THE TWO FOOTERS               

The last two years, Carol and I have been building our retirement home on the brow of Lookout Mountain in Georgia.  Between subcontractors and hip operations, I managed to do a little design work on a trolley that will be a 24-inch gauge, 2/3 model of a San Francisco cable car.  Tom Bauer sold me the industrial switch machine over two years ago and today I got the stub rails welded to the plates.  I welded enough track to go under the deck before the under-deck was poured.  There is a plastic roof under the deck.  This area will serve as the trolley barn. 

The Severn-Lamb trucks are from one of their park trains.  Everything else is being cut and welded on site.  I hope to get the moveable rails bent and spikes (galvanized lag bolts) down soon so I can get to work on the mainline.  The new 33-hp Kubota powers the hydrostat very well and the whole thing moves smoothly.  This spring I hope to make a major purchase of rail and go as far as I can toward my goal of 1400 feet.  Over the years of reading of other’s efforts, I have marveled at the excitement when a hundred feet of track gets laid.  I can now understand.  I have put an hour and a half on the Kubota going back and forth on 40 feet of track.  I won’t be constrained too much longer.

I realize it has been a while since I sent you any information about the Haluwasa Shoreline Railroad.  Some bad news: Charlie Ashmen, founder of Camp Haluwasa and the railroad, passed away January 5, 2008, at the age of 88.  He was still working on the railroad right up to the point he went into the hospital.  In late August of 2007, he broke his neck while running to fix a potential problem in the train yard.  Even with the neck brace on, Charlie still managed to do some things in the shop.  He went to the hospital in early December to have his neck fixed (some things just don't heal when you're 88) and an operation involving his heart.  As of the time I write this none of our crew has gotten over the shock of his passing. 

As of now, we will continue to maintain the railroad with the current crew, but it is not an easy task as there is much to do and fewer to do it.  Some highlights of the past few months:  over 200 ties replaced in June-August, our self propelled leaf blower has been doing an excellent job keeping the line clear, and our gas electric "Doodlebug" received a new coat of paint (I'll send some photos next time I'm working). 

Our regular crew was on vacation in Maine this summer, and we were able to visit the Maine Narrow Gauge, Boothbay, and the WW&F.  It is interesting to see what others have done and the various equipment that is used. 

We have begun work on Honeycomb Loop, with two pieces of the 30# rail leading off from the existing 25# rail at the switch.

The grade for many feet will be 2.5%.

Named for its traverse of beautiful honeycomb limestone rock, the route will cover a dramatic 1000 ft plus.

This photo shows our switch, ballast end dump car, and the first 15 ft of the loop being lifted to grade with the jacks.

This photo shows the large pile of chips from the juniper trees that were cleared in the first hundred feet cleared.

The photo below shows one of the rockiest routes known to grand scale railroading. Great care is be made to minimize damage of our traverse.

The rails crossed the Glaslyn at Bryn y Felin a week or two ago, but Beddgelert station has taken a lot of track gang time.  Yesterday we started moving forward again.  It's a slow job with wooden sleepers, some of which need drilling - and on a tight curve with pre-bent rails and staggered joints.  We started the day with about 25 volunteers.  I always think the bigger the gang the slower the progress.  We laid two panels and put in the crossing for the footpath.  A lot of the walkers who used it seemed surprised to see a railway in the Pass.  Apparently one lady thanked us for "improving the old footpath" - i.e. the railbed - and was horrified when she learned that it would never be a footpath again.

How quickly things have changed. Can those who know these things tell me if my dates are correct?  1922 to 1941, old WHR bridge with rails;  1941 to 2000, old railway bridge with no rails, used as footbridge;  2000 to 2004, no bridge at all;  2004 to 2005, new footbridge only;  2005 to 2007, footbridge and rail bridge but no rails;  2007 foot and rail bridges complete!  The Tuesday Gang even fixed the check rails (here lying ready) yesterday. 

 From the Star Tribune,  October 14^th, 2007 issue – Minneapolis / St. Paul Minnesota

http://www.startribune.com/local/11591616.html

A retired Minneapolis firefighter died Saturday when he was crushed by a train car being used to give rides.  When Minnesota Army National Guard member Mike Lins was overseeing the construction of military facilities in Iraq, his father-in-law, William Paget, shuttled his three sons around, mowed the grass in his yard and shoveled snow. On Saturday afternoon Paget, 68, again stepped in to help when he tried to stop a caboose from tipping off railroad tracks. But the retired Minneapolis fire captain was overpowered and crushed by the falling caboose. He died on the scene. "It's a terrible accident," Lins said. "I don't think it's really hit us."

The accident happened about 2:30 p.m., at a family friend's home in Northfield, Minn. One weekend every October, the friend invited guests to ride a steam locomotive and caboose on a small-gauge railroad in his back yard, said Lins, who has helped with the event since he was a child. "It's a very safe operation," said Lins, 41. Saturday was supposed to be special. Lins had missed the past two years because of his military service. His sons, Joe and Thomas, were going to help out. Paget came along, too, showing his usual interest in his grandkids. They got there about 9 a.m., helped with track maintenance and oiled the machines. They gave several rides before the caboose, moving slower than a person's walk, began to tip as it rounded a corner. Three adults and five children were on board. Joe stood next to Paget on the back platform, where Paget was working as a brakeman. Paget jumped off, Lins said, and tried to steady the caboose to no avail. The caboose fell on him, but it was hauled off in less than 30 seconds by a dozen men. A nurse who happened to be at the event administered CPR. About 300 visitors stood nearby. No one else was injured, Lins said. "We don't know why it tipped," Lins said. "It's a terrible, terrible tragedy."

Lins said the caboose, which weighs about 1,000 pounds, has never been a cause for concern in the decades he's attended the event. The man who owns the trains did not return calls seeking comment; Lins said the owner did not wish to comment.  Paget, known as Bill, grew up in New York City. After working a two-year stint with the U.S. Coast Guard, he moved to the Twin Cities in the late 1960s, said his son-in-law. He raised four daughters and later doted on his six grandchildren. Paget joined the Minneapolis Fire Department soon after moving here from the East Coast and also served with the Bloomington volunteer fire department, Lins said. He retired from Minneapolis in 2000. His career included arriving with the first engine at the 1982 Thanksgiving Day fire that destroyed the Northwestern National Bank Building, Lins said. "He could absolutely be counted on to help," he said. It was his dependability that led him and his wife, Cecilia, to move from Bloomington to Savage three years ago. They wanted to be near their daughter, Laura Lins, and her three sons while their son-in-law served in Iraq. "That was comforting, because the duty over there [in Iraq] is tough," Mike Lins said. "It was great to know I had somebody back here helping with the family."

 A new grade crossing was installed on the Bucksgahuda and Western Railroad, this past Fall.

 In May of 2001, the B&W RR started its journey on the St. Marys and Southwestern Grade by crossing the Pittsburg & Shawmut Railroad Grade. During the first weekends of October 2007, we crossed the Shawmut grade again as we followed the "S" curve layout of the SMS RR.

On October 6th, 30 feet of track was laid in preparation for the big day. The 55-foot crossing was laid on October 13th with a crew of 15. In eight hours, the crossing was complete, and 120 feet of track was laid.

As you have read above this issue, 2007 was a sad one. First the passing of Charlie Ashmen. He was a man of many talents and kept the Haluwasa Shoreline Railroad running. Some of you may have remembered the failed attempted to make it 30 inch. Charlie never gave up the ship, and the railroad is alive and well today because of him. He will be missed by many. The other sad news was the accident on a member’s line. We could go into a lot of detail and speculation, but that is not important. What is important that these are not toy trains. They may not be standard gauge but can hurt and kill you just the same. Even the B&W is not free from accidents. Back in May, we were installing ties on the main by the road. The engine was uncoupled to get something and the hand brake were set on 2420.  A thunderstorm rolled in with lots of lighting, wind and rain, we all went inside the building for protection. After the storm passed we went back to work. Except when we got back on track, 2420 was gone. The younger generation went walking the track to see where it ended up. The bad thing was it gain enough speed, and we had enough weight on the outside, that it jumped on the trestle curve. It took us the better part of a day to rerail the frame and lift the cabin back on the tracks. Right now it is in the shops being repaired. You can never be too careful. SAFETY CAN NEVER TAKE A BREAK!

Would like to make a request for photos and news of Two Foot lines.  Track progress, new equipment, shop work, special runs, and send in those pictures.  If you can include a couple paragraphs of text that would be great.  Others would enjoy reading about your railroad and seeing photos of your progress.  So please share and send in material for the next issue.

The Two Footers
534 Armory Road
St. Marys, PA  15857

tpbauer@alltel.net
or
tom@thetwofooters.com

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