On the website the author is my cousin, David Lassen. He has been with Trains for some time after seeing the writing on the wall about newspaper writers.Good to hear they are getting g the help for adding track and infrastructure!
I thought that was an uncommon surname. A good writer!
Not tons of Lassen’s . Except for the volcano in Northern California, and an artist in SFarea just a few, 5 boys ( 2 brothers and 2 Cousins) and 2 grandsons and 2 great grandsons.
Back on the track gang today. This morning I had the chance to ride in the cab of EBT Porter #19 (nee D&SNGRR 1203) on the work train out to Colgate Grove…
Once we reached the grove, we picked up remnants of 50 ties that were recently replaced. Most of them were just fragments. Here they are loaded on a flat to be discarded in Rockhill…
Back in Rockhill we got a close up view of the recently placed in service coal dock. I’ll post those pictures in the EBT Photos thread.
After lunch we laid another 200 feet of track in Pogue. I was so tired I only got this shot of our compressor placed on a work cart with the Prentice truck…
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You are living your dream my friend and good for you!
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A few pics from track work on Thursday. Where we are headed…
Where we have been…
How we get ties and rails placed…
We have now laid 500 feet of the main from the Spring Creek Road crossing with a goal to reach the south Pogue passing siding switch in the next several work sessions. Once we have built the switch, we’ll start building the siding North from the south switch toward the siding track laid a few weeks ago near the road.
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Thanks Wayne, it is! We would be no-where with out it. Early on the foundation recognized the need to own several key pieces of equipment including this Prentice truck, a ballast tamper, a ballast regulator, a skid steer and a back hoe / front end loader.
There is just no way 65-85 year old guys would be handling ties and rail by hand. We do have a few “youngsters” join us during work weekends, but the weekday volunteer track crew are all retirees.
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My back hurts just thinking about that! 
My back is OK, but my feet really hurt from repeatedly walking the track in Pogue. We have now completely gauged spiked and spiked 1300 feet of mainline South of Pogue Station / Spring Creek Rd. This view is looking back North. That little white block on the track is our compressor sitting at the road…
Thursday we will begin to install the south passing siding switch. Once that is in, we will build the siding North to the road.
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I’m really enjoying your reports on what you’ve been working on all-the-live-long-day.
Thanks Bill. This thread is primarily covering track work, but I join the volunteers on other projects too. The latest being rebuilding storehouse #2. Over the weekend I milled all the door and window sills and trim. I also painted the upper door…
Some in-progress shots…
What it looked like before the Friends began work…
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So did the building on the right get a new foundation? What did you have to do to get it back level with its neighbor? I love the “before” shot with the sagging alley cover. Of course, the buildings look much more loved now with the new trim and paint.
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Looks like you could drive a speeder right in with the big doors, build a turnout and yall could use a speeder to back in a rail cart to load supplies
Both buildings were raised and placed on new concrete foundations. As built they were posts and beam on the dirt. #1 on the right had sunk about 4 feet into the ground and was loaded with thousands of new metal parts and hardware of every variety. All of that needed to be documented, removed and stored before the bins could be removed. Then a professional crew raised the building while the new floor and foundation was poured. The Friends replaced the first floor posts, built new lower half walls and then put everything back exactly where it was before the project started. I’ll share “after” pictures of the interior later when I am at my main PC.
I fell in love with the crooked look, so the renewal is bittersweet. If they had been left as-is they would have been lost.
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The bottom floor is all racks for long and heavy metal stock of all shapes and sizes.
To save this one, all of the first floor metal stock was removed and stored. Then the old first floor doors and walls were removed before a contractor raised the second floor and set it on cribbing. A new foundation was poured then the Friends rebuilt the first floor racks and wall framing. The second floor was lowered back on to the first then new replica siding was installed. All of the metal stock was returned to the racks. Heavy equipment was needed to move it!
Again, I’ll share some progress pics when I am back at the main PC.
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These shots show how Storehose 2 (left) was raised on cribbing while the first floor was rebuilt…
I can’t find a picture after the racks were re-installed and loaded with steel stock. I’ll try and remember to grab one next month.
This is the Storehouse 1 (right side) interior after all the bins were re-installed and the NOS hardware organized back into the bins…
In the above shot, note that even the knob and tube wiring was restored and is operational!
This last shot is the interior of lean-to between Storehouse 1 and the stone house…
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Too cool to see the NOS hardware in place! Is the KnT wiring the only wiring or is it just restored for the sake of history?
Honestly the historical knob and tube concept/design is pretty darn safe on many aspects.
That’s it on the interior.