06-27-16 Sunshine and Work Session D Starts

[Larry Sullivan]

Looks like another great sunny day in Chama, as our locomotives quietly await being put to use. Work session D starts today, so we'll see lots of folks in the yard again as well.

bandicam 2016-06-27 08-24-35-015.jpg (120.41 KiB) Viewed 3531 times

[Mike Maguire]

I'm not sure about "quietly" - whichever # locomotive is on the east lead has had it's safety valve lifting continuously (ten minutes or so thus far)

[Larry Sullivan]

I'm not sure about "quietly" - whichever # locomotive is on the east lead has had it's safety valve lifting continuously (ten minutes or so thus far)

They were sitting nice and quiet when I was watching earlier -- I must have woke one up!!! Probably 487 as she seems to pop that valve most of any of them.

[Sharon Evans]

If 487 is in the yard you can tell quickly where she is by her sensitive pop valve. Another point to ponder as the day progresses: will 463 come back to Chama this afternoon or will there be another locomotive switch at Osier.
Thing is Mike, that is 484 you caught letting go.
Is it just me or others also, I think that the spreader is a thing of beauty with its wings deployed.

6.27.16 Spreader wings deployed.jpg (167.67 KiB) Viewed 3512 times

[Sharon Evans]

Morning preparations:

6.27.16 484 moves out to the pit to begin the day's activities.jpg (175.47 KiB) Viewed 3511 times

6.27.16 484 is taking water for its day's work.jpg (195.29 KiB) Viewed 3504 times

6.27.16 484 backs down the main.jpg (171.02 KiB) Viewed 3500 times

6.27.16 484 moves into the coal lead by the open wood shop.jpg (193.88 KiB) Viewed 3499 times

6.27.16 The crew has come up with a new way to load coal.jpg (176.91 KiB) Viewed 3499 times

6.27.16 484 has stopped at the position to swap from the hostliers to road crew.jpg (192.19 KiB) Viewed 3497 times

6.27.16 484 has backed down to 216 as we see several Friend memebers looking over the RPO.jpg (121.05 KiB) Viewed 3488 times

[Sharon Evans]

During this lull in the normal activities the Friends have been using one of the front loaders with fork attachments to do things.

6.27.16 Friends using a front loader with fork attachment to unload something.jpg (172.26 KiB) Viewed 3492 times

[Sharon Evans]

Departure of train 216:

6.27.16 Train 216 has moved into load position.jpg (129.19 KiB) Viewed 3488 times

6.27.16 The conductor climbs aboard the New Mexico after giving the hi ball.jpg (120.99 KiB) Viewed 3474 times

6.27.16 484 brings train 216 out of Chama and by the working Friends.jpg (163.94 KiB) Viewed 3474 times

As the 484 is passing the coaling tower, the engineer blows a 'long' to alert the conductor for the running brake test.

6.27.16 A friendly wave for the cam from a rider on the platform of the New Mexico.jpg (154.71 KiB) Viewed 3474 times

[Sharon Evans]

I had noted over the weekend that there was a problem with the batten boards on the coal dock. Today they have moved the supports on the track side of the boards further apart to better support the ends. The new supports are actually in alignment with the supports on the inside. Also they were using the bucket on the loader as a hammer to drive the new supports in.

Coal dock work.jpg (139.5 KiB) Viewed 3440 times

[Sharon Evans]

I guess with the rains that Chama and area had over the weekend, there was not need for the fire patrol to follow 215 back from Osier so he is back over an hour ahead of the train.

6.27.16 The fire patrol speeder in back before 215 and 487 is out and moving to the east side.jpg (162.68 KiB) Viewed 3439 times

6.27.16 487 has come to the pit_.jpg (157.07 KiB) Viewed 3437 times

6.27.16 487 has gone out to the water tower.jpg (117.51 KiB) Viewed 3436 times

[Sharon Evans]

Just caught a large dump truck adding more ballast to the piles at Cumbres. Wonder if we will have anywhere to park up there?

6.27.16 More ballast at Cumbres.jpg (153.7 KiB) Viewed 3433 times

[Sharon Evans]

Arrival of train 215: We had a locomotive swap at Osier again today.

6.27.16 484 comes back to Chama after the swap at Osier.jpg (157.71 KiB) Viewed 3415 times

We can see a number of riders in the open gon as 215 passes the coaling tower.

6.27.16 Parlor Colorado brings up the markers_.jpg (180.72 KiB) Viewed 3415 times

6.27.16 484 comes by the white RPO.jpg (121.4 KiB) Viewed 3415 times

[Pete Dahlberg]

Just caught a large dump truck adding more ballast to the piles at Cumbres. Wonder if we will have anywhere to park up there?

6.27.16 More ballast at Cumbres.jpg

Parking is becoming limited and our crew leader had to remind the drivers that we needed access to the section house. The white truck belongs to our team leader and we need it close because it has the generator for the power tools we are using. In this picture it is about 100 feet from the back door of the house (unfortunately we are working on/in the front of the house).

[Sharon Evans]

You would think that the railroad/contractors would at least leave an access road over to the section house for you guys to get in there to work.

[Larry Sullivan]

Here's today's videos -

Starting with 216 Departure



As Sharon noted above, some work was done on the coal dock today - here's some of it. Loader picked up some lumber (I thought a tie, but looked longer than a tie), headed for the coal dock and the repairs were done using the loader as a pile driver. Note the bee/wasp that tried to get a closeup selfie about 1:40 into video.



215 returns, only North cam on this one - South cam dropped out on me for a couple minutes at the wrong time.



Working on getting a few more highlights from the Friends work of the day, may have that up tonight or in the morning.

[Larry Gibson]

Great coverage today! Thank-you!! Catching up tonight.

[Pete Dahlberg]

You would think that the railroad/contractors would at least leave an access road over to the section house for you guys to get in there to work.

I think the issue is that the railroad asked the rockhaulers to put the rock closer to the track, there is a lot of rock to be delivered and there is no equipment present to consolidate the dumped piles and make them taller (each pile is about 4 ft high).

[Larry Sullivan]

Couple more little videos of the yard activity. I know it's most likely just another day at the office for the operator of that fork lift/backhoe machine, but somehow just fascinates me seeing how easily they maneuver around with those 32 foot long boards. Video is sped up a bit to shorten the time, they don't quite move this fast!



Interesting little sequence to show just how much traffic is moving around that yard at times. 484 all coaled and ready, waits at the coal dock for the loader to bring something over to the guys working on the spreader. Then as he starts backing, a couple people carry a large piece of plywood? out of the wood shop, once 484 starts to move the loader goes back across the tracks, 484 makes it past and another large piece of plywood crosses the tracks. Really have to be aware of your surroundings and what's happening that's for sure!