Gunnison Main Extension!! Volunteer Workday September 12th
September 12th – Full Team Workday
29 volunteers braved the early leaf lookers and found their way to Como this past Saturday. The Sawyer crew had already started milling staves on Friday and were at it until closing on Saturday. The water tower will be the beneficiary as it begins to take shape. The track crew began work in the South Yard on the Gunnison Main and the track 16 and track 4 switches. The engine team was active on a variety of tasks, and docents provided tours all day long. Special thanks to the entire team, who survived the day with no running water inside, as our well pressure tank had sprung a leak (more later).
Sawyers
Mill work for water tower staves actually began on Friday.the 11th Special thanks to Chris Tome for bringing his “mini” to stage logs for the mill both days. Logs were cut to 17.5’ with the straighter portion of the log chosen. The remainder was put in a separate stack for other future work. The basic staves are 3’’x 6” and start at 17+ feet. Chris then tapers these and finishes the final length for Bob Revis to ring around the water tank. A true in-house project!
Chris Tome delivers a 17+ foot timber that has been selected and cut to length at the wood pile
George Firstbrook, Dan Silbaugh, Jonah Gambone, Mike Antolin, and Tim Clay set up for operations on Saturday morning
Friday crew Mike Antolin, Bob Schoppe, and Tim Clay perform mental arithmetic to maximize staves from cut. George Firstbrook and main log pile in background
Saturday afternoon shift – Mike Antolin, George Firstbrook, and Mark Vecchiarelli
Engine Crew
The static hydro test continues while we await final approval of steam dome lid adjustments. Several of the seeps have sealed themselves up and there is minor drippage from the remander. Meanwhile the team has been working steadily on the oil delivery and firing system.
Bob Peterson and Dan Silbaugh admire the oil firing quadrant installation, which now is ready for a bell crank to connect it to the oil firing valve.
Fire box: On the right photo the oil pan is fully tacked up and shows the hole for the burner nozzle at the front of the oil pan, and the draft box sitting in place
Track Crew
The track crew began making improvements to the South Yard, including the Gunnison Main extension and the Track 16 and Track 4 switches. The area had been fully graded 2 weeks ago so Track Master Alex Hois had a blank canvas to work on. The day started with tie cutting, as we had depleted our supply of 76” cut ties. Hand tools were needed to connect the graded area to the current end of the Gunnison Main. Alex and the crew combed the supply yard for the hardware necessary for the switches. Most of the ties for the extension were laid, with the exception of the longer switch ties. These have been identified and will need to be moved in next week.
Left: Jim Thompson, Rob Van Winkle, Tina Bogani, and Jacoby Van Winkle at the tie cutting station. Right: Tina Bogani on the chainsaw and Paul Marizza on support.
Paul Marizza, Noah Beauchamp, Alex Hois, and Dale Shallenberger doing hand work to tie into the Gunnison Main. Jimmy waves in background
For once the tie cutting station was next to where they were needed. Design? Coincidence? You decide. Paul, Tina, Jim, Jimmy, Dale at work. Also – seeing the water tower under construction in these photos is awesome.
OK – Ties laid. Alex still working even though the bell has rung! Single rail on far right is current end of the Gunnision main. Hmmm. I mispoke earlier – looks like some of the switch ties made it over!
Left: Doug Junda and Dan Silbaugh guide one of two grinders recently donated while Chris Tome moves it along in his mini. Thanks to Doug for trailering them up. Right: Jim Vanore and Paul Marizza guide in the second grinder. Note location of first on wall
Tim Clay did a bang-up job addressing our leaking well pressure tank including removing and reinstalling it. Here Doug Junda helps him move it for Dan to patch weld it. The visible patching tape did NOT work; however, the weld was still holding up when we locked up at the end of the day
Michael Bottlemy with afternoon guests. He also weedwhacked about a half acre
