Volunteers Needed Immediately

[Tim Tennant]

The summer work sessions are about to begin and volunteers are needed to fill team vacancies. Do you have free time and are willing to donate your talents, then come to Antonito or Chama and spend a work session or two with Friends working on the railroad.

In 2012 there are several exciting projects planned - The biggest is the Car Storage Facility under construction in Antonito. It is a 180 foot long facility with three tracks that will provide covered storage for as many as 18 train cars. In Sessions A & B we need welders to assemble steel truss systems and for Sessions C & D we need construction workers to install the steel rafters and affix steel bracing followed by roofers to install a metal roof on the facility. Last but probably the most important we need track people. Two of the three track leads are complete but we must finish the third and that work is scheduled for Session A. Also the switch hardware needs to be set and stands installed. The Friends have contracted with the Commission for the operator to install track ballast and tamp.

If you have an interest in landscaping we are doing a project for the Commission that landscapes the visible area between the entry road and the display track east of the overhead entry to the yard road crossing. That is scheduled for Sessions A & B and needs several more volunteers.

If you wish to work indoors, the restoration of 053 is underway. Sheathing on each side for the lower roof is being installed and the car siding will get underway during Sessions A through D.

In Chama there is a wide selection of projects to be worked on from gardening and fence repair to restoration and repairs on several cars along with working on couplers and break systems or how about big projects like derrick OP or RPO 54. If you are the outdoors type how about clearing brush along the line, you may even get a ride on a speeder.

There is lots of work to be done and we need your talents. Participating in a summer work session is a rare opportunity to work on real railroad equipment and to be a part of preserving railroad history. If you love trains come and join us for a work session. If a week is too long then plan to attend our only 3-Day work Session starting Friday, June 22nd. This is a once in a lifetime experience! Information is available on the Friends web site at http://www.cumbrestoltec.org choose the pull down under volunteer or call us at 505-880-1311, our Albuquerque office is open during the week from 9am to 5pm.