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Steam & Excursion > Unloading the SkookumDate: 04/19/19 15:53 Unloading the Skookum Author: hkbaum When the volunteers at theNiles Canyon Railway need to get something done, we get it done. Once the plan to bring the Skookum to the canyon gelled, it was determined that the best way to get it on our railroad would be by coming onto the property at Milepost 35, and building a track structure that we could use to do that. The original plan was to drop in a turnout there, but that was going to be a big job, and we didn’t have a schedule. The Skookum has a long frame and does not flex. Using the ramp method we have used in the past would require a ridiculously long and curved ramp that we just couldn’t build. So the plan was to cut the mainline, pull the ‘outside’ rail over and use a switch point rail from the ‘inside’ rail to make a temporary turnout. And that is what was done.Steve Barkkarie and Doug Vanderlee took the lead on this project. They gathered and staged the necessary material, and began preparing the site on Monday. The plan was to engineer a #7 turnout onto the main line, and build everything away from the ‘Point of Frog’, as if we really had a switch frog. Steve Barkkarie did all the grading and aligning based on the mythical centerline of this turnout. He would need to set the grade so the track remained level and then begin cutting away so that when the 120 foot trailer was properly positioned its rails would be level. Fantastic engineering work dealing with limited info.This became more interesting when it looked like the locomotive would be arriving from Oregon, not on Friday as planned, but on Wednesday! By the end of the day on Tuesday, the main was cut, the new rails spiked onto the temporary lead, and we were ready to begin building a panel to place between the spur and the trailer. That was planned for Wednesday, but at 4:30PM the truck had arrived, and we parked it for the night by the Sunol Depot. The tender had arrived earlier on Tuesday and was unloaded at Brightside (using a ramp).If anybody has a video of the rig negotiating the bend at Kilkare and Main Street, I would love to see it! Kudos to the Driver Jeremy Wrenn and Wrenn Trucking for their perfect hauling.
Wednesday the Wednesday Maintenance of Way crew came out to join the efforts. The trailer was positioned and the tractor and front goosenecks were removed, around 10:30AM . Then we built a trestle of ties to the correct height, put on the rails working from both ends, and finally cut the last rails to bridge the gap. Everything was spiked down, and by 2:37PM the 7348 and an idler flat gingerley crossed onto the track and coupled onto the locomotive. It was unchained from the trailer, and delicately pulled off the trailer, onto the temporary track and up onto the main line. A video of the actual unloading is attached which will show you all the new temporary structures. As soon as that was done, we began dismantling the track. The trestle structure had to be removed so the tractor and goosenecks could be reattached. We tried to remove it in one piece, but that didn’t work out. It was completely disassembled. In parallel the closure rail was removed and the outside rail was unspiked and moved back into position. Since it had become a pretty warm day, the rail needed to be cooled to allow it to fit back into it's original position, That was unexpected work at the end of a long day. I really want to thank the MOW gang who worked so tirelessly to get this done. It was done quickly, safely, accurately, and sufficiently. One cannot ask for more from volunteers. I want to thank the Steam Department for working out all the logistics of getting this locomotive down here. Again, I want to single out Steve Barkkarie and Doug Vanderlee for their expertise and leadership. Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/19/19 15:57 by hkbaum.  You must be a registered subscriber to watch videos. Join Today! Date: 04/19/19 16:27 Re: Unloading the Skookum Author: DWDebs/2472 The video is well worth watching. It is a little bouncy in some places, the camera being held by a tired track layer, but it shows a tricky job well done. Skookum is flexible laterally, but not very flexible vertically (if it was, it would bob up and down excessively at speed), so it was essential to avoid vertical curves while unloading from the trailer.
- Doug Debs Date: 04/19/19 17:09 Re: Unloading the Skookum Author: KMiddlebrook Is she going to be turned in Niles to face "uphill"?
Date: 04/19/19 17:51 Re: Unloading the Skookum Author: callum_out Beautiful job on that temporary trackwork, kudos to the guys.
Out Date: 04/19/19 23:10 Re: Unloading the Skookum Author: hkbaum That is the plan. Once it gets steamed up and shaken down.
Easier to wye the locomotive than that 120 foot trailer! HenryB |