2019

shed1 nov2019shed trim 2019Got the shed mezzanine storage up, and the red trim on the shed ends on 
Nov18; Dan, Davef, Geoff, bob, Rob

 

2017

Work parties have been few and far between this season.

P 20170906 120719  In August and September, Dan, MikeL and DaveF began the trestle extension. On Sep 6 they got the joists installed on a 20' section. Next will come some trestle sections.

 

 

 

 


 

P 20170906 105703Thanks to Doug Lott for adding a battery shed to the water wheel

 

 

 

2016 07 31 11.33.11

Monday Aug 22 0900 to 1500 -

  • Dan, Ken, Mike, Hans, Bob, TomS, Doug, and Davef completed the Track expansion: 
    • installed the remainder of the track from the 640' point to the loop (120' more); installed weed guard
    • leveled the track at the 140 to  loop section  while installing  ballasting over the track
    • Doug  designed and installed the facia and rockery on the steep slopes of the tunnel
    • changed switches and cutover the track to the loop before fall fair

Next: install a switch lever to facilitate the train leaving the station ftowards the tunnel, while the hand cars continue on the traditional route

 Photos here


 

P 20160816 202351 LL2016 07 31 11.33.11

  • Dan fabricated the diamond-shaped switch that connects to to the loopin the week of Aug15
  • Friday Aug 20: Dan and Ken fixed the wood support on the archery gate track; and added wood to the other two horse crossings (Dave got 36' of 1x6 and 72' 1x3 treated wood; and galv. deck screws)

Monday Aug 22 0900 to 1500 -  

  • Dan, Ken, Mike, Hans, Bob, TomS, Doug, and Davef continued the Track expansion: 
    • installed the remainder of the track from the 640' point to the loop (120' more); installed weed guard
    • leveled the track at the 140 to  loop section  while installing  ballasting over the track
    • Doug  designedand installed the facia and rockery on the steep slopes of the tunnel
  • When everything ready, in september,
    • change switches and cutover the track to the loop before fall fair

 

  • Aug 16: Dan, Ken, Dave, Tom installed the horse crossover track at the 600' point plus 20' more track

Tunnel is complete except for adding facia; and adding rocks on the steep  parts.

Sunday Aug 14  0930 Mike, Dave, Leif and Geoff - installed the weed guard to the 600' point

On the weekend Aug 5, 6, and 7, Dan led several work parties to get track installed to the 600' point

 

On Tuesday evening July 12:, Dan, Mike, Hans, Geoff, TomS and Davef completed installing the building paper and plastic on the tunnel. Dan added gravel on the grade. Tom remained at Dan's to weld connectors on the rail pieces. We check out the available x-track crossovers, but they weren't suitable so a new one must be fabricated.


 Monday July 11 at 9 am: Good day today with Dan, Mike, TomS, Doug, Hans, Geoff, Bob and Davef for the morning. Thanks to A&W for providing us with a donated lunch.

Tunnel: Got the shed roof on, did the internal bracing; most of the tarpaper stapled on.

Track: Dan added about 6” to the entire low area; lots of hand raking to level it.

 

 

 

 

 

Large crew came out Tuesday July 5; grass cut; sides of tunnel finished and roof started; Dan, Mike, Stephen, TomS; Doug, Rob, Hans

June 28. More tunnel done; Dave/Marg Hodgins did the laser elevation shots. Max grade is under 2%; we'd need to add about 6" over a long stretch to get max grade down to 1.5% which would be better for hand cars.

Saturday June 25 Dan, Mike Dave moved more boards over, and installed many more.

Tuesday June 21 Dan, Mike, Bob, Leif, Tom and Dave cut and installed the 4x4s and 2x6s; and installed the first 3 rows of siding.

Tuesday June 14 -- Dan, Mike, DaveF, TomS, Stephen installed 14 footings for the tunnel, laid 20' of track, and planned the tight curve (45' radius)

Tuesday June 7  Dan, Mike, DaveF, TomS, TomB, Bob, and Rob and Leif laid another 60' of track
Tuesday May 31  May 31-Dan, Mike, DaveF, TomS, TomB, Bob, and Rob laid 60' of track

 

Tunnel Plan:

Concept: 20’ tunnel with dirt-backfilled sides and sloped flat dirt roof, installed before the track goes in.
- -     Sides and roof using available recovered T&G 2.5”x5”cedar stock (if more needed, some sources known)
- -     width: inside clearance 5’; vertical 6’ to accommodate wheelchair car passenger
 
Foundation: DONE  We buried twelve 12” square concrete blocks that will hold  4”x4”s; 
- - - - levelness and spacing across the tunnel not accurate; need to proceed all on-site
 
- Side-Roof Supports:   DONE
- - six pairs of treated 4"x4" posts spaced @ 4’;
- -  one post 5.5’; one post 6.5’ to provide 1’ slope across the 5’ roof;
- -  need lots of 4' to 8' strapping to hold posts in place while joists added, and until siding screwed on  
- - need put string line in place to get straight roof; then cut top of 4x4 posts at slope 1:5 with chainsaw; 
.
- Joists  DONE - two pieces; one 4x4 and one 2x6
- - six treated 4"x4" joist sitting on the post-pairs
- - 1x6x6' on each side of the 4x4 roof joist; the two joists screwed together, extra screws strengthening the corner where the 4x4s meet
 
- Siding  Started - T&G stock screwed to outside of 4x4s and on the joists to form the roof; and backfilled  .... and top-filled....
- use building paper outside the T&G siding; plus plastic barrier on top; could consider sheet metal on roof to keep drip-proof
 
- Backfilling   - using the Glosslee excavator: roof will be covered with enough dirt to grow stuff
- rely on backfill behind the walls to keep the structure from trapezoiding (or small 45 degree struts like in the shed?)
 
Materials:
1     12 foundation blocks  
2      Posts: six 12’     4x4s treated (later cut 5.5’ and 6.5’)        
3      three 12’     4x4s treated (cut into 6’ lengths) for joists 
4      three 2"x6"x12' treated (cut into 6’ lengths) to strap to one side of 4x4 joists, making them 5" wide, and strengthening the corner. (screwed with 3" galvanized deck screws) 
5       galvanized 3" deck screws for 1.5" stock; 1.5" deck screws for 3/4" temporary strapping; 4" for screwing siding onto the posts
 
 
- on hand:  T&G 2.5”x5”cedar stock ; tar paper, ...

More photos here

 


 

P1010345Saturday May 21     Dan, Mike, Dave, Rob, Stephen and TomB

  • bought and installed 20' drainage pipe under the horse trail
  • back-graded and added fill in many areas with the tractor
  • smoothed much of the horse trail with shovel/rakes/loppers
  • dug weeds from the shrubs in the triangle garden west of the shed
  • completed the grass trimming with Dan's wheeled trimmer
  • painted the back of the sign on McLeod Road 
  • adjusted the loci carburetor 
  •  Tuesday May 17   Mike, Rob and Dave got the posts and some of the grass trimmed; lopped some roots from ditches and blew the track. 
  • On Tuesday May 3    6:30 pm we:

    • took the locomotive to Dan’s again. The rubber cone drive was repaired and 
    •  Installed the cribbing at the 700’ point

Saturday April 30

geoff apr30 1Saturday work party progress was good (Dan, Stephen, Mike, Tom, Geoff, Dave);
- moved lots of gravel/sand to rough-level the track,
- took out a huge root , and
- got the first few hundred feet nearly ready for track laying.
 
      More photos here 
20160416 120611 25864361233 oSaturday April 16 0900  A good turnout April 16 - Dan, Mike, Lief, Rob, Tom, Bob; photos by Phil
Tasks:
  • continued the Track expansion project:  
  • Tested the loco on the track
  • used Dan's tractor to move gravel being delivered Friday (Gloslee excavator not available); then hand dug/raked as needed
  • had a fire to clean up branches

 

 

 


 

Wednesday April 13 - 1900 hrs: Dan, Mike, Stephen, Bob and Tom met 
  • Tom Sparks welded connectors to 20 pieces of track rail,
  • Dan continued drilling oval hold in remaining connectors

Saturday April 9 Following tasks were done by Mike, Hans, Dave, Lief and Geoff:

  • Removed debris and blew the track
  • Used the hand cars to test the track for level, and corrected track levelness
  • checked tent and cars, signage, etc; be sure everything is ready to go
  • Applied  track cleaner where needed
  • Applied some grass seed where needed to help keep the salmonberries from returning 
  • erected the PRFHS sign on McLeod Road

Saturday April 2

  • Mike and Geoff worked on the grade up to the corner
  • Lief and Dave moved the stored wood to 3 locations: the planned cribbing about the 750' point on the track; some near the proposed tunnel; some to a new storage pile off the planned trestle route
  • Lynda got us some posts. Dan operated the tractor for various tasks

mar 26Saturday Mar 26   photos 

  • Doug, Bob, Stephen, Mike, Dan, Dave, Rob, TomS
  • obtained and installed big O from the tunnel site to the low spot; and installed 3 ducts over the open ditches

Saturday Mar 19 - Railroad park 0900 hrs.  

  • continued fires and trenching.
  • Doug, Bob, Stephen, Mike, Dan, Dave
  • Dan booked the small Gloslee excavator, had some gravel there for backfilling 

Recent Activity:

  • P1010277Tuesday March 15 with Dan, Stephen, Mike and Davef    photos here
    • Continued work on a left-hand switch
    • Dan milled some connectors
    • decided to buy some plastic ties for the 735' expansion
  • Saturday March 12 with Stephen, MikeL, Bob, Rob, Doug, Lief, Davef and Dan (Tom Sparks at the Donkey attaching the engine .)
    • continued cleanup of the area and trenched some low areas. 
    • walked the proposed track with a 100’ tape and staked it at 50' intervals.
      • 725' for the shortest route around the field; an extra 200' for the longer route that wll have a trestle.
  • Oct - Feb: We lost most of the planned winter work parties due to excess rain.
  • A track expansion around the open field vacated by the Archery Club was approved by PEPS and began in October 2014. 

See the Photo Story here on work done between October and March

Scott McLeod equipmentIn January Scott McLeod of Sanara Contracting donated his time and equipment to pull stumps of the danger trees felled. Thanks, Scott.


Shane Hawkins (Hawkins Construction) has expressed interest in building an 80' trestle which will reduce the amount of fill needed.

P5304149Two new switch stands were completed in May, one in the station and one at the loop. This provides the engineer a visual assurance on switch placement; and avoids the "kick it" technique we were using. Springs assure positive location; the kick method sometimes bounced the switch to the centre, causing derails. 


 

 

P6103409

On Jul 21, Dan, Mike and Dave got the grass cut, added plastic mesh to the shed gutters, leveled some track, cleared some brush from the grove by the station, and checked the solar system polarity.

 

P6103408

 On June 10, Dan, Mike, Hans and Dave got the grass cut, extended the east track in the station so the train can be loaded on that side; and fixed switch problems in the station and original loop.

more photos here