FEBT Rockhill Work Session Report

[Anonymous]

The seventh Rockhill work session of 2003 was held Saturday, Sunday and Monday, August 30-31 and September 1. We had 15 volunteers on Saturday, 12 on Sunday, and eight on Monday. Fred Kuhns of Memphis, TN again took the distance prize, though Bob Farquharson and Bill Blomgren of Charlotte, NC were close seconds.

Those participating included Fred Kuhns, Bob Farquharson, Bill Blomgren, Charlie Wootton, Chris Coleman, Richard Culp, Bill Adams, Shawn Stauffer, Tom Diehl, Wade Woodcock, Bob Goldby, Bud Goldby, Wade Woodcock, Ginny Rainey, Dave Brightbill, and Lee Rainey.

Your crew leader would like to express many, many thanks to the folks who worked so hard during some pretty soggy weather, and especially to the Monday crew, who stuck with the job to the very end.

COMING UP: MAXIMUM EFFORT SESSION
We interrupt this report to bring you this special message: Our next session will be held on September 27-28. This is a MAXIMUM EFFORT session! We need YOUR help to finish spiking and leveling Track 3 and to paint the electrician's shop for the Fall Spectacular.

EMERGENCY TRACKWORK TO SUPPORT REPAIRS TO THE M-1
Recently, it was found that the M-1 would require some major repairs to its engine-generator coupling in order to operate this fall. In order to do the work, the M-1 would have to be moved to the RTY car barn, but the narrow gauge access track was not sturdy enough to support the weight of the unit. In a cooperative effort with the RTY, a special FEBT crew completed the track upgrade on the weekend of August 23 and the M-1 is now undergoing the needed repairs.

EMERGENCY WORK AT THE CARPENTER SHOP
For as long as the oldest East Broad Topper can remember, there have been a large number of driver and wheel tires leaning against the wall of the carpenter shop. The larger tires wear some 400 lbs each, and there were about 20 of them. Recently it was noticed that the weight has caused portions of the wooden building wall to break and bow inwards badly. At the request of railroad management, the FEBT crew moved all the large tires and many of the small ones to a new storage location to avoid further damage to the wall. This was a grueling job and, hour for hour, probably the most difficult project we have undertaken so far.

TRACK NO. 3
The track crew completed the excavation for the remaining ties required for Track 3 and placed the ties in readiness for insertion. 73 ties were transported into position above their holes. Plugging of old spike holes was done on about 20 ties.

ELECTRICIAN'S SHOP
The remaining repairs to the south and west walls were completed and the building was power-washed by Charlie Wootton. The building is now ready for final surface preparation, priming and painting.

GLASS AND WINDOWS
Bob and Bud Goldby continued to salvage and clean glass, supporting the work on the electrician's building.

CAR SHOP
With the help of virtually the entire Saturday crew, the north wall and doors were painted. Bill Adams and Chris Coleman then reinstalled the windows and began the detail work (white window trim, black ironwork, etc.) This part of
the shops now looks fantastic.

BOILER HOUSE
Our volunteer mason, Bill Horton, has made major progress on rebuilding the brick boiler jacket, and now has the door to the boiler house working for the first time anyone can remember.

NORTH SECTION SHED
The two halves of the shed were leveled and fastened together permanently. Then the shed was straightened to stand vertical and some discrepancies in the roof line between the two portions were corrected. The subfloor was entirely relaid with original material and all the salvageable material from the upper layer of flooring was reinstalled. In addition, the south wall was completely reinstalled, including trim and battens, and the sheathing and trim of the north wall were reattached, ready for the batten work. Both walls incorporated the planks and battens salvaged earlier in the year, in their original, numbered locations. We added a small amount of new lumber to replace missing or
badly-deteriorated pieces.

MACHINE SHOP
Tom Diehl and Ginny Rainey continued the clean-up inside the shops. The old 1870's lathe is really starting to shine and moves freely now.

NEXT SESSION
Our next session will be held on September 27-28. Remember, this is a MAXIMUM EFFORT session! We need your help to finish spiking and leveling Track 3 and to paint the electrician's shop for the Fall Spectacular.

Here's a photo of the session
http://www.febt.org/Images/Restore/030830_01.jpg

[Anonymous]

The seventh Rockhill work session of 2003 was held Saturday, Sunday and Monday, August 30-31 and September 1. We had 15 volunteers on Saturday, 12 on Sunday, and eight on Monday. Fred Kuhns of Memphis, TN again took the distance prize, though Bob Farquharson and Bill Blomgren of Charlotte, NC were close seconds.

Those participating included Fred Kuhns, Bob Farquharson, Bill Blomgren, Charlie Wootton, Chris Coleman, Richard Culp, Bill Adams, Shawn Stauffer, Tom Diehl, Wade Woodcock, Bob Goldby, Bud Goldby, Wade Woodcock, Ginny Rainey, Dave Brightbill, and Lee Rainey.

Your crew leader would like to express many, many thanks to the folks who worked so hard during some pretty soggy weather, and especially to the Monday crew, who stuck with the job to the very end.

COMING UP: MAXIMUM EFFORT SESSION
We interrupt this report to bring you this special message: Our next session will be held on September 27-28. This is a MAXIMUM EFFORT session! We need YOUR help to finish spiking and leveling Track 3 and to paint the electrician's shop for the Fall Spectacular.

EMERGENCY TRACKWORK TO SUPPORT REPAIRS TO THE M-1
Recently, it was found that the M-1 would require some major repairs to its engine-generator coupling in order to operate this fall. In order to do the work, the M-1 would have to be moved to the RTY car barn, but the narrow gauge access track was not sturdy enough to support the weight of the unit. In a cooperative effort with the RTY, a special FEBT crew completed the track upgrade on the weekend of August 23 and the M-1 is now undergoing the needed repairs.

EMERGENCY WORK AT THE CARPENTER SHOP
For as long as the oldest East Broad Topper can remember, there have been a large number of driver and wheel tires leaning against the wall of the carpenter shop. The larger tires wear some 400 lbs each, and there were about 20 of them. Recently it was noticed that the weight has caused portions of the wooden building wall to break and bow inwards badly. At the request of railroad management, the FEBT crew moved all the large tires and many of the small ones to a new storage location to avoid further damage to the wall. This was a grueling job and, hour for hour, probably the most difficult project we have undertaken so far.

TRACK NO. 3
The track crew completed the excavation for the remaining ties required for Track 3 and placed the ties in readiness for insertion. 73 ties were transported into position above their holes. Plugging of old spike holes was done on about 20 ties.

ELECTRICIAN'S SHOP
The remaining repairs to the south and west walls were completed and the building was power-washed by Charlie Wootton. The building is now ready for final surface preparation, priming and painting.

GLASS AND WINDOWS
Bob and Bud Goldby continued to salvage and clean glass, supporting the work on the electrician's building.

CAR SHOP
With the help of virtually the entire Saturday crew, the north wall and doors were painted. Bill Adams and Chris Coleman then reinstalled the windows and began the detail work (white window trim, black ironwork, etc.) This part of
the shops now looks fantastic.

BOILER HOUSE
Our volunteer mason, Bill Horton, has made major progress on rebuilding the brick boiler jacket, and now has the door to the boiler house working for the first time anyone can remember.

NORTH SECTION SHED
The two halves of the shed were leveled and fastened together permanently. Then the shed was straightened to stand vertical and some discrepancies in the roof line between the two portions were corrected. The subfloor was entirely relaid with original material and all the salvageable material from the upper layer of flooring was reinstalled. In addition, the south wall was completely reinstalled, including trim and battens, and the sheathing and trim of the north wall were reattached, ready for the batten work. Both walls incorporated the planks and battens salvaged earlier in the year, in their original, numbered locations. We added a small amount of new lumber to replace missing or
badly-deteriorated pieces.

MACHINE SHOP
Tom Diehl and Ginny Rainey continued the clean-up inside the shops. The old 1870's lathe is really starting to shine and moves freely now.

NEXT SESSION
Our next session will be held on September 27-28. Remember, this is a MAXIMUM EFFORT session! We need your help to finish spiking and leveling Track 3 and to paint the electrician's shop for the Fall Spectacular.

Here's a photo of the session
http://www.febt.org/Images/Restore/030830_01.jpg