Workday produced progress on the “Grandma Line” and repair on the east loop
As we countdown to the last public run day of the year a small crew went to the railroad on Saturday to make sure things are in good shape for our November 9th big event. The work crew consisted of Wes, Kenneth, Scott, and John and took split up and worked on east loop repair and the “Grandma Line”. Wes and Kenneth worked on the east end outer loop inner track which need some attention in several areas. Scott and John worked on the “Grandma Line” by setting forms, bringing buckets of crush and run over, and laying out several panels. John also worked Friday on the container mural by lettering several mural containers. He added Hapag Lloyd and “K” Line, Sea Land, and Maersk. John is taking recommendations for other painted containers on the mural. If you have any real or fake container companies, you would like to see let him know.
As we countdown to the last public run day of the year a small crew went to the railroad on Saturday to make sure things are in good shape for our November 9th big event. The work crew consisted of Wes, Kenneth, Scott, and John and took split up and worked on east loop repair and the “Grandma Line”. Wes and Kenneth worked on the east end outer loop inner track which need some attention in several areas. Scott and John worked on the “Grandma Line” by setting forms, bringing buckets of crush and run over, and laying out several panels. John also worked Friday on the container mural by lettering several mural containers. He added Hapag Lloyd and “K” Line, Sea Land, and Maersk. John is taking recommendations for other painted containers on the mural. If you have any real or fake container companies, you would like to see let him know.
Progress on the clubhouse and workshop project during our latest workday.
A small crew made big progress at the site today on the clubhouse and workshop project by finishing painting the walls and ceilings. It is amazing how big the space looks even though it is just the first section.
A small crew made big progress at the site today on the clubhouse and workshop project by finishing painting the walls and ceilings. It is amazing how big the space looks even though it is just the first section. As the paint dry’s we are already planning our next steps on this project which includes installing electrical along the side wall and lights. The hope is this space will have some limited use by the end of the year. Thank you to Wes, Tyler, and team for getting this completed.
We now turn our attention to the month of October as we prepare for our next public run day on Saturday, October 5th and fall meet starting on Thursday, October 24th. We look forward to seeing everyone around the railroad throughout the month of October.
If you have availability to stop by the railroad between now and October 4th, we could use some extra help with making sure the grass is cut, and the property looks its best. For anyone traveling to visit Mid-South or Eagle Point over the next few weeks drive safe and make sure you let everyone know about our fall meet. A flyer is available on our website you can print and hand out.
After months of debate the blue container has now been moved.
After months of debate on how to move the blue container to a new location on the property it is finally done with the help of Wes and his team.
After months of debate on how to move the blue container to a new location on the property. Wes a small team he put together went to the site on Sunday and moved the blue container from the clubhouse and workshop location to the area next to member container three. As many may remember the blue container did not match the structural build of the red containers and would have made it difficult to leverage it as part of one big open space when all the containers where connected. Now that the blue container is moved and container one walls and ceiling are up, we are positioned to really make some major progress over the next six to nine months on the projects. We have to finish painting the walls in container one, install electrical, and make the space usable before we start working on connecting container one and two together. We also need to do some track work so we can get to the container from the railroad. With all that needs to be done we can’t do it without everyone’s help. Be on the lookout for ways to get involved and if anyone knows of a company or individual who is interested in making a donation to help pay for the cost of the project, they can do so online by visiting our project page.
Great weather and unbelievable progress on projects made for a perfect workday.
This past Saturday saw great progress on two big projects which includes the clubhouse and workshop project and the grandma line. Not a lot of pictures to show but the crew consisted of Wes, Robby, John, Rick, “Bob Jr”, David E., and new member Seth. Gene and Joan also stopped by and delivered a newly assembled box car that was donated by Thomas K. George also stopped by and visited with the crew during lunch.
John, Rick, and “Bob Jr” spent the day working on bringing in loads of dirt for the grandma line. The loads would be dropped, and John went to town on spreading and leveling each load.
This past Saturday saw great progress on two big projects which includes the clubhouse and workshop project and the grandma line. Not a lot of pictures to show but the crew consisted of Wes, Robby, John, Norm, Rick, “Bob Jr”, David E., and new member Seth. Gene and Joan also stopped by and delivered a newly assembled box car that was donated by Thomas K. George also stopped by and visited with the crew during lunch.
John, Rick, and “Bob Jr” spent the day working on bringing in loads of dirt for the grandma line. The loads would be dropped, and John went to town on spreading and leveling each load. I think we saw John doing a little dance at times on top of the dirt out of excitement only to find out he was acting as a human compactor. John said that the amount of progress made on the project would not have been possible without Rick and “Bob Jr” and was extremely thankful for the extra help. What is next you might ask on the grandma line well some rain would be helpful to compact the dirt along with some additional moving of the dirt brought in to fill in low spots and make sure the space is the right dimensions. More on what John has planned to be shared later but as always if you are interested in helping with this project John is at the site every other week with few exceptions. To reach John to see what his schedule and plans are visit the project page or contact him directly.
The rest of the crew spent the day working on the clubhouse and workshop project by finishing installing insulation and plywood. They also cleaned up the space and moved items to the middle container so we would have enough room to paint the new plywood and begin installing electrical and more. If you have some free time and would like to prime and paint the newly installed plywood wall and ceiling let us know. The supplies are already in the container just need some helpers. Reach out to Norm, Robby, or Wes with any questions or visit our project page and click the Contact Us button. The work does not have to be done on the weekend.
With all of the great progress that has taken place this past weekend and throughout the summer we do have to shift our attention to our fall season of activities including our boiler inspection and club fun day on Saturday, September 14th along with our public run day, which is coming up on Saturday, October 5th. As the weather continues to cool if you have time to come to the site and perform general maintenance around the property that would be appreciated. If you can think of it probably needs to be done and if you need some inspiration let us know. This work can be done any day of the week and does not require an official workday on the schedule. Just remember let us know so we can get the word out.
Picture of Gene & Joan assembling the Thomas K. box car. Thank you to everyone for this gift.
Dog days of summer around the railroad
The summer heat and humidity have been a little more than we’d like but that doesn’t mean things aren’t getting done around the railroad. Work on the clubhouse and workshop continues as well as the grandma line. Weather permitting, we have workdays planned for Saturday, July 27th, August 3rd, and August 10th starting at 8:30 a.m. The plan for each workday includes finishing installing insulation, plywood, and paint inside the clubhouse container along with building track panels for both the clubhouse and grandma line.
The summer heat and humidity have been a little more than we’d like but that doesn’t mean things aren’t getting done around the railroad. Work on the clubhouse and workshop continues as well as the grandma line. Weather permitting, we have workdays planned for Saturday, July 27th, August 3rd, and August 10th starting at 8:30 a.m. The plan for each workday includes finishing installing insulation, plywood, and paint inside the clubhouse container along with building track panels for both the clubhouse and grandma line. If that wasn’t enough, we also need to cut grass and perform routine track maintenance in order to ensure the railroad is read for our annual Hot Summer Nights Club Fun Run on Saturday, August 24th. With all that is going on around the railroad we also need to make sure we do a better job of signing the activity logbook located in the grey railroad box just outside the grey container. Don’t forget to also have visitors who are not members sign the waiver book located in the same box.
One final item our next club meeting will be on Saturday, August 3rd at 1 p.m. We will start the morning doing work around the railroad and pause for our meeting and then get back to finishing up the workday. As with everything we do the more who are available the quicker we can get things done so make plans and come out to the railroad.
Rare Friday Workday Recap - Friday, May 31st
We had a rare Friday workday to close out the month of May. The focus of the day was to work on the clubhouse and workshop as well as the Grandma Line. The crew arrived early and helped get Rick and “Bob Jr” setup to start moving dirt to the Grandma Line area. Bob Jr complained about the dirt pile being hard to do dig, but Rick helped him out by putting Bob’s forks on and used them to break up the dirt pile. The rest of the crew included Gene, Wes, Norm, and Robby as they worked on the clubhouse and workshop project. They finished framing the outside wall and ceiling inside container one. Bob C. also stopped by and unloaded his recently finished caboose and helped out with the clubhouse project.
We had a rare Friday workday to close out the month of May. The focus of the day was to work on the clubhouse and workshop as well as the Grandma Line. The crew arrived early and helped get Rick and “Bob Jr” setup to start moving dirt to the Grandma Line area. Bob Jr complained about the dirt pile being hard to do dig, but Rick helped him out by putting Bob’s forks on and used them to break up the dirt pile. The rest of the crew included Gene, Wes, Norm, and Robby as they worked on the clubhouse and workshop project. They finished framing the outside wall and ceiling inside container one. Bob C. also stopped by and unloaded his recently finished caboose and helped out with the clubhouse project.
Grandma Line workday planned for this Saturday, May 4th at 8:30 a.m.
Things continue to move forward on the “Grandma Line” this Saturday as the project crew continues to work on various aspects of building out the new line. If you are free to come out and help the crew would love to put you to work. The crew starts around 8:30 a.m. Don’t forget to bring plenty of water and a lunch. We are tentatively planning on laying track, building panels, and possibly spreading some dirt.
Things continue to move forward on the “Grandma Line” this Saturday as the project crew continues to work on various aspects of building out the new line. If you are free to come out and help the crew would love to put you to work. The crew starts around 8:30 a.m. Don’t forget to bring plenty of water and a lunch. We are tentatively planning on laying track, building panels, and possibly spreading some dirt.
If you looking to work on something else this weekend, please come out and feel free to work on other items around the railroad. Also note that our next prep day for our May 13th public run day is going to be on Saturday, May 6th where we will clean up the property, cut grass, and make sure all of the equipment is operational. Look forward to seeing everyone that is available this Saturday. For those that are traveling to other railroads this week for spring meets have safe travels and don’t forget to let everyone know about our fall meet. Click here for a printable flyer you can take with you.
Grandma Line workday planned for this Saturday, April 20th at 8:30 a.m.
Things continue to move forward on the “Grandma Line” this Saturday as the project crew continues to work on various aspects of building out the new line. If you are free to come out and help the crew would love to put you to work. The crew starts around 8:30 a.m. Don’t forget to bring plenty of water and a lunch.
Things continue to move forward on the “Grandma Line” this Saturday as the project crew continues to work on various aspects of building out the new line. If you are free to come out and help the crew would love to put you to work. The crew starts around 8:30 a.m. Don’t forget to bring plenty of water and a lunch.
A full week of activity around the railroad comes to a close
Today marked the sixth workday out of the past eight days at the railroad as a number of projects make a great deal of progress. We saw everything from progress on the Clubhouse and Workshop project to the “Grandma Line” and more. Here is a recap of just some of the items that were worked on this week:
Today marked the sixth workday out of the past eight days at the railroad as a number of projects make a great deal of progress. We saw everything from progress on the Clubhouse and Workshop project to the “Grandma Line” and more. Here is a recap of just some of the items that were worked on this week:
The week saw the start of the clubhouse and workshop project make progress with the first set of walls and ceilings being installed along with getting electricity into the first of three containers. A shout out to Wes, Norm, Robby, and John T for all of the work on this project.
The “Grandma Line” saw a great deal of progress over the past 8 days with dirt that was brought in on March 23rd. The crew finished putting in railroad ties and concrete blocks for the retaining wall. The crew was then able to take the dirt that was piled up bring much of the ground up to grade. A lot more work and dirt still to be brought in. A big thanks to Rick and “Bob Jr” along with Wes and John T. for the progress that has been done.
The steaming bays got a fresh coat of paint. Thank you to Gene for cleaning and painting the steaming bays.
Pressure washing was done around the property. Thank you to Dave L for cleaning the concrete at the turn table along with the metal table and chairs at the Breeseway.
The transfer table / lift got some much-needed maintenance. Thank you to Peter for finding the cable off the pully today and not only fixing that but also adjusting the cables to square things up.
A new retaining wall was completed on the west end of the Nicol bridge. Thank you to Norm, Wes, John, Scott, Robby and others.
Ongoing track maintenance was done around the railroad. Thank you to Gene, Norm, Robby, Peter, Wes, John T. and others who help keep the railroad operational.
The signal system was rewired so they would work with the new water line extension and “Grandma Line” switches being installed on both ends of the existing water line. Thank you to Robby, Wes, and Peter.
Grass along the fence and around the property was cut. Thank you to Wes and Norn.
Run day items were organized. Thank you to Charlotte for cleaning up some of the run day items in the grey container.
Club steamer had some maintenance done. Thank you to Bob C for his continued help on the club steamer.
The Gauge 1 layout received some track and structure maintenance. Thank you, Carl and Dave L.
Picking up the many sticks and other debris around the railroad. Thank you to Joan, John, Wes, and everyone else who picked up sticks around the property.
The day also saw some equipment testing by Wes and Peter as they both are getting their trains ready for the season. For Wes he was making sure some recent improvements to the electronics on his electric outline steam engine could hand the load of passengers. Peter was checking some adjustments he made to his running gear.
With everything that took place this week we are looking forward to sharing the railroad with everyone on Saturday, April 13th from 1 to 4:30 p.m. for our season opener.
Fourth workday of the week and another day of progress on multiple items
The week has been very productive on a number of projects including with the clubhouse and workshop project. Today’s crew painted the newly installed walls along with getting power installed into the container. The crew also worked on moving about several yards of dirt to continue to fill in some low spots in the future “Grandma Line”.
The week has been very productive on a number of projects including with the clubhouse and workshop project. Today’s crew consisted of Wes, John T., Robby, and Norm as they painted the newly installed walls and ceiling along with getting power installed into the container. John was also able to install a switch and indicator light for a future item to be installed at the main grade crossing.
Once the power was completed Wes and Robby took care of bringing in more gravel to the new retaining wall installed a couple of weeks ago in order to bring the ground level up to the railroad, so it wasn’t such a drop off.
Before the crew called it a day, they moved several yards of dirt to the east end of the future “Grandma Line”. Once the dirt settles plans will be made to not only bring in more dirt but prepare to install the first 60 feet of track for the “Grandma Line”. Be on the lookout for help in building track panels.
Our third workday of the week sees more items being taken care of around the railroad.
The third day of our work week saw more progress on a number of items around the railroad including repairs on the club steamer and clubhouse and workshop project. The injectors were returned after being cleaned and the first sixteen feet of wall and ceiling are now installed into the clubhouse and workshop space.
The third day of our work week saw more progress on a number of items around the railroad including repairs on the club steamer and clubhouse and workshop project. Bob C was onsite in the morning and brought back the injectors for the club steamer after taking them home and cleaning them. He also mentioned that the water filter may not have a crack in it after all. He is looking into what is going on but feels it may have been screwed in incorrectly causing the filter not to have a good seal. The clubhouse and workshop project also saw more progress as the crew, which consisted of Wes, Robby, and Norm, finished installing 16 feet of wall and ceiling. The crew is planning on wiring the electrical panel and paint the new walls and ceiling on Friday. If you are free on Friday, the crew could use some extra help and will be starting at 9 a.m.
Don’t forget to join us on Saturday, April 6th for our major workday as we prepare the railroad for our season opener along with our club meeting. The workday portion of the day starts at 8:30 a.m. with our club meeting at 1 p.m. Our Saturday plan is to clean up the property, oil switches, organize containers, add more gravel along the new retaining wall, and more.
If you are looking for a project to volunteer for here is a partial list of items, we are looking for help on:
Oil all switches.
Cut grass and weed eat around the fence line.
Add additional crusher run and gravel against the new retaining wall near the Nicol bridge.
Pickup all construction items around the railroad.
Inspect track for any repairs needed and perform the repairs
Clean and organize the grey container.
Clean and organize the red container.
Test Signal System (new batteries have been ordered).
Help finish painting the steaming bays.
If you can think of anything else, please feel free to take the project on and let everyone know.
Day 2 of Weekday Workday sees pressure washing, painting, and framing.
Another weekday workday complete with lots of work done around the railroad. The day saw drainpipes installed, walls built, steaming bays painted, pressure washing, and more.
If you are available to come out and help or take on a project the crew plans on starting around 9 a.m. on Wednesday, April 3rd.
Another weekday workday complete with lots of work done around the railroad. The day started out with Wes installing two drainpipes in the area that is part of the “Grandma Line” project. While Gene worked on cleaning and painting most of the steaming bays with more to be completed on Saturday. Dave L. was busy pressure washing the concrete at the turntable and pressure washing the picnic tables under the Breeseway. Things are really coming together around the property with much work to be done between now and Saturday.
The Clubhouse and Workshop project also saw some more progress as Norm, Wes, and Robby continued work on framing and building out walls and ceiling in the first container. They also got some extra help as Scott stopped by for a few minutes and helped us install the breaker panel. More volunteer and club members will be at the site again on Wednesday to continue working on various projects around the property. If you are available to come out and help or take on a project the crew plans on starting around 9 a.m. on Wednesday.
If you are looking for a project to volunteer for here is a partial list of items, we are looking for help on:
Oil all switches.
Cut grass and weed eat around the fence line.
Add additional crusher run and 57 gravel against the new retaining wall near the Nicol bridge.
Pickup all construction items around the railroad.
Inspect track for any repairs needed and perform the repairs
Clean and organize the grey container.
Clean and organize the red container.
Test Signal System (new batteries have been ordered).
Help finish painting the steaming bays.
If you can think of anything else, please feel free to take the project on and let everyone know.
Clubhouse and Workshop makes a step forward during latest work day.
The beginning of the workweek brought progress on the clubhouse and workshop project as Norm, Wes, and Robby began framing the first of many walls in the containers. Once the first wall is completed an electrical panel will be installed and we will have electricity in the container. This will help make future work obviously easier and get us a step closer to having a clubhouse and workshop at the site. A lot of work and money is needed to complete the project, but we are well on our way. The crew will be back at it on Tuesday, April 2nd at 9 a.m. as they continue to work on framing walls and ceilings in the first container.
The beginning of the workweek brought progress on the clubhouse and workshop project as Norm, Wes, and Robby began framing the first of many walls in the containers. Once the first wall is completed an electrical panel will be installed and we will have electricity in the container. This will help make future work obviously easier and get us a step closer to having a clubhouse and workshop at the site. A lot of work and money is needed to complete the project, but we are well on our way. The crew will be back at it on Tuesday, April 2nd at 9 a.m. as they continue to work on framing walls and ceilings in the first container.
Clubhouse and Workshop Workday Recap for Saturday, January 13, 2024
A big day at the railroad as a last-minute push to get the utilities marked on Friday was successful so we could finally get electrical and water to the clubhouse and workshop containers. After nearly a three year wait to start the project, we are now on track to making the first two containers functional in 2024.
A big day at the railroad as a last-minute push to get the utilities marked on Friday was successful so we could finally get electrical and water to the clubhouse and workshop containers. After nearly a three year wait to start the project, we are now on track to making the first two containers functional in 2024. A group made up of Wes, John T., Calvin, David E., Robby, Norm, Thomas, Scott, and a special helper Allen made the day a success. The crew trenched and installed 300 feet of conduit and 120 feet waterline. While things still need to hook up, we are a step closer to making the clubhouse and workshop operational later this year. Be on the lookout for the next workday for this project.
Impromptu planning day recap for Friday, December 22nd
With Christmas just around the corner some of the elf’s took a day and went to the railroad to plan out a few things that will take place starting in January. As many of you know we’ve been waiting to start on the clubhouse and workshop project and one of the key items that we need to get done for the project to pick up steam is get electricity into the containers. Over the past couple of weeks, we’ve been measuring and determining what supplies we will need to run power from the grey container to clubhouse container 1. Earlier this week Wes went and picked up more than 200 feet of electrical conduit and laid them out today so we could make the path for the trenching to take place and to also prepare for the property to be marked before digging.
The plan at this point is to trench and install the electrical conduit on Saturday, January 13th.
With Christmas just around the corner some of the elf’s took a day and went to the railroad to plan out a few things that will take place starting in January. As many of you know we’ve been waiting to start on the clubhouse and workshop project and one of the key items that we need to get done for the project to pick up steam is get electricity into the containers. Over the past couple of weeks, we’ve been measuring and determining what supplies we will need to run power from the grey container to clubhouse container 1. Earlier this week Wes went and picked up more than 250 feet of electrical conduit and laid them out today so we could make the path for the trenching to take place and to also prepare for the property to be marked before digging.
The plan at this point is to trench and install the electrical conduit on Saturday, January 13th. Depending on the size of the crew we also plan on installing a water line from the Breeseway to the Clubhouse containers. Plans are also in the works to finish prepping the move of the blue container to its new home and we hope to have that done by January 12th.
Moving into 2024 we will also be unveiling a new way for everyone to keep track of this project and others going on around the railroad in hopes of giving everyone more notice on upcoming workdays and what the focus of the workday will be. More to come on this.
Project 1: Clubhouse and Workshop Buildout
The purpose of this project is to take three 40ft shipping containers and combine them together to build out a clubhouse and workshop to use as a meeting space and shop. When completed the space will be about 960 square feet of usable space. The structure will have electricity, water, and climate control making the space useable year-round. In order to fully complete the build of the space a lot of work will need to be done along with raising the necessary funds to complete the building project. As of December 2023, it is estimated to cost between $10,000 and $13,000 to complete not including the hundreds of volunteer hours our membership and other volunteers will put in to complete.
The purpose of this project is to take three 40ft shipping containers and combine them together to build out a clubhouse and workshop to use as a meeting space and shop. When completed the space will be about 960 square feet of usable space. The structure will have electricity, water, and climate control making the space useable year-round. In order to fully complete the build of the space a lot of work will need to be done along with raising the necessary funds to complete the building project. As of December 2023, it is estimated to cost between $10,000 and $13,000 to complete not including the hundreds of volunteer hours our membership and other volunteers will put in to complete. Below is an outline of workdays and tasks we are trying to complete during the work event.
Project 1: Clubhouse & Shop Project
Workday 1 (Anytime between now and January 12, 2024) - Get the gravel pad cleaned up next to member container #3 so the blue container can be moved. Once the gravel pad is ready, schedule to have the blue container moved. Wes will make arrangements for a Bobcat to be available and Gene has agreed to operate the Bobcat.
When the blue container is moved, we also need to separate red container #1 from #2 so we can work on installing a center pier between container 1 & 2.
Workday 2 (Saturday, January 13, 2024): Trench and pull electrical wire to shop container #1. Depending on who is available we could also trench a water line from Breeseway to the shop container area. Wes will arrange for a trencher and operator to be available for this workday. We will need to mark the path of the trench ahead of this workday and call Georgia 811 to mark underground hazards.
Workday #3 (Saturday, February 10, 2024)- Since red containers 1 & 2 are separated we need to install center piers between container 1 & 2. May also spend some time marking the cut lines for the inner walls between container 1 & 2.
Workday #4 (At any time before March 9, 2024) - The electrical panel should now be active. Some electrical work can be started in container 1. Assumption is we may install some lights and outlets but all of that is to be determined.
Workday #5 (at any time before March 9, 2024) - Slide container 1 & 2 back together. We will then schedule welding the roof line between container 1 & 2 together and mark the cut lines that will be used to cut out the inner wall between container 1 & 2 if those have not already been done.
Workday #6 (Saturday, March 9, 2024)- Cut out container 1 inner wall. Not sure if we can do container #2 inner wall the same day. I will assign a separate day for container #2 inner wall. We may also want to work on sealing.
Workday #7 (at any time before Saturday, April 20th) - Mark cut lines in container #2 if not already completed. If the inner wall in container 2 has already been removed, we will leverage this day for some other tasks for the shop. One example could be to make sure the containers are watertight at the seam. Other items will be determined prior to the Saturday, April 20th workday.
Workday #? (can be done anytime) - Install pier that will be leveraged between container 2 & 3.
Workday #? (On Going) - Continue to build out container 1 & 2 to make the space functional before container 3 is installed.
We should also start considering some fundraising options to help fund the construction of the shop & club house. Please start thinking of ideas that will help us raise the necessary funds to build out the shop & club house. The current project workday list does not account for any track work that will need to be done in the future.