Post F Session - Cumbres Pass Work

[George Trever]

Bob Conry volunteered to continue work following Session-F on the Car Inspector's House and the Section House. He completed painting the new boards on the Inspector's house west side and the east side of the Section House. He and Ron Horejsi did a lot of digging under the sagging floor of the Section House to prepare the way for lifting the floor by the end of August. During inspections for the lift, Ron and Bob had to chip away at some brick and mortar about the chimney, both in the crawl space and in the attic. This material would have interfered with the lift. Preparations were completed on August 28 and the lift performed (see Kanocz's pictures). George Trever also assisted by making frequent measurements during the lift and relaying them to Bob, the cellar dweller. The lift was finished that afternoon with the NE and SE corners of the main Section House room only 1/4-inch higher than planned and a remaining 1/2-inch lower for the center (next to the chimney) point. The reference line was 48 1/2-inches in the main room using a laser reference beam. If the foundation can dry out by next spring, the a final adjustment can be completed. In the mean time, Bob will work on raising the porch and preparing the site for winter. Hopefully, the railroad can install a french drain between the tracks and the Section House before winter to help with the drying process.

[Allan Kirkpatrick]

What a great job the "A-Team" are doing on the facilities on Cumbres Pass.
Kudos all around!

[Rich Murray]

Amazing how much they are able to get done in the short time they've been on the that job!!!
Fantastic.

[Craig Kumler]

Congrats to the "A" team on a terrific job on Cumbres....Looking good!

[John Cole]

When we needed scaffolding to work on the tank cars, John Engs said that everything they had on the west end of the railroad was being used up on the hill. Knowing how Bob works, I knew it was being put to good use so I didn't ask to borrow any from him. We lucked out and remembered a stash in the CRF in Antonito, not really close by, but at least available.

I am amazed at the amount of work such a small crew has done on the Cumbres Pass structures in just the month of August. Great work guys!

[Joe Kanocz]

I was cutting some firewood behind Cumbres today. Bob was working today at Cumbres. Cribbing is in place for the winter, cut railroad ties.

I kinda like the continuous work session. There's enough Friend ' s members in the area who can help now and then.

[John Cole]

It is neat to see the adaptive uses for railroad items like the tie plates used on top of the hydraulic jacks to spread the pressure over a wide area. We used superheater tube on more than one occasion to reinforce a butt weld on flatcar trussrods on flatcars. They fit great.

Seeing a coat of paint on that east wall should really protect that new siding that was installed earlier this month. Wow, nothing but praise for the guys doing this work. Good job!

So Joe, were you working too, or just 'stupidvising'?

[Joe Kanocz]

Saw Bob's vehicle at the section house and stopped by to visit. I had some fresh cut logs to offer. It's always nice chatting with Bob.

However not much need for firewood in San Diego for him!

I'm sure there's going to be more work at Cumbres next year. If someone wants to learn every and anything regarding construction, sign up to work with Bob next year. Who knows? Enough volunteers and he can get the section house and car inspectors house repaired. Then possibly on to bigger things like rebuilding the Cumbres bunk house and depot. We're lucky to have someone who knows how to make it happen.

[Joe Kanocz]

Here's a few photos of the cribbing that's supporting the section house. This is temporary until next year.

Geof and Bob were cutting shim and support today on Tuesday 9/2/14

Ron was briefly out from the crawl space. Bob was still under section house

It sure would be nice to get donations marked for a masonary stem wall for this area. Meaning additional donations like the tank car brass fund. Above and beyond our current fund raising for this work.