around collecting dust? Maybe we could paint a F&CC Gold Belt Route Emblem on the side to match. The pad for the refrigadezer was formed, poured and in place by Sunday morning.
The Stites came out with their GE with the intentions of hauling buckets up the hill. We moved quite a bit. Dad's GE ran great as well with new batteries to boot. Saturday morning we moved full size ties for the Museum boys to build the new steps to the station from the parking lot. Terry and Gary also put the switch stands on a display for all to see instead of stored in the restroom as where they have been hiding for some time. The small but effective work party moved up to the high line and soon found another boulder that was impeding our constant grade, it only weighed about 600 pound and didn't take half as long as the one we moved in March. This on even got a flat car ride to the end of track for use in the wall when we get there.
Our, at the time, fast shrinking stack of track panels made it to the top of the hill and we had enough to finally join the upper trestle into our growing rail network. When the switch gets finished we can take that picture of engines on both levels. It is looking great and the help factor seems to be growing as the tracks move up the hill.
Mid day Sunday Paul Westover delivered a trailer load of track panels to keep us going for a while,
We are planning on a Memorial Day Weekend at JT so if that fits your schedule we'll see you out there in May. And we are the final track on the After the Triennial Train Mountain Ramble, on the 17th of July. Guaranteed you won't need a jacket that weekend.