spacer BSM Track Updates . . .

by
John LaCosta


Track Update for September 2002


John LaCosta    S aturday (10/5)

     It was time to clear the trees away from track 4. With a 60 foot bucket the crew trimmed trees that were in the way of 4 track This clearing of trees had to be done befor the poles for the fence could be set. The crew was Ed Amrhein, David Crow, Rick Obbink, Chris McNally, CJ, Paul and John La Costa.

     After the trees were trimmed, Ed and I set the new flag pole in the center of the Visitor's Center loop.

     Dan Lawrence was Dispatcher with Mark Dawson, Jim Robertson, Tom Phillips and Dennis Falter as crew.

     Sunday (10/6)

     Ed Amrhein was Dispatcher with John Engleman, Sharon Higgins, Mike Citro and Eric Smith as crew.

     Saturday (10/12)

More Track work     With a standard gauge PCC coming to the museum in a short while, a short piece of standard gauge track was constructed. To miminize the amount of work, we used one of the two rails of 4 track and placed the standard gauge rail inside the two. The crew for this task included Ed Amrheim, Rick Obbink, Chris McNally and John La Costa.

     Sam and his family cleaned some of the streetcars.

     Ed Amrhein, Rick Obbibnk and I removed the trolley poles from the trackless trolley to allow repair of its roof. Meanwhile Buster Hughes and Rick continued other repair work on the trackless.

     Up at the shop JC and Andy worked on repair of a compressor head and the tamper conversion wheel extension.

     Carl Merson was Dispatcher with Eric Smith, Dennis Falter and Fred Schneider as crew.

     Sunday (10/13)

     I was Dispatcher with Cath La Costa, Mel Boteler and Don Homberg as crew.

     Saturday (10/19)

     Chris Howell was Dispatcher with Dennis Falter as crew.

     Sunday (10/20)

     Bob Krueger was Dispatcher with John Diefenbach, Mike Citro and Sharon Higgins as crew.

     Wednesday (10/13)

El Passo PCC     The El Paso PCC arrived at the museum, and after a few problems were resolved, it was sitting on four track. The first problem was that before it could be unloaded by letting it down slowly using a winch, the chain holding the car broke and the PCC rolled very quickly down the trailer. This might have worked except that the ramps from the trailer to the track had not been installed yet. After a lot of discussion, and some blocking the car was winched back on the trailer. This time it rolled down just fine. The second problem was the wheels would not turn as freely as they should, so we had to tow it off the trailer using the back hoe.

     Friday (10/25)

Haunted Streetcar     Carl Merson was Dispatcher for the first of two Haunted Trolley evenings at the museum. It has been a number of years since this event has been held at the museum and the crew was Don Homberg, Ben Bates, David Navjokas, Bob Krueger, Andy Blumberg, Mike Citro and Sharon Higgins. I am sure there were others helping but I do not know who they were.

     Saturday (10/26)

     7407 was placed over the pit and its air compressor was removed and sent to the shop for cleaning and overhaul. (Dan, CJ, Rick Obbink and John La Costa)

     John Engleman, Andy and Sam worked on the El Paso PCC.

     CJ, Rick Obbink and Gary Fairbanks worked in the shop on the air compressor and tamper conversion.

     Carl Merson was Dispatcher for the normal operations with Mark Dawson and Fred Schneider as crew. As evening approach the Haunter trolley crew arrived and consisted of Andy Blumberg, Drew Paren, David Navjokas, Fred Schneider and David Baynes as crew.

     Sunday (10/27)

     Mark Hurley was Dispatcher with Paul Ritterhoff, Eric Smith, Bob Cohen and Rev. Kevin Mueller.

     Saturday (11/2)

     Now that the haunted trolley was over, the museum had to be restored to its normal state (John Engleman, Justin Thillman, Ray Cannon and Chris McNally.

     This was also the day that Rick Williams and Dan Lawrence started repairing the Christmas lights in preparation for next month's Tinsel Trolley.

     The museum went back to the winter schedule of Sundays only. One birthday party was held with John Engleman, Chris McNally and Mark Dawson as crew.

     Sunday (11/3)

     Bob Krueger was Dispatcher with Carl Thistel, Dave Wilson, Eric Smith. John Diefenbach and Dennis Falter as crew.

     Saturday (11/9)

     The next stage of track 4 was the installation of poles to support a chain link fence that would eventually be place around the track. Rick Obbink, John La Costa, Dan, Chris Howell, Chris McNally and Ed Amrhein Place about 20 metal poles.

     Up at the shop CJ and Joyce work on the tamper parts.

     Charlie Plantholt was crew for a birthday party.

     Sunday (11/10)

     Rick Obbink and Ed Amrhein installed the 7407s air compress.

     Ben Bates was Dispatcher with Paul Ritterhoff and Eric Smith as crew.

     Saturday (11/16)
With the Visitor's center getting little cold, we found that the heating fuel pump have stopped working. A new pump was very expensive, so while Ed went to get a new coupling, Ed's dad and I disassembled the pump, cleaned it and put it back together with the new coupling. The result was a warm building and a less costly repair than replacing the pump.

     Carl Merson was Dispatcher for a charter with Charlie Plantholt and David Navjokas as crew.

     Sunday (11/17)

     Ed Amrhein was Dispatcher with Sharon Higgins and Mike Citro as crew.

     Saturday (11/23)

     Chris McNally was crew for a birthday party.

     Sunday (11/24)

     Chris Howell was Dispatcher with Eric Smith and David Navjokas as crew.

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