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.

February and March at the Digs

Just because you have not read it here does not mean that we have been idle around the track at JT, just the opposite. We have been diligently marching up the high line. In February on the Standard Gauge Meet over President's Weekend the procession of fill dirt in five-gallon buckets reached a feverish pace. Somewhere around 300 buckets went up the hill and forty feet of track was put in place. We even beat down a boulder that was protruding and keeping us from making a flat and level area for the passing siding and switchback up the hill.

We had a small but dedicated group out in February. Both the Barter boys, Art and John meet up and enjoyed the weekend with us. From Chula Vista, Scotty Lewis and Timmy brought out the Santa Fe Ten Wheeler for exercise on the hill. Tim Baker and son unloaded their 'Pulga' and tried to run the wheels off of it. The Ratliff and Stites GE's were very present with Gary doing double work of running his engine while the Trestle end cap project cured. Gary and Margret have this end plug project coming along nicely, even changing out the end caps on two other bridges so they all look the same.

In March we had the Narrow Gauge Meet, Friday and Saturday were very low key with an easy two days of socializing and operating when the mood struck. Up to five engines were running in the late morning with plenty of time for lunch and more socializing. RGS 41 was down from Salinas with the Burns family, Both GE's were in attendance. Lavacot's came out and Goose 6 got some exercise.

Bill Shepherd is in town to do masonry work up on the 15" and we got him to survey a new set of numbers for the high line grade from the newest location of the switchback and the upper trestle, remember the one we built in 2004 that wasn't near anything else? It is now only 120 feet away with a rough grade connecting it to the rest of the world. Sunday the switch frog was cut in on the up track and soon it was noted that a rock was protruding in the way of a constant grade. A little excavation soon became a lot of excavation with pry bars and shovels, the little hump in the track was now a major problem that needed removed. After about three hours of sweat equity it is now part of the outer retaining wall and track work can proceed towards the next trestle.

With the switch location now set, the number two question has been where does the turntable go? On the other end of the passing siding that needs to be built for passing and changing of direction. This again gives us two fronts of construction but both in the same direction of our continued march up the hill. The new construction has attendance improved with lots of enthusiasm growing for helping out. Spring Break run over Easter weekend should be a great time to see the desert. As some flowers were starting to emerge from the winter sleep. Plan on coloring your Easter eggs at JT this year.

This past week was a road trip to MLS for their Spring Meet. RGS 41 and crew left Monday for AZ and Al and Lynn Ratliff followed the next day with the GE. Greg, Matt Z. and I sailed out Friday mid day for a whirl wind trip. Saturday was a nice day but storm clouds chased all off that had to head north or east, leaving a few to weather out a late night deluge that lasted till day break. MLS is a runner’s track, with miles of meandering trackage to choose from, Saturday with the help of the train order map, Greg, Dad and I made a three hour tour without returning to the station by connecting to other loops at interchanges and wyes. Talk about flat butt by the end of the ride.

Once again Easter weekend and the Spring Break Run are around the corner, plan for an interesting weekend, and see you there. Brian

Trestle to the Sky Completed

On a cold, desolate and windy hillside on not the warmest day of Winter, a few hardy, brave or silly souls watched as Mike Thompson ran his little Shay up the High Line and over the newly completed trestle and back onto Terra Firma once again. A lot of people had a part in the construction from start to finish, being it a lot, or a little, it all paid off as once again we are in the dirt hauling business if we want to extend track. Here is a link to see it on You-tube-- http://youtu.be/UQr6XL1nOao

The weekend started pretty busy, Two GE 47 tonners, Stites and Ratliff, the Tolans brought out the D&RGW #50, and Art Barter hauled out his Shay..
Art showed up early Saturday and promptly set out to haul a load of dirt in buckets up the High Line. All day long he trekked them up the hill; when asked how many trips he had made, he replied he had lost count. But he always had a smile on his face, even ate lunch on the fly. Kevin and Jeff Tolan made it out Friday night and spent Saturday helping out, Rusty pulled Yeoman duty and hauled steel and whatever else was needed up to the work site all day.
Even pushed the Yankee Girl Dump car in the afternoon to bring big loads up the hill.

Gary and Margret have been building resin plugs to fill the ends on the steel tubing used for the trestles. They started on the Lower Ophirish trestle and had enough to just about finish the new trestle. They have almost one hundred more to make to fill all the holes on the trestles on the High Line, great work you two.

The dedicated crew worked till it got cold Saturday and we finished the rail and tie work Sunday morning. After the short but sweet ceremonial first engine photo shoot it was back to work to stay warm and two sections of track were ballasted beyond the trestle by the end of the day. Allan Ratliff hauled buckets up with his GE and the Thompson Shay pushed the Yankee Girl Dump car up the grade, the Shay sure sounded good with that load on it.

With the Standard Gauge Meet coming up in February it would be a great time to see the railroad and the surrounding desert, make plans to visit this next month, see you there. Brian

New Years Weekend at Joshua Tree 2011

Winter in Joshua Tree stayed somewhere else this weekend. T-shirt weather, clear days, no 'W', and we got a few things done as well. The trestle was extended three more bents which allowed us to add two more lenghts of rail to the span. Our next outing should finish the trestle and put us once again on Terra Firma, or at least a decent fill.




Friday afternoon, Santa came in a blue van. Bill Shepherd showed up with the first of many of a donation of ties from Oroville. Originally from the Klamath and Western when Train Mountain took them over. They were treated and some never have been in the ground. A quick unload with plenty of help created a nice little, ha, stack on three pallets of 5100 ties.

Saturday we worked on the trestle, drilling anchors, setting bents, welding stringers, adding rail, checking curvature, taking pictures, discussing matters of the world, enjoying company, working at the speed of 'lite', screwing down rail to messy ties, load testing and feeling a sense of accomplishment. Come out next time and see it finished.



Saturday night, trains left the station hourly and then back to the poker game. We had quite a group out till late, or early, depending on the perspective. They didn't keep me awake, I left after the 10 o'clock train. Train service ended after 1 o'clock. Sunday not much of anything happened, just enjoyed the day, and a beautiful one at that. Did some welding and working on the Yankee Girl Dump Cars, in preparation of finally having wheels for them.

If you're thinking of spending some time with us now is a great time to see the desert, see you next time. Brian

New Roof on the Car Barn

Our miracle man, Bill Shepherd, has done it again; during his Fall pilgramage to JT one of his everlasting signs that he has been here before will be the new roof on the Car Barn.
The old rolled roof and the South wind have fought for years and the wind won. She would work the roof and all the roofing nails would just pull out everytime we would get a good blast.
Finished in the same material as the Station, when viewed from just the right angles they match and fool the eye that they are the same building. This welcome addition to the grounds will protect the contents from the elements for years to come. Thanks again Bill from all of us at JT.

Vice Presidents Foundation Weekend

Vice Presidents Foundation Weekend, December 10, 11 2011


Mike Thompson, he is the Vice President, wanted to get a jump on pouring the rest of the foundations for the Trestle to the Sky on the High Line. They are five bents left plus the head wall, leaving us six more to form up and pour so he can have the dimensions for the heights of the bents left to be constructed.

The dates were thrown around and this weekend worked best for most, you learn early that one weekend does not work for all. Allan and Lynn Ratliff arrived Thursday and I made it out late that night as well. Bruce Thompson ambled in Friday afternoon with Mike and Nathan showing up after dinner. Greg and Becky Ratliff finished the Friday night arrivals. Saturday Morning was the Lunar eclipse, I caught a look at it as it dropped below the edge of the hill around 5:15 am.

Mike was up not much after dawn and we all got an early start on the task at hand. With the portable power on the hill and the table saw at the end of track/trestle the forms for all that remained were finished by noon. Allan on the GE 47 tonner made plenty of trips up and down the grade for this or that during the morning in addition to preparing the train for concrete duty. Before we broke for lunch we cleaned up the site of anything that was not needed or in the way on the hill to make it easier to get around when pouring started after lunch.

Paul Westover made it out and brought us a load of track panels that he puts together at home. After a quick photo and text on the phone, showing the progress to a few that could not make it out the pouring project started. The batch plant was stocked with bags of ready-mix out of Tedder Shed, water hose stretched to location, etc.

I ran the mixer and loaded buckets down the hill. Allan ran the GE and string of flats up and down the grade. Bruce had switch duty at Brown, the High Line switch, to help speed up train movements. Mike, Greg, Paul and Gary Conley schlepped buckets from the end of the trestle to whichever form they were filling. We had four set of buckets going on the fill, so the wait at the top or bottom was minimal, heck, until we got a good rhythm going there was not much time to even get in a sip of beer.

Communications went up or down on the train. Number of bags used, how many forms filled, keep them coming, two then one more load. The sun had long disappeared at Tedder but was still out up on the hill, Allan said there was quite a difference in both locations. Twenty-one bags of mix, plus the other stuff that goes into the concoction went up by train in a little over two hours, about fifteen round trips. Bill Shepherd added a little to the finishing touches as the crew wrapped up for the day. A good accomplishment, usually two days worth of work done in one, all because we had the help to do it, thank you all involved.






Sunday, we have forms to pull off the concrete and a little edge breaking to do. Clean up of the form wood as we will not be needing that stuff for a while, probably the fire wood pile will be a good place to stack it. We need to run a string line over from on end to the other to get the numbers for the bent heights. The steel is purchased and the square tube is at Mike’s to be cut, so that the next project will be at Thompson Garage Floor Welding.

Should have a few bents welded up by New Years, and the rest by Mid January. Great weekend, see you at the next one?