UPCOMING EVENTS AND PROJECTS
One of our major events of the year is fast approaching and we have a number of tasks to complete before Flagg Coal Company #75 returns to the Naugy. Listed below are the schedule of classes and also various projects that could really use your assistance. Every little bit helps – even if your schedule allows for a day or two, we appreciate it. Please lend your museum and railroad a hand to get these things done!Blue Flag Safety Class
Hal Reiser will conduct a Blue Flag safety class at the Volunteer Shop on the 14th of May (Saturday) 9:30am shop. This will be a short class and it is recommended that all who might have reason to use the blue flag system attend. Please register with Hal so he can prepare materials. Please bring a pencil, pen and notepaper.
Other Classes
No other rule or air brake classes are currently scheduled. Please contact Brent Bette concerning rules or Al Pomeroy about air brake classes. We will be scheduling Roadway Worker Protection and possibly Timetable classes at later dates, to be announced.
14 May: Flagg Coal #75 planning dates with meetings at the Volunteer Shop, 2:00 pm covering operations, staffing & activities for the event. Please bring your suggestions!
PROJECTS AT THE THOMASTON VOLUNTEER SHOP
Car Department
Coach 4980 will have its floor painted this month. Coach 4990 is now in our regular lineup and a general refurbishing is underway. Work will concentrate on the interior. To date, seat cushions and backs have been replaced where necessary and removed to allow access for interior cleaning. The windows have been inspected and repaired as required. Surface preparation is in progress – scraping, sanding and some light patching are the primary tasks, then vacuuming and a tack-cloth rub-down treatment will ready the car for painting, including the floor. This is the first priority of the coaches at this time. This project will be ongoing on Wednesday and possibly Thursday afternoons/evenings as well as on weekends. Sam Walker is the project manager – questions or to conform Thursday call him on his cell phone 860.485.2569.
Coach 4992 remains in the north bay of track 5 in the shop. Work will continue following the completion of pre-season work on 4980, 4990 and 5046. Coach 5046 is scheduled for a floor painting this month. Coach 5805 – most work suspended until active fleet is ready for service.
Locomotive Department
FL9 2019 is in service.
U23B 2203 is on the final stretch of its pre-season repair session. Andy Kromer and/or Scott Paribello will be completing the project over the next few weekends and need at least one helper. Besides mechanical/electrical completion, it also needs some minor cosmetic work before going back into service by 22 May.
MAINTENANCE OF WAY
Track projects are planned for the weekends of 14-15 and 21-22 May. The first weekend will see tie replacement on the main line on the tangent just south of the south twin bridges in Thomaston, and the following weekend we will be doing some tie replacement and gauging south of the Jericho Bridge. We can use at least 4-5 people on each track crew – please contact Howard Pincus for information, cell phone 914.907.7071.
THOMASTON STATION
We need a crew at the station to help ready the grounds for the Flagg Coal #75 visit. The platform around B&M caboose C72 needs to be moved to allow switching – we will be moving B&M 1109 to the display track and switching out the crane and MEC gondola. Rolling stock signs need to be installed. Contact Celeste Echlin (cell 860.485.2567 or Tom Carver (cell 315.351.6680)
Volunteer Work Hour Records
As part of the renewed emphasis on obtaining grant funding, we must resume the recording of our volunteer time. Please complete the Volunteer Worksheets that are available by the north door of the shop by the dispatcher’s area. Sherry Edmonds will be recording the hours as submitted from these forms or also records can be e-mailed up to Louis Edmonds.
A Request from Our Treasurer
Louis Edmonds is looking for donations to help defray the expenses of re-roofing coach 4992. These include plywood, supplies such as sandpaper and additions to our tools, the scaffolding, wood repair, and the rubber membrane surface and related installation items. These donations should be sent directly to the Treasurer, either to the Museum at P. O. Box 400, Thomaston, CT 06787-0400 or the Treasurer’s home address at P. O. BOX 443, GEORGES MILLS, NH 03751-0443
FLAGG COAL #75 CREW CALL
I will need crews for May 26, 27, 28, 29, and 30 (Flagg Coal #75 trains). Please contact Barb Walcott at 860.283.5790 or by email.
WEDNESDAY PM WORK SESSIONS
Weeknight Work Sessions are being held on virtually all Wednesdays at the TSY, running from about 4:00pm until about 8:00pm. Sam Walker is heading this – please call him if you wish to confirm the session on cell 860-485-2569. Thursdays may be added if required.
NEXT MEETING
The next General Membership Meeting will be held on Saturday, 11 June 2011. The meeting will be held at the Thomaston Senior Center, Town Hall, Main St. and is scheduled for 7:30pm.
That’s all the news that fits for now. Thanks to Tony Pratt, Howard Pincus, Sam Walker, Pam Larson, Tom Carver, Celeste Echlin and others who helped with this issue. —Bill Sample, editor
