The shop project is really no different from having your kitchen rebuilt or having an addition added to your house--- the same "contractor's promises" to be on-site at a certain time and day, and then they don't show, put it off a week, etc. As of Friday 12/22/06, the concrete slabs for the two tracks are complete (poured 12/12 and 12/13) and the first half of the finished floor is being poured today (12/22). Contractor originally promised full floor completion by 12/22, but.... Looks like next week for THAT.
Final outside grading, construction of track up to and through the building, and start of interior mechanical systems (electrical, heat, light, plumbing, etc) will resume in early January.
As soon as the track is useable into the shop building, equipment will go in for work-- coach 5805, RS-3 B&M 1508, RS-3 NH 529 are planned for the first shop jobs. Track work on the yard tracks and next switches will continue, weather permitting.
For the rest of 2007, we will be doing all the usual things-- mainline track work (mechanized tie replacement and surfacing), locomotive restoration and maintenance (some new locomotive power in service this season), coach restoration (another completed coach, with all-new windows and restored interior), perhaps a restored freight car or two, maybe even a Railfan Day in Sept. (that would be decided in the summer and may be on rather short notice). The Thomaston Station display track will see a major reshuffling of display equipment in the springtime, with quite a few "new" items replacing stuff that's been there for a few years.
So, some interesting things are planned for 2007; let's check back in 364 days and see how we did in getting them accomplished!!!
A great and good Holiday Season to all of you out there!!!!
HFM
somewhere around MP 6
"You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you just might find you get what you need."
