We had a very successful day today. The following was accomplished:
First we unloaded my welder onto the platform, got it going. Bill and I
repaired the broken hinge(s) on the platform gate and re-welded the
broken handrail support at the bottom of the fire escape. I left the
machine in the archives in case some other job has to be done in the
next few weeks. I also copied down the model and serial unit number from
the big welder and will try and find a circuit diagram.
Bill and Ross installed all the platform fence at the entrance to the
gift shop. Some fiddling was required to level the sections so the gate
latch would work correctly, and Bill had to straighten one of the legs
that was bent. Some idiot had broken off the threaded studs on the
bottom of all 8 verticals that provide the clearance at the bottom so we
temporarily replaced them with lag screws and old bolts until we have
time to make proper replacements. Yet to be re-installed is the sign
advising parents to keep their children under control, it is in the gift
shop by the door.
Bill Seabrooke spent hours cleaning up the flower garden by the portico,
aided by Gee. Mike Jewett repaired the spark system on one of the
lawnmowers and cut the grass at the entrance and by the house.
More work is required to make the site attractive, and we need a good
riding mower if we are to keep then grass under control.
We did a major cleanup of the downstairs of the house. Old junk
cabinets, shelves, other scrap cabinet/shelf units were cleaned of nails
and piled on the entrance platform. We need to get this trash hauled to
the dump, along with the barrel at the breeze way. We now have the front
half of the left side empty and can consider moving some large stoves
and TTY machines in there next week. Many boxes of paper records, books,
and other stuff was moved upstairs for Tom Caine to sort out. We also
cleaned up a lot of trash from the right side. There are some display
cases and other material in the house that needs to be moved into this
area next week. We also moved two bookshelf units that came from the
former library upstairs and a knocked down shelving unit. A model
railroad layout and 4 very heavy parlor car chairs were moved from
upstairs to the space over the express office ceiling. Many thanks to
Doug and Rian Manson for this, with help from Mike
A large pile of planks was moved to the shed along with 8 cartons of
cedar shingles, by George Margita, Ross and Brian. These shingles have
travelled a lot of miles there, originally they were left over from
replacing the roof, were in the house, then moved to the shed years ago,
then migrated back to the house. I moved them to the shed 2 years ago,
then they got back to the house, and today they went back to the shed.
Question is, ?Will they stay there? And for how long???
The badly damaged model train layout that was in the MWR for years was
brought down from the storage over the archives by Mike and Rian and
placed in the Baggage room. We need to put some short legs on the three
modules, then repair the damage, and get it going so the children can
see the trains going around. Maybe we can inspire some of them to get
Daddy to buy them a train set, and we should be prepared to sell them
some cars, track and cheap starter locomotives in the gift shop. We
found a pile of new boxed HO gauge cars in a heap behind the door of the
room over the express office and these can be boxed up and sold in the shop.
Gee and Rian spent several hours looking for the missing Deed forms and
the registration book, without success. We were told that Jason Marshall
has these at home, and we should insist they be returned post-haste,
along with the water pump off the big air compressor engine. Gee also
put up some more small signs on the barriers, and cleaned the floors. We
need a stock of toilet paper before opening day as there is none in the
ladies room.
Brian Kelsey spent several hours putting the protective covers back on
one of the coaches that the vandals had knocked off. He re-fastened the
plastic inserts into the panels so there is a bit of light in the car.
He also painted the yellow stripe along the bottom edge of the combine car.
Rian brought another chair over from the house to complete the display
of the dishes. We need to wire the barriers together and to the building
trim to keep them from being moved by visitors. This is the only way we
can enforce the ?three foot rule?.
George Margita repaired some minor damage to one of the MWR display
cases, and put in security screws at the four corners. One other case
needs screws installed at the corners.
Al Westland installed the two show cases for the locomotives he donated
in the baggage room and plans to install lighting for them.
At the end of the day Mike and Ross tried to start the Wooding's rail
car. There appears to be spark but no gasoline is being delivered to the
carburator. There does not seem to be any fuel pump and the gas will not
go uphill without help. The similar Wooding's unit at CSTM has a vacuum
operated pump, I will check all this out on Saturday and report on
findings at the next work session.
Ross
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