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