New Years Weekend 2013

The end of one year and the beginning of the next always has been a time to reflect on what has happened and to choose a new beginning for the next, new and upcoming year. Yeah right, just another weekend; and an opportunity to get a little time to enjoy the desert, work on the railroad and get together with family. This New Years weekend was a long weekend. With the family making it out Thursday afternoon and evening things got rolling on Friday this time around. The weather was cool and expected for this time of year, if it warmed up enough to lay the coat down you remembered where it was in case you would like to put it back on. The recent delivery of a trailer load of old patio wood and tree trimmings kept the fire barrel glowing most of the weekend. Friday we had guests from Golden Gate Live Steamers; Dale and Marsha Furseth brought out their Atlantic for a day on the hill. I didn’t get to see the operation but they seemed to have enjoyed their day. Greg and Dad got a jump on the Engine House project and made a trip to Vagabond Steel for an order of what we need for the doors and front frame. Saturday Thomas Downing and his family arrived and they brought his GP-60 and a string of cars for a couple of days of high desert running. Saturday the back wall of the patio was finished. Another four sheets of plywood were added to the outs ide of the back wall, eliminating the polka-dot plywood look it has had for a while.

A strip was added to the top of the sliding door for aesthetics as well as an attempt at keeping the breeze down at times. Bill Shepherd the last time he was out did some electrical work on the patio too. The questionable temporary wiring of old was replaced with conduit and hard wiring. A new light shining on the woodpile with a switch for when not in use is very nice but the real neat addition is the combination barbeque light and interrogation center. This light is bright enough and in the right position, you can actually see what you are cooking. And, it comes with its own switch too. Thank you for your contributions Bill, it is always fun to find all the things you did after you’ve left. Bill will be back in mid February for almost a month, imagine the possibilities. Matt Z has been working on the D&RGW 50 project for the last couple of months and he brought her out for a test run. Now, 50 has had a tough life of rejection and isolation. People would roll her out of the barn, attempt a run and after numerous rerailings roll her back into the barn for another spell. . Many have laid hands on her in attempts to cure her plight. She was taken away to have her problems possibly looked at and diagnosed. Only to return in a box, actually many boxes. First, she rested in a heap in the Shop Boxcar and this past fall she was returned yet again to the car barn. Matt took a liking to the girl and a kind hand and skillful eye to her ails has transformed her into a rolling wonder. 50 had always spent more time on the ties then upon the rails, Matt worked her journals so they would freely move within their travel, took a lot of her side sway and lateral away and taught her to travel down the track with grace instead of sashaying from side to side as she traveled. Saturday she was guided around the layout with no problems what so ever. She rode in the train with grace, even spent a little time out in front where she never liked to be before, usually in a crumple she would stop in the past. This time, her days at the Polack Car and Foundry attending Charm School paid off. She even posed for pictures on the Upper High Line Trestle for us.

Her next step is to have a power system installed so she can be our Green Engine. Therefore, she will have the power to assist other engines that come to visit by guiding them to the steaming bays. We were glad to have her get a few days to return home and show us how she has transpired, good job Matt. We did a little dirt hauling too over the weekend. We have a fill project where the Switchback siding will be. Bill Shepherd had finished to rock retaining wall, all that needed done was to backfill it to an acceptable level before laying the rails. Saturday we hauled quite a few buckets up the hill and even hauled up three track panels to add to the end of track. Monday we went to task and actually counted buckets going up the hill. We had 215 five-gallon buckets of fill make the trip to the dumpsite, 14 trips in roughly four and a half hours time. It was a good and productive day and by the time we finished the almost warm day had deteriorated to snow trying to fall from the sky. It tried to rain and for a while, it did, but by evening, it had cleared; leaving us a cold clear night again. The hourly trips around the track for New Years Eve were quick cool trips and back to the fire. I actually made it to the 10 o’clock trip before giving up yet again my chance to see the ball drop from down town Joshua Tree. It was a good weekend enjoyed be a few hearty souls with a lot of thing accomplished for the better. Hope to see you out in a few weeks for the Mid Winter Run January 18-20. See you there. If you click on the picture below you will access the slideshow, enjoy. New Years 2013 at Joshua Tree">

Found an black and white photo of the crew working the High Line a few years back. Wish all of you followers of the site, a Merry Christmas and hope to see you during the New Year. We have a growing group for the upcoming weekend. A full moon weekend at that; so the hourly trips around the place winding up to the big Hour will be fully illuminated. Okay, picture is really Carson and Colorado over Montgomory Pass.

Found this great video taken by a local photographer,Patricia Knight, a different view of what goes on around here. Taken during this years Rudy Run. Lots of things going on that day. Thanks to Patricia for taking the time to make this, and to Mike, for giving her the moble platform for most of the video.

Starting Train Season in the High Desert

Yes, we are back at the tracks after the summer off. A few good trips to cooler climate over August kept us busy. Great railroads both, the Bittercreek and Western and the Portola Valley and Alpine. We made it out for the opener the weekend before Halloween. Bill Shepherd was already out, or should I say down from the north. He had worked on the 15 inch roundhouse, the campground water system pressure regulator and sectional shut off for the area, worked on the wall between the 7 1/2 inch engine house and the turntable, and moved the big boulder out of the way on the switchback tail; enabling the siding to be long enough for any train to pass on the switchback. Before we returned in two weeks he had moved all stored fill dirt back up the grade and started the rock retaining wall for the switchback tail track. He admitted to at least 100 loads up the grade. Whatever the count, a lot of work Bill. Thank You from all of us. That goes for all you do at the Railroad and Museum. The Rudy run was well attended by both the Narrow Gauge and the Standard Gauge folks. With over ten different engines and trains running throughout the weekend. The Barter Boys met in the middle again and ran pretty much all weekend, both the Ten Wheeler and the Shay. The GE's were present, both Allan Ratliff's and Gary Stites. Gary even ran his one day, it was a little cool over the weekend. Tolans brought out a bunch too, including Sumpter Valley #101, which the rest of the world knows as D&RGW #50. Paul Lavacot brought out Goose #6, The Thompsons were out in force and brought along C&S #13. Matt Z brought out the Juice Jack of his and ran it around. The Burns brought down RGS #41 down from Salinas, bringing along the JT caboose for all to see the continuing reworking and detailing of the museum car. I hope I didn't forget any, we all had a good time. The annual meeting produced the usual outcome. But the crowning part of the weekend had to be up on the mesa. The 15inch finished their unloading area and it unloaded four, yep I didn't stutter, four locomotives for the festivities. They need some track now. Brendon and Robert built quite a lift. Congratsulations guys job well done. Thanksgiving week the weather was very agreable, T-shirt weather in late November. Thursday not much happened other then deep frying three turkeys this year as the Burns family was in attendence too. Dinner was at 3:00 to facilitate the sun being invited to the gathering too. A feast was spread and no one left the table wanting for something more to eat. #41 was fired up most of the day and after dinner till after dark we enjoyed the temperarate temperature. Friday the dirt started flying. With the help of Brendons Bobcat and the need to move some dirt out of the area they were working above a pile was created at the old lift area. Transloading into five gallon buckets and the Yankee Girl Dumpcar; somehow affectionatly renamed over the weekend as the 'Little Girl', many a load preceeded up the high line to fill in behind that wall Bill Shepherd had made. The GE ran 15 buckets up by flat car and 41 pushed up 'Little Girl' and a flat car of buckets. Each roundtrip equaled 30 buckets up the hill. By Friday afternoon 20 feet of track had been extended and the final count on Saturday was 50 feet of new trackage. Quite a few visitors throughout the weekend stopped by, a few from RLS and even a stragler from BCWRR stopped in and were promptly shown how the bucket brigade worked. Fun was had by all and the fruits of our labor showed. Work is progressing well and with a new source of fill dirt when we need it the upper switchback should be to the end of grade real soon. Continuing fill work on the tailtrack can proceed as and when we have the trains. And the rumor of work on the Engine House is true. We should have the front face in place by March and Bill can proceed with the wood work then. I'll put a link to photos and a movie down here at the bottom and a promise to be a little more expediant on posting for the new year. See you at the tracks, Brian

Joshua Tree, Thanksgiving Run 11-22-2012

July 7th at the tracks

With Train Mountain in the history books for those that went and the Ramble not quiite here yet, we had visitors Saturday. Greg Pepperell and his Father Kevin made a trip out to see the place before their flight home to Austrailia on Sunday. I took off from Crestline at a bit before 6:00am on the Harley to meet them by 8:00 or somewhere near then. The ride down the hill was spirited as only the professionals were on the road at that hour. The weather was nice still at that hour and it wasn't really suppossed to get warm till Sunday. A stop for breakfast at the Country Corner met me up with Terry Watson as he was in with the locals. I had enough time to get out the screaming Yellow Zonker and made a trip up the High Line to see the view. It didn't take long and Greg and Kevin passed through the gate and found the scooter, time to go down the hill. Introductions and a tour from bottom to top filled a little time. They came this far to see, best I could do was make sure they saw it. Gary Conley rolled in and we got a tour of the museum as well. Shirts and Hats to brag about when the get back to Wandong Live Steamers. Greg even took a spin on the Motor Car for a few more pictures.

And then it was off back to the city, well sort of, back towards Old Woman Springs and a trip below Silverwood before hitting home. Nice day, see you this weekend, Brian

Memorial Weekend 2012

The weather did not know what to do this last weekend. When I was going through Beaumont at 11:00 Friday morning the thermometer was sitting at 58 degrees, is it not the last weekend in May? Friday night it was downright chilly after dark. Saturday morning the breeze was still blowing a bit but as the day progressed, the wind regressed.

Saturday’s project was the westward extension of the Picnic shelter for the new windbreak. The foundations had been poured the last trip out so the woodwork was what needed done this time. First the posts were fitted and secured in their positions and then came the walls. We had plenty of help as the day marched on. Terry and Gary came up from town. Gary and Margret Stites made a day trip out of Saturday. Mom and Dad set the place up as usual, Greg, Becky and Sydnie got a jump on Friday afternoon and made it out well before dark Friday, Becky’s sister, Colette braved the wind Friday too enjoy the time with us too. Martha came out early Saturday to spend a little time out in the desert as well. In addition, Matt made it up from the South to round out the group. Somewhere between the first cut and the walls starting to go up Martha made a trip into town for a few gallons of paint for the project. The new color is darned near the same as the old color, and it looks good. Something that needed done a long time ago I presume. After the new wall was attached the old wall, or should I say the old sheets of plywood nailed together in the form of a wall, came down giving the inside of the shelter two feet more width inside and a whole lot better protection from the elements. An improvement right there if we were to quit right then. But No!! The whole idea of this project was a barn door, or should we say a boxcar door that could be extended out if needed without the props, braces, splinters and rattling like the old apparatus did. First, the track was attached up high and then the door was cut to fit the amount of space we had. Of course, by this time the painting crew of Martha and Margret had gotten a jump on us and was greening up the place so to say. The new door was actually painted before we hung it so it could be dry as we had to man handle it a few times to get it in the right place. By afternoon we had it pretty much finished except for the tweaking and adjusting that comes with starring at it for a few hours. A kick here or there, it looks great and thanks to all the helpers that made it a enjoyable and rewarding project for the betterment of the picnic shelter. Sunday a bit more painting of the rest of the shelter as Martha was on a roll. Dad moved the spools she used as steps to reach the higher beams. Painting the north side really made an improvement to the place. On the railroad, the switchback switch was finished and we can now run a train up the grade to the upper trestle. Some grading was done after dinner but the bulk of the grading was done Monday and by 1:00 in the afternoon we ran the first train over the Upper Ophirish Trestle for the first time since it was erected New Years Eve Weekend 2004. We got a lot accomplished over the weekend and it was all due to some great help. Thanks again to Al and Lynn Ratliff, Greg, Becky and Sydnie Ratliff, Colette Gordon, Martha Hall, Gary and Margret Stites, Matt Zacharzuk, Gary Conley, Terry Watson and the guy in the orange shirt for a great effort.

The Shelter wall before.

After we sweated a bit, the finished Picnic Shelter

The Switchback Switch.

Over the Upper Trestle.

Road Trip to Train Mountain May 2012

Peter Moseley wrote a story on the trip to Train Mountain, and he graciously allowed us to spread it around as a JT Road Trip. We had a great time at the meet. Jimmy Booth's brand new C-16 #223, his RMI #50, Ron's propane fired #278 and Bill & Holly Boller's "bee" along with Ray and Becky's #18 Mogul and #50 gasser made up our local group. Gil Gross rode up with Ron and I and Jimmy had a couple of friends from Ukiah. Bill Dobbs and Dennis Weaver had been there for some time. There were only three other steamers there, one a large sweet creek like propane fired engine with oversize D&RG cars. It ran very nicely. Bill Dobbs didn't run his K-36. The folks at TM were very accommodating and welcoming and the atmosphere was good. The weather was nice and things ran well. Jimmy Booth had been working 16-17 hour days on the engine for the prior three weeks getting 223 ready and it ran flawlessly. There was an issue with the cross head support mountings, but a few hours on the mill in the back shop and we modified the bars and made new mounting blocks and fixed a weakness. The engine fires like mad and Jimmy had the firebox door open and the injectors running coming up the Serpentine. So a great opening weekend for the engine. We used Ron's propane fired engine to go across the way into Friends Land (my term). The track work they have done there is amazing and a really wonderful ride. It took us 6 hours to do the very scenic loop including some water stops and a lunch break. We learned a few things about Ron's engine on propane and were able to make some tweaks after the long ride that improved the steaming. We had too much draft going up the hills and too much cool air was being pulled into the firebox so it couldn't keep up. Someone suggested putting an extension on the blast nozzle so that the exhaust was up in the smokestack to further kill the draft. This made the engine run much better. Surprisingly the bark was really loud and I had to wear ear plugs to run the engine. I will calm it down by enlarging the hole in the end cap I have on the extension pipe. For all the running we did we only used about 8 gallons of propane. We were worried we would run out, but had almost 1/2 half our capacity still in the tanks when were done. The timing is off on the engine and needs to have a real cure. Between Bill, Ron and I we purchased 45 bags of char from Bill Dobbs. Added to our existing stock it is enough for the rest of our lives and then some I suspect. Sharon was in attendance and seems very earnest in her desire to keep the place going. She appears to be living there now. It will be interesting to see how this plays out. But we got the sense that, one way or another, TM was here to stay. So a great meet that was very lightly attended. Don't be afraid of going to TM. It's still a great place. Peter, Ron & Gil

Proud new builder of a C-16

The local group

Serious talk.

Crane flat - C&TS tank and Cumbres section house.

Gil gives it a try

Off and Running

Jimmy

Bill leaves for a run. Thanks to Peter for allowing us all to enjoy his story. Next Road trip Bittercreek.