The crew has been laying track over the past few weeks. Friday they turned their attention to ballasting the roughly 500 feet between the grade crossing just below the horseshoe turn at the west end of the ravine and the new grade crossing at the top of the north side of the ravine. Photo shows Ed and Gordon at the horseshoe curve waiting for the ballast wagon.
This photo shows the track coming out of the horseshoe curve and climbing up the north side of the ravine.
This view is a little further up the ravine where a passing siding will be located. The switches are in place for the siding; the track will be put in the next week or two.
Leaving the passing siding the track continues to climb up the side of the ravine.
The track has finally reached the plateau here where the grade becomes a more normal 2% or so as it goes into a turn to the north.
The track completes the ~90 degree turn at the grade crossing poured last Wednesday.
This is the track heating north from the grade crossing.
The track ends with about 100 feet to go to the turntable barely visible in the trees.
The first locomotive up the line was Raccoon Valley Lumber Heisler No2. It had no trouble but the load was light with only the utility car, Engineer Nelson and Brakeman Dick (about 150 lbs each).
