Inches to go! The stakes are set for the last of the grading needed prior to the installation of the two switches for the restoration building yard. The switch work is to begin in just over one week so the dirt around these stakes should be approximately eight inches lower in the next week.
The calm before the storm… In just over one week, construction of the two new restoration building yard tracks will begin and will connect the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum’s Restoration Building to the museum’s demonstration railroad via the stub of the track seen in the distance.
Looking the other way. Looking back at the Restoration Building, one can get the feeling where the switches will go to connect tracks (from right to left) #6, #7 & #8. More dirt still needs to be removed from the west to further widen the area north of the building, however, there is room to install most of the yard and all of the switches.
More stone… And more stone… More stone taken from a recently delivered one hundred and twenty tons was added to road crossing on siding #6 and #7 to make it easy to get cars and trucks up to the building in preparation for the switch install. The museum is going to need SIX HUNDRED or more tons to complete the yard. That is approximately $7500.00 in stone alone! Care to help us reach our goal? Consider a tax-deductible donation to the Museum’s “Building Tracks to the Future” Capital Fundraising campaign.
Another new part… When the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum acquired its Plymouth BL gas-mechanical locomotive it had three of its four original sandbox covers. As his first project, new volunteer, Tom Anderson had a new covered machined and the finish product is shown here on the engine. Thanks Tom!
Flipped over… Flipped over, one can see the machining necessary to make the cover fit on to the sandbox. The cover was machined from the same metal the cast originals were made from.
And up on the roof! Continuing with his sheet metal work, Kevin Klees has the engine cab roof sheet metal nearly finalized and with a nice coat of paint to protect it.
In other Motive Power news… On the other side of the Restoration Building, the oil pan from the #1 prime mover for RG&E 1941, the museum’s GE 45-tonner, awaits re-installation having been completely cleaned and painted. The primer mover is coming to an end of a complete rebuild, and we hope to have it running again in 2007!
Spring has sprung! Thanks to our Building & Grounds team of Dave Luca and Janet Dittmer, signs of spring are popping up all over the museum.