Presidents Day Weekend, February 2009

Presidents Day Weekend at Joshua Tree

The weather man was right it was going to rain this weekend, at 9:00 am on Monday it started raining. The rest of the weekend was the standard; cold nights and T-shirt days as long as the sun was out.

Paul Westover came down from Tehachapi Thursday afternoon and offloaded another one hundred feet of track panels for the 7½”. I meet him at Barr Lumber around 11:00 on Friday, as I came into town, to pick up a few items that we would need to finish off on the hoist project. It sure is neat to get out a little early for a long weekend and even better when you get to stay a day longer too.

Terry Watson was up and waiting when we hit the gate, eager to see what was in store for the coming day. Al and Lynn Ratliff came in the gate not twenty minutes after we did; it is nice to have Mom and Dad make it out after not being able to the past couple of times. We got the trailers set up and even unloaded the GE before the sun dropped over the edge and the cool started to take over. Tom Arnold was up for the weekend too, and we put him to work the whole weekend.

Saturday dawned with nary a cloud in sight and soon as the sun reached the valley floor the temperature rose as quickly as the sun. By 10:00 it was not necessary to have more then a t-shirt on if you were in the sun. Saturday night I had a pretty good sun burn going on the nape of my neck, I completed it on Sunday. Greg made it up pretty early Saturday morn’ with the non-used section of the hoist, it will be used about the hoist area, just not on the lift. The end track sections of the hoist were fitted and refitted before welding them in place.

The header plate on the block wall was secured to the block work with the remaining fasteners. After that was done the track crew could build the remaining track panel to length and grade it. They also started on the two outer lead tracks from the lift, as there will be three tracks to choose to off load to from the lift. Terry Watson brought out his hammer-drill motor to put the holes in the wall for the header plate. Gary Conley assisted with the drilling and tapping of holes to secure the rail to the hoist trolley.

And visitors in the gate during both days, Ray and Sunny Martin, their son Matthew assisted in the work of the weekend. He is a member of So Cal Live Steamers and was camping down the road. I do believe we will be seeing more of them in the future. By Saturday evening all that remained to see the hoist operate was electrical and air. The air could wait and could be bypassed but the electrical was Sunday’s project. On the track side of things the track crew had laid sixty feet of panels and had rough graded them as well. The grading for the third lead was pretty far along too. And it too would get attacked come Sunday as well.

Sunday morning the Heisler got a steam up and ran for an hour or so, she is developing a lope and needs a little more attention then she has been getting, so back to the bays she went. After the sun hit the hoist area it was back on the project, with the fish tape in hand we ran the electrical to the pump motor and ran the air line inside the conduit as well. After filling up the reservoir for the hydraulic fluid we soon found out that the lines were crossed; it had been a year since we disassembled them, at least everything is now well lubricated.

After we figured that out, we ran the hoist up and down a few times to get the air out of the line and it was time to give it a test. Everyone was to pick a spot a go for a ride. Pictures were taken at the lowest setting; on the ground. And then I raised it to the top and took another shot for posterity. Top of rail is 11 3/16” at lowest and 6 foot 5 ½” at highest.
Gary and Allan worked on the sheet metal for covering the wheels as to keep from running over fingers during movement. All the new track panels got rail joiners attached before sundown on Sunday. And most of the track got at least a token ballasting before dark. Quite an accomplishment for all that lent a helping hand, a big pat on the back for all.

Sunday evening saw all leave except Mom, Dad and I, quiet came back to the campground and the evening was warmer then the two previously. The cloud cover was coming in and by mid morning Monday the much talked about rain was finally coming down. Being antsy to do things while having a morning about the place, I figured with the string line and a few stakes, the radii of the existing curve and duplicated it on the other lead track. That made the yard look better. Soon I was digging out along the upper side of the lead tracks for a tie retaining wall to keep the sloughing sands at bay and to give one a decent walking path while traversing the area. The GE and a few flats did the yeoman work of transporting the heavy ties to the worksite.


The rain was getting serious by now and the first break in the clouds Dad and I loaded things in the respective trucks and secured them for the trip home. We picked the right time as it really never let off again till after I left at least and it rained all the way home for me. It even was trying to snow at the top of Morongo grade on the way out of Yucca Valley.

A great weekend, with a lot accomplished by those that made it out for the weekend, one more session on the yard switch and grading the lead tracks and we will have a functional, larger and safer way to load and unload equipment. I’m looking forward to seeing it in use as I’m sure you are too. See you at the Narrow Gauge meet March 12-15, 2009.

Photobucket Album

Hoist Workday Photos, February 7, 2009

Photobucket Album

These are the pictures for the below story, some day I'll figure out how to get them where I want them. Sorry about the Baloney from Photobucket wanting you to post a comment, that's what we get for free, Brian

Hoist Workday, February 7,2009

Greetings all, young and young at heart,

Saturday was wet and the weather man said; more wet to come. Greg and I got an early start from Corona and the weather cleared up more as we traveled easterly. Snow dusted the upper reaches of the mountains as we passed through the Banning pass. The fans were turning in the desert keeping the place cooled off as if it wasn't cool enough. It never really rained on the trip out but you spent most of the time adjusting the intermittent wipers to keep from hearing the screech of dry blades on the windshield, then turning them up for better visibility.

Brendon Hilton and his son Ace spent Friday night out there and he said it rained all night. The place was wet, but water had not run in the roads or either of the washes, so the precipitation was soaking in well, anticipate a good crop of wildflowers this spring.


An Easy-up was one of the things loaded in the truck, as well as everything else we thought we would need for the day. It was the second thing to be set up at the hoist location when we arrived, the first was the fire barrel for some heat. First project was to wire up a receptacle for the welder. The second was to go to Barr Lumber and buy a new pigtail for the welder so it would fit the receptacle. The welder still had a plug from when it was used by the Romans to re weld chariots. Then would you believe that one of the tabs in the breaker box was dead and of course that was the one that we plugged into when we ran wire to the hoist in January. With all the start up fits out of the way, we started welding the trolleys on the transfer table.

Not being the most proficient welder in town the easiest way for me to get a decent weld was to flip the table over and weld the bottom first then turn it on its side to weld them.

After we flipped it back over, installed the rollers and placed the roller track on the cross supports it became evident that our planning and engineering had paid off. She rolled with the greatest of ease. We bolted the sheet metal guards over the lifting ram and put the cover over the hydraulic controls. A few hydraulic fittings to go to get them to work and wiring for the pump as well as the plumbing for the air system is pretty much all that is left in that area.

The day was cool, but the turnout for the 15" boys for their workday was good. People drove by in and out most of the day. We even had a Cadillac with Illinois plates on it show up, Nick Kallas from the Illinois Railway Museum in Union, IL was in town and spent the morning trying to find us, he was also looking for an open observation Pullman car the was supposed to be around here he said. I sent him up to Pioneertown to go see it after he left. Terry Watson gave him the cooks tour of all the cars and the Museum too. It sprinkled a few times during the day as the clouds scudded past on their way east. The fire barrel keeping us warm and the cover keeping us dry.


The bridge plates to the yard and the rail on the transfer table will get welded up this week and put in place next weekend. We will be able to finish the center track to the hoist and start on the two outer tracks as well over the Presidents Day weekend run. There should be no reason that the hoist will not be ready to be put in use for the Narrow Gauge Meet. The Yard will not be complete, only one track will be in service up to the main line. We have a few switches to complete before that happens and we are looking into finding some switch parts to ease this along.


The rest of the day went quickly and soon the sun was dropping over the edge. Greg and I made a trip up to see the progress on the 'hernia' gauge, they had welded up some pieces on the turntable and had started grading the roadbed towards the big cut. The temperature was sure to be lower as the evening progressed as the sky was clearing. A group formed around the patio area and it was getting time to leave even though to fun was just starting to pick up. The ride back home was uneventful and we didn't see rain again till we were almost home. A lot accomplished for a day that was supposed to be rained out. Keep an eye out for the invitation to the cocktail and dedication party at the 'Hoist' at the Narrow Gauge Meet.

My new home

February 3, 2009

Welcome to my new home for info on the happenings on the 7 1/2" at JT. Tom Arnold set this up so it would be easier for me to get out the stories, pictures and what else that tells what is going on at Joshua Tree. I'm working on the text part right now and I'll get to the photos part later. Technology gets the best of me sometimes. OK, most of the time, I'm still looking for a font that looks like my old 'Corona', not Smith-Corona, typewriter; 'o's and 'p's that are filled with fuzz, off kilter 'l's and the 'a' that is lighter because of a broken pinkie finger, etc...

We, Greg and I, got a little work done on the hoist 'trolley' frame last night and are getting that ready for welding up to the rest of the hoist soon. Next run weekend, with a little work too, is going to be President's weekend, see you there, Brian

Paul Westover took a few pictures of the progress Bill Shepherd had made in his last trip down to the digs. Paul picks up ties and rail on the way home. He and his dad are making track panels in Tehachapi and Paul is dropping them off on his way back to the current job on Tucson. At least he knows where his safety vest is. And now we have panels all ready for the new lead tracks at the hoist.



The steps for the hoist with the compresser room underneath the steps.



Yes, the Gazsi bay is going to be smooth face instead of split to lessen the 'cheesegrater' effect on your legs.

MLK at JT January, 2009

January 21, 2009


MLK Weekend at JT, running and working.

What a beautiful weekend to be out in the high desert of California this past weekend. Of course the wind had blown for over a week previous and sooner or later it was bound to stop. The temperatures throughout the nation were in the single digits while we wore single shirts throughout the day, the evenings got down to the low 50’s and the skies were clear and the waning moon was still bright. The early evening activities were waiting for the International Space Station to streak across the sky. With two showings Friday night and one pass on Saturday and Sunday evening as well, it was quite a sight seeing the floating mass arc across the evening sky. How do I get a window seat on that puppy? How the view from a lawn chair strapped to the wing of the shuttle and a cool pack of beverages along side, watching the world go by. I could imagine the stories that could be spun on that trip.

Bill Shepherd was back in town and Bruce Thompson was right behind him through the gate. I followed less then an hour later on Friday afternoon. Mike and Nathan Thompson bounced up the road by late afternoon and Greg, Becky and Sydnie Ratliff found their way in before it was too late. Rumors of a crowd from San Diego way brought Matt Zacharzuk, Darren Saylor and Amber Palomino from that way on Saturday, Matt stayed till late on Sunday. Terry Watson cruised in every morning to see the action and help where needed, he even spent some time in the shop car working on the mill in there. The Tolans arrived Saturday morning and spent the weekend also.

Saturday was a steam up day for the Heisler and it ran till the packing gland decided to do a counter clockwise spin from its place of rest. Jeff Tolan steamed up his Chloe as well. The Saturday project was to add another row of block to the retaining wall for the lift project and to place the cap upon that so that we could calculate the this weekend. Of course the new row of block needed filled before Bill could place the cap, so a mixing crew was formed to do that project as well. Greg ran the spot stick while Bill looked through the eyepiece and calculated what needed to be known.

The mound of fill dirt that was impeding the visual aspect of where we needed to grade was bisected with shovels to aid us in seeing where we needed to go. Most of it was used for back fill against the new wall; the rest was Moses’d to each side of the road bed. After much, very much, discussion it was agreed to leave the wall at its current height and live with the fact that this railroad is built on a hill. For there is a two foot rise from the retaining wall to the frog of the new switch off the upper loop to the new yard, ninety feet away. Do we raise the wall and push a locomotive and cars above your shoulders to a long level yard, or do we shorten the flat section of the yard to the ease of unloading and the steepness of a grade to the switch? I hope you’ll agree on our compromise and plan to attend the upcoming Narrow Gauge Meet Cocktail Party at the lift in March. The lift will be at a perfect height.

Sunday we tackled the grade and cussed and discussed the alignment for the yard. A frog was cut into the upper loop, a switch was starting to take place and track panels that had been stored down in the car barn were brought up and bolted into place. By early afternoon ballast was in place and things were looking really good that this effort was taking root. Of course four more tracks need installed as well as their switches, the grades need worked on and etcetera. But, it’s looking good!

Jeff and Kevin Tolan had made there way up to the cut on the 15” and were clearing the debris from the latest ‘Dexpan’ placement. It is amazing what that stuff will do and two weeks later the stuff is a powder in the drill hole, nothing but fractured rock in its wake.

All but Bill and I left by late Sunday afternoon and things got down to quiet. By the time the ISS passed around 7:00 in the evening it was real quiet, peaceful and serene, it was great time to reflect on the accomplishments of the past weekend, the past years and even the past decades. It has taken a lot of people a lot of time, talent and toil to make what we have out here. And some times it is just amazing to just sit back and reflect on what we have out here to enjoy, count our blessing for what we have, and what we don’t have to endure as well.

Monday was quiet till I got up. Trying to do more then one thing at a time, I fired up the Heisler, put things away that we didn’t need out anymore. Returned things to their rightful spots and tidied up the place in general. After steaming up it was a load of trash to the front gate, by train of course, put cars back in the barn and coil up the hoses. Run a few laps and put the Heisler away as well. After the morning run, I worked on the new switch, leaving the points work for a later date. Bill was busy on the culvert south of the Station for the Yard tracks there; he also worked on the walkway on the north side of the station too. By Tuesday he had the rock wall placed back around the Tedder garden area east of the station, he never stops I tell you.

Bill is going to be in and out of town through March and I’m trying to get with Greg to get a day or two extra out on the lift project. Greg stopped by on Tuesday to show me the steel work for the lift trolley; it is going to be nice. Being we have power for a welder at the lift that will make things easier too. Things are looking good out there, plan on attending soon; hope to see you, Brian.

New Years Weekends 2009

January 9, 2009
The 2009 New Years Weekends on the Real Narrow Gauge


From December 26th, 2008 to January 4th, 2009 was a busy 10 days out at Joshua Tree. After the Christmas rush it was time to head out to the digs to enjoy the season to the fullest. With a heavy, early season snow blanketing the area on December 15th, the lure of snow running was on every ones mind. The pass west of Yucca Valley was still showing signs of the past storm as I crested the hill on mid day Friday. The snow piles were dotting the parking lots of the big stores in town. But as I neared the property the hills were their usual winter brown, nary a snow bank in sight, on the hills let alone along the road bed.

The snow erased all signs of foot and vehicular prints from the past fall and all that was left was animal tracks and the crusty soil from melting snow. That was to change soon. By evening the whole family was out and enjoying the cool December air, from the warmth of the fire at the patio.

Saturday was one of those slow days, took us till after 10:00 to get the trains unloaded and well after lunch before we returned from the hardware store with the supplies for the weekend task. The plan was to trench from the power pole west of the patio to the hoist site, a modest 140 feet, even further if one was to go around the bushes. Direct always works best, so it was through the bushes. Greg and dad spent the rest of the daylight hours rearranging the car barn parking situation while I found a good fitting shovel.

There are good things about trenching after a good soaking and in sand too, once you get past the crust it’s pretty easy going. A lot easier digging then in some of the places I’ve had to trench before. By the time the sun dropped behind the hill I was half way across the first road. After the sun returned in the morning and again graced the campground it was time to complete the task. But the ground was now frozen about three inches deep from the cold and the wet soil. Greg helped out with the pick and the project inched its way west. By breakfast time we had reached the buried conduit from the hoist pad that Bill Shepherd had placed for us. After breakfast we laid out the conduit and threaded the wire through it and put it on the bottom of the trench. By noon we had it all covered back up and packed back down. One of those projects that needs done but no one can tell it when you’re done.

Sunday evening Greg and I headed back to the salt mines while the folks and Becky and Sydnie enjoyed their winter vacation. Monday, Kevin and Jeff Tolan came up for a few days and Paul Westover was in town for a few days too. Paul brought out another load of ties from Tehachapi; his dad is going gang busters on the drill press pre drilling the ties. Jeff brought out his ‘Chloe’ for a winter run and right off the bat Kevin decided that the turntable needed a little attention as it has been taking two men and a boy to turn it. Kevin found that two of the four rollers were frozen and the center pin needed a little TLC too. Far warning if you move it now, it might just spin around and get you now. While every one was down near the steaming bays the track on Gazsi’s bay was removed so the rock could be removed in anticipation of the cinder block retaining wall instead. And of course the cinder blocks needed placed close by too. After that was done Kevin went off on a chainsaw spree trimming up and off branches that were broke off from the wet heavy snow, it does a number on the greasewood bushes.

Kevin, Jeff and Paul also made a trip up to the 15” and made quick work of the ruble from Brendon’s recent ‘Dexpan’ job in the big cut. One or two more drilling parties and there could be some iron in that cut. Jeff even got in a night run too, as the evenings weren’t as cold as the past weekend. The redwood planks also got moved for the upcoming project of erecting the hoist on New Years day.

Paul was busy putting together track panels for the new hoist lead tracks; he even put in the last ten feet of track on the Panama Canal end of the Wye, now the track goes clear up to the end of the cut. Makes room for quite a train through the Wye now. Kevin and Jeff left before New Years Eve and Paul made it till then before heading off back to work. Greg showed up on the eve with a trailer full of hoist parts that were loaded up earlier in the week in Corona from the secret hiding place. I arrived back on New Years day and the ‘erection of the hoist started about 9:00 am. Good thing the OSHA inspector had the day off, he wouldn’t of liked how we cribbed the cross piece up to height, but if it was good enough to build Stonehenge its good enough for us. Terry Watson borrowed a hammer drill from his buddy Sam Lehman and that sure made quick work of drilling the anchor bolt holes. Gary Conley also had a hand in the assistance side of things as by midday the Hoist was erected and bolted in place, and one ramp was installed to ease in measuring where and how the other ramp would go. The other ramp will roll side to side across the entire width and have the track attached too. A big thanks to Nick Gray Trucking for the use of the trailer to get the hoist out and thanks to Bill Wilson of the ‘Bike Shop” for hauling the trailer back home.

Tom Artzberger and his wife Sandy made a trip over from Pagosa Springs to deliver a locomotive and to test run another. A GE 47 tonner was going to its new home in Chico and where other then JT to give it a test run and see how well it performs at that. Tom also had a RGS #20 on steam for the first time over the weekend. The smell of baking paint was permeating the steaming area on Friday and Saturday. After Tom had run it a while on Saturday he said it was running in nicely and it rolled a lot better now then it did Friday morning. Tom is building another batch of 20’s and a few of the prospective new owners were out to see the test run of this one.

The rest of the weekend flew by quickly and soon it was time to load it all back up and leave. The hoist project is coming along nicely and thing got a little spruced up along the way. The weather was not an issue and we faired well with the rains and snow. Spring time just might be a colorful time this year as we didn’t have much rainfall last year. Save a few days in the spring for flower watching.

Next time out will be MLK weekend, hoping to get a few switches started for the unloading area as well as some train time in too. See you there, Brian