2008 Construction
 Initial 5/12/2008, last updated 11/15/2008

The big job for 2008 is to complete the Mountain Division reverse loop so that we can run loop-to-loop across the entire railroad.  

Track Panel Construction  is done when its too wet to work on the right of way.   This photo was taken on a very wet Saturday in early May.

Chris is at the chop saw cutting 2X6's to the correct length for ties and Jimmy is splitting each 2X6 into three ties on the table saw.  The completed panels are stacked onto the wagon and trailer for transport to the top of  the hill. 

This is the view from the much dryer inside of the steaming bay showing Rob, Brian, Chris and and Matt.

Rob, Brian and Matt are building the track panels on the bench where the yellow drills are setting.   Apparently they are able to consume the ties a bit faster than Chris and Jimmy can saw them --- which is probably why they appear to be standing around not doing much.  

  

Status May 3rd, 2008:  This next set of photos were taken on a very wet first weekend of May. 

This first photo was taken from beside the ballast tipple  which is just south of the trestle. The grade crossing was put in last fall.  The track beyond the the crossing was put down in this April. 

This block starts just north of the trestle and extends to a switch at the edge of the woods.  The wires for the signals were buried in April.    

This photo was taken at the edge of the woods looking back toward the grade crossing.  This is the start of the passing siding.
This is looking the other direction from the switch in the previous photo.  
This is taken from the end of the track in the previous photo.  This stretch is at the correct grade and ready for the track gang.
This is a ~70 foot long cut that has been a swamp and the only part that was not at the proper grade at that the beginning of May. 
Looking back at the swampy cut from the other direction.   Dick and Jimmy had installed the the big drain pipe a couple days before this photo was taken. 

It dried up a bit the week following this photo so that Dick and Jimmy could finish the final grading in the cut.  

This shows where the track splits at the north end of the cut.   The right branch is in the barely visible cut behind the tree. 
This is where that right branch comes out into the meadow.  This is where the snowmobile trailer and Snapon truck used to set. 
This is the continuation of the right branch into the loop in the meadow.   The far side of the loop is where the huge stack of steel used to be stored.  We relocated the steel and a couple 3 foot plus black snakes in late April.   
The right-of-way is graded and  the track panels have been fabricated so all is ready for the track crew to lay  the track and apply many tons of ballast. 
Update 11/09/200

The Mountain Division reverse loop is now operational and has seem much traffic in the summer and fall.  This photo was taken from the trestle looking south past the ballast tipple to the grade crossing.   This is the south end of Werner Block which begins north of the trestle.

This location for the tipple has worked out well.  The ballast is stored behind the tipple which is several feet higher than the tipple allowing the tipple to be filled with the Kubota.. 

This photo was taken at the tipple looking past the grade crossing.    The first switch for Lairson siding is at the edge of the woods. 
This is the Lairson siding at the far south end of the Mountain Division.
This is the cut at the southwest corner of the mountain Division.  The track to the right  is the start of the Apex reverse loop.  The other end of the reverse loop comes in at the left.
This photo was taken from the cut looking toward the northeast on the Apex reverse loop.
The photo was taken from the high point of the railroad on Apex  reverse loop looking to the east.  The pipes to the right of the track are the gas well.  The ballast tipple is just beyond the dozer.  County Road 6 is visible just to the right of the well. 
This photo is taken from the unfinished Whitaker siding looking toward the southeast into the cut and Lairson siding.  Whitaker is located about midway between the highpoint and the cut.
The current plan is to extend the Valley Division with a loop around Benny's Pond. With that extension, the current reverse loop at Henry will become mainline track.  The Fern siding was added last year in anticipation of this expansion.  This year the the Coshocton siding was added.  The north end of the new Coshocton siding is shown in photo at right.  That is Coshocton siding on the left.  The track on the right leads to Norris yard.
This is the south end of Coshocton siding.
Many sidings have been added this summer and fall.  The most interesting is Vanderkarr shown in the diagram on the right.  Vanderkarr is located between Daffodil siding and Mill creek.  
The track on the left leads into Vanderkarr.   That is Dick standing on the westbound track of Daffodil siding. 
This was taken from the south end of Vanderkarr looking north.  Daffodil siding is on the left.  Note that the some work remains on Vanderkarr.

Details of the current track layout, location names, etc. are on the updated track diagram which can be downloaded from the Track page.

Photo above shows the inside of the car barn.  The barn was expanded to a length of over 90 feet last year.  Cold weather is on us so it's time to store most the cars until spring.    However, construction continues --- including the finishing touches on the snow plow car.