Ray Dunakin said:
I like that stone house in the first video. Anyone have pics of it?
I’m sure I do somewhere. I’ll look around tonight.
Ray, that is the only building original to the property before the railroad moved in. The whole yard was previously a farm, and that was the farm house. It served as the yard office the remainder of it’s days. I’ll get some shots of all it’s sides for you when I’m out there in October.
Ray Dunakin said:
I like that stone house in the first video. Anyone have pics of it?
Randy,
A coupla years back, Lance Myers (I think) got inside the farmhouse and shot a bunch of photos of the stored goodies inside.
http://www.railfanusa.com/pics/
I think the first few pics on this 2009 set are the interior:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/lrmyers/sets/72157635460750214/
He’s a regular on the EBT group - contact him for photos.
Ray - I found a few. I don’t want to load up this thread with pictures, so find them here: EBT Stone House
A sample (1920 Pixels wide - View Image to see full resolution)
Thanks guys!
Daktah John said:
Ray - I found a few. I don’t want to load up this thread with pictures, so find them here: EBT Stone House
Hey,I figure that’s what this thread is all about. Just as long as they are EBT photos. (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)
OK Randy - Here ya go! Open any of these with View Image in your browser for a Hi Def version.
14 crosses the table in one of her last years of operation. This was before they re-decked the turntable…
17 gets pushed home from being on static display as long-time Engineer Holder leads…
Side Dump Hopper #802 just after being restored by the FEBT and placed back in ballast service…
Bay Window on the Stone House. I wonder if this feature was original to the structure or added for RR service…
This picture illustrates the charm the place had in the early 2000’s. Buildings barely standing, faded paint, railroad junk everywhere. I commend the FEBT Work Crews on what they have accomplished, but it is bittersweet to see many of the old railroad buildings looking like new. It had to be done or all we would have in a few years are piles of wood, but I fell in love with this EBT…
That’s it!
Hey John, not to worry! That last shot would look exactly the same except there is even less paint sticking to that wood now! The buildings we do work on barely get the paint they need, usually just primer, and are already needing it again 3 years later. The bottom of the newly stabilized Blacksmith Shop is a good example. Looks ok from 20 feet but at 10 you can see some of the only 3 year old planks splitting because they never got more than just primer. With all the major structural problems that have been tackled in the last decade, painting seems to have taken a back seat. We just need more people and money to keep up with it. I’m actually working on a proposal to submit that will hopefully cut a lot of hours out of painting and get more of it done.
Great pictures by the way. My guess is the Bay window is original. The stone work is too close of a match and looks to be weather the same as the rest. Don’t forget the reunion is OCT 9-11. Would love to see you there.
The FEBT just had it’s last work session for this year. I was very productive and lots of project were finished up that should help the Rockhill buildings weather the winter much better.
Work on the Blacksmith Shop windows continued. In the first photo you can see two of our members installing a new frame in the opening.
All but 2 of the 25 windows have been completed this year. Not bad considering the amount of work that goes into removing the old frame and replacing the rotted sills with new ones before re-installation. This photo shows the only two windows left to get.
This shot shows the other side of the building looking quite fresh. Also to the right in this photo you can see the west foundry wall that has bee jacked up and had a new foundation put beneath it. The new siding at the bottom got some paint and stone has been laid in to keep the rain splatter to a minimum.
Work also continues on the box car project. There was much noise from this corner of the yard as the crew tried to get out 100 year old rivets. the heads would be torched off and the innards heated. Once things were glowing an air chisel was used to pound out the remnants. Let me tell you you didn’t want your head inside the car while the chiseling went on! (voice of experience speaking)
I finally coordinated with the sun for a good shot of the inside of the car. You can see the new wooden roof and the freshly painted sides and frame.
Another quick side project that was tackled this weekend was the rotting post at the front doors to the car shop. This and it’s mate on the other side of the man door were jacked up and a good chunk of pressure treated timber was inserted and bolted down to the concrete below. The first picture shows the doors and the rail jack we used.
This picture shows the 1/2’ thick angle brackets being drilled for bolts in the machine shop with the original EBT drill press.
In this last view you can see the new timber in place as the brackets are being installed.
Another big project came to a close as the last rebuilt door for the two locomotive hospital tracks was placed back on it’s perch.
There was also a crew at work up on the roof of the car shop that finished off the roofing project that started during the work week in May. For this small group of eastern narrow gauge lovers, we have certainly got a lot of critical work done this year. I’m already experiencing a bit of withdrawal and can’t wait for next year’s first session in March.
Randy,
Thanks for sharing. Working with the restoration crew has always been one of the things on my “bucket list”. The list keeps getting longer, instead of shorter.
You know we’d love to have you out Ric. There’s plenty of room to park park that big new mobile house out there. We even have room at the Lehrian estate in Pittsburgh if you need a layover.
Funny thing about those lists, they never do get shorter!
Nice work everyone! I echo Ric’s sentiments. I have less of an excuse than he has being a lot closer, but 6 hours towing my house over lots of big hills isn’t something I’m able to do for a weekend. I should see about trying t make it out for the work week some summer.
Hum, since it seems I may be coaxing some of you out, I’ll redouble my efforts and give another prod…
Here is next year’s Rockhill work schedule:
March 5-6
April 30- May 1
May 21-22
May 23-27 Work week
June 18-19
July 9-10
August 20-21
September 17-18
November 12-13
You must be a member of FEBT the before showing up to work. This is only $35 for single and $45 for a family per year and comes with a subscription to the Quarterly Timber Transfer (well worth the $35) Hope to see some of you there ! (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)
So your saying if I decided to drive all the way up there to help with my own tools and knowledge of old structures I would be turned away?
David Russell said:
So your saying if I decided to drive all the way up there to help with my own tools and knowledge of old structures I would be turned away?
Well sort of. You do have to be a member before you can lift a paint brush, but I believe there is some sort of contingency plan for those that just show up and are willing to pay up and become a member on the spot. The thing is if your going to load all your tools and drive all that way then you might as well log in to the company store and send in your payment online. It only takes 5 minuets. 4 if you’re speedy. It’s all about insurance, they have to make sure you’re covered if you’re working on the railroad property.
So you coming out Rooster? I double Dog Dare you! (pink hats welcome)
-May 2016-
Well it seems I have been some what remiss about posting the crews efforts this year at Rockhill. I’m going to pick back up with May’s Session.
May was again this years work week as well as the normal work weekend. We started the weekend working on the legacy projects we had been. work on the East wall of the foundry reached a great mile stone as we finished the sill plate, and sistered and repaired all of the posts resting on it. Previously there had been the usual excavation (yup found another railroad switch lock!) and concrete footer pouring. Also one of the main trusses in the building needed some major coaxing and repair to pull it back together after years of sinking walls at each end, while it was unflinchingly supported in the center by the foundry crane ripped it’s joints apart.
Also during this session a lot of window sash got a much needed re-glazing.
Some brake rigging was also installed on the combine trucks.
Once the weekend had passed it was time to move on to the weeks project. This years project was to repair the lumber shed. It was built on posts, five per truss. Many of these posts have sunken into the field and have fallen away from the structure. It’s very scary how few posts were actually supporting things, and how much weight was up in the rafters. (lots of rail) I only stayed on for Monday since the EBT doesn’t pay particularly well and I had no choice than to get back to work for the man. We began by clearing debris from the areas where we were going to start digging. Holes were dug 3 foot deep for each of the concrete piers. The digging was hard, in many of the holes water was found only 12 inches deep! You would definitely hit water by 2 feet in any hole. To further complicate the digging notice the height the rail was suspended at through the building. It only took three hits to my head to finally learn. It’s a wonder no one was knocked out completely during the week.
Here you can see work on one of the out side posts that had rotted and sunk.
To get a feel for how much shuffling had to be done check out this pile of steel. Half of it had to be moved. (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-yell.gif)
I only stayed on for Monday since the EBT doesn’t pay particularly well and I had no choice than to get back to work for the man. The work progress very well thanks to all those that could stay and we are on track to finish most of this project before winter. We are going to dedicate Septembers session to on last big spurt of work on it having all available volunteers that weekend work on it. This should get it to about 80% complete and certainly ready to weather the winter. We plan to finish it up in the spring.
- JUNE 2016 -
I think this thread needs some drama to attract attention. I’m going to admit now that I am a Liar.
In my last post I claimed that we had finished the east wall of the foundry’s framing work. Well the truth is that the was one job remaining. This job is what we started with on Saturday morning. The very corner post to the south was not in place yet. It’s movement was hampered by the fact that there were two support legs right in front of it to hold up the coke bin for the iron furnace. These can be seen in the photo I posted before and right below. (for those who don’t wish to scroll up)
Stupid Support Legs
v V
This shots shows some of the separated joints form the out side.
So first thing we crammed our-self’s between those legs and the wall with some flashlights to see how it all should fit. Upon inspection we saw the there were multiple mortise and tenon joints that had separated between the post and it’s “purlins”. We then devised a plan to pull the post back and push it north to reset the joints. First part of the plan involved going up in to the coke bin and shoveling all the coke away from the corner and wall since it was falling down between the things we wanted to put together.
Once we got things clear we began by placing some jacks in strategic locations to push the post in and also to jack some of the purlins into position so everything was able to engage. After spending the majority of the day fiddling with the thing it finally was coaxed into place. I lost my partner on Sunday So that left me to put some siding on the out side. This was complicated by a step in the wall between the Gantry and the Foundry. Fortunately it was right at a baton board so all the transition could happen under it thanks to some long tapered 2x material below. I only had the morning to get this done since I had to leave at lunch to get home for a fathers day dinner.
We had a pretty limited crew this week but work still progressed on the combine and box car as well as getting the windows redone on the sand house that was stabilized last year. These were kind of unique from all the other double hung windows since they were only on sash that was installed on a pivot. Unfortunately shortly after this photo was taken rock screens had to be put up to protect the glass. This necessity won’t allow the windows to tilt out.
That’s all I have on June, but I still have July’s photo’s to post so stay tuned…
Very interesting pics!
Hi Randy!
I just dug up this old thread with Google to find some of my pics to use elsewhere. There has been a ton of work completed since this thread was last updated, and with the Valentines Day 2020 Announcement help is coming out of the woodwork. Unfortunately, the present world situation has delayed continued work by FEBT, but this shall pass and the EBT will rise again thanks to a fantastic group of folks who put together the EBT Foundation!
If anyone has FEBT Work Session photos they wish to share, then post 'em up!