Western Railroad Discussion > Handcars on the Monterey Branch approval today

I have some good news today.  Today, the Transportation Agency of Monterey County Board of Director's approved our summer lease of the Monterey Branch Line.  After we supply the extensive insurance requirements, including handcar liability insurance, commercial auto insurance policy and workers compensation insurance, plus lease payments we will be get the keys (or bolt cutters instead of keys) to the branch line.  We hope to begin clearing the line either late next month or early April.  There is iceplant and coastal shrub to remove, along with monterey pines to chop back.

About a month ago I mentioned I was looking for an MT19 motorcar to use for maintenance and a couple of members offered motorcars.  We ended up purchasing Trainorders member Craig Williams MT19. It was a bit rough, but it was unique in that everything was original on the car and not redecorated like most.  It even had an original Fairmont turntable. When we got it back into the handcar shop we found a lot of little problems and two days later we ended up with a pile of parts.  We literally disassembled everything and sent the pile of corrosion to the sandblasting plant to cleanup.  We ended up replacing about half the frame members, all the sheet aluminum.  We chromated the aluminum and painted it with mil spec polyurethane. Monday I dropped off the Onan engine at the LTL truck yard to ship to Missouri to have rebuilt.  Not sure if it needed it, but since it was torn apart might as well do it. Mason turned a new axle to address an axle breaking problem these cars had.  This week we started re-assembling it.  We did not really need another project, but in the end we'll have a museum piece to show off at our handcar exposition this summer so we can show participants what replaced the handcar.   

I attached our T-shirt design that we will be selling.  The view is overlooking the balloon loop with the ocean in the background.

 

Todd Clark
Canyon Country, CA
Trainorders.com

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Cheers!

With all the work you have put into this project, looks like you'll have a FUN Summer ahead with very NICE rolling stock!

Larry

Verry cool, so uch work, Congrats!.

Bob

It is really nice to see things opening up a little. I got my second Moderna shot Tuesday and things around here seem to be moving along fairly smoothly. I really like the T-shirt artwork, it is very classy.  It is nice to see the government officials cooperating with you.

Bruce Stikkers
St. Joseph, IL

Congratulations on this accomplishment.  Bonus points for successful negotiations in the black hole otherwise known as the County of Monterey.

AA

Stanford White
Carmel Valley, CA

Congratulations to you and Mason!
Go

Good to know that some wheels will be knocking the rust off of the rails!

Dave 

Excellent work!

Wish I was in the area to see it.   It would be great to see something running on those rails.   I think the last time I saw something on it was when the Talgo train was shown off. 

Steve Carter
Gig Harbor, WA
My Photography

Don't overlook using steam and 210 degree water to kill the vegetation as that will wash the wax off the leaves and they dehydrate and die.  Easier to remove much lighter dead dried plant than wet gran plant.  PA Highway Dept sprays and lot of roads and commercial companies even have a hi-rail water truck to spray railroad tracks. It will nor kill the root's so may need to do it a second time.

Congratulations, looking forward to riding one day!

Rich

Thumbs UP!

Congratulations, that is awesome news!

Posted from iPhone

Contact NARCOA for possible future club excursions.

Posted from Android

Tod, 

That is great news ! 

Nothing comes easily in Monterey County. 

Would like to be one of your first customers.  Assume I should spend some time in the gym prior to.  

In my youth,  starting in 1948 we used to ride the Del Monte Express from Monterey to San Francisco for a day in the City during the Holidays.

Sure enjoy TO.   Thank you ! 

Best regards, 

M.A. Skip Marquard
Carmel Valley, CA 
 

Skip Marquard
Carmel Valley, CA

PlyWoody Wrote:
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> Don't overlook using steam and 210 degree water to
> kill the vegetation as that will wash the wax off
> the leaves and they dehydrate and die.  Easier to
> remove much lighter dead dried plant than wet gran
> plant.  PA Highway Dept sprays and lot of roads
> and commercial companies even have a hi-rail water
> truck to spray railroad tracks. It will nor kill
> the root's so may need to do it a second time.

You've obviously never seen ice plant before, have you?
This is the coastline of Northern California which is just a bit different then Pennsylvania.

Iceplant is going to be a bear to deal with.  My plan is to hack it with a square point shovel and leave the stuff to sit by the tracks for a few months before removing. It may never dry up in the moist ocean air.  As for the gym, well you need at least one other person to join you as the cars require.a minimum of two people. There is 3/4 mile section of track that is over 1% that will take some effort. I have lost a lot of weight in the past year, but when I was really out of shape and 260 pounds I did not have trouble climbing 2.0% grades at 7000 feet elevation with the car on Nevada Northern Railway.  Our seated cars are much easier to propel than the standard traditional handcar.

This year we are only allowed to operate with the public for 30 days.  We have an encroachment permit that becomes active once I supply all the insurance and that covers us through June for work on the line.  Then we have a 3 month lease that runs July, August, and September. During that time we can operate for 30 days for the public.  With so limited time to actually operate I need every operating day to pay the expenses so I cannot afford to have the line tied up with a motorcar excursion.  What are the expenses? The agency gets $25,000 for the lease and staff expenses to use the line, there is the $9000 liability insurance policy, and then another $5000 for auto liability and workers compensation insurance. Then there is the cost of transporting the equipment to Marina, container purchase for car storage, container rental, rental fence, rental restrooms, and of course about 15 people I need to hire for the month to work as guides, plus training. Then I have the expense of clearing the line of brush and disposing of trash. We are putting together our own online booking system and that is almost ready. Then I also need to obtain a business band radio license to satisfy the insurance company of having a radio system.  The handcars, well they are quite expensive to build.  There is over 500 hours into each machine, but they are each amazing machines.

It is a tall order to fulfill and the goal is to break even.  If it goes well they will hopefully allow us to return next year, for a longer term.  They have been positive that if this goes well they will consider an annual agreement so we can operate seasonally.  My prediction is we will sell out every trip for that month. Our biggest challenge will be making sure that we come off as organized and not a disorganized mess where the agency says never again.

 

Todd Clark
Canyon Country, CA
Trainorders.com

Correct, I never saw a Iceplant. "Iceplant is going to be a bear to deal with." My suggestion was just an attempt to help so why the Snark? phall does nothing but make nasty posts. What has he ever suggest to help? Show a photo of the line that might be interesting to learn about the Iceplant.

PHall Wrote:
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> You've obviously never seen ice plant before, have you?

How does it compare to kudzu or bamboo?

Brian

Todd

Congradulations on your approval for this up coming summer.  I hope to be one of your customers.

Real impressed with what you're doing with my old MT19A.  I had many enjoyable trips with it over the years.  Looking forward to seeing it restored. 

Craig Williams
Foster  City, CA 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/27/21 16:12 by craigw100.