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The Narrows
Posted:
Sun Oct 01, 2017 4:57 pmby Paul Davenport
D session's tree/brush crew in 2017 spent a fair amount of time in the Narrows, as the crew does each year because of the need to regularly trim back the plentiful trackside growth. It's one area that always gets mentioned when we ask the RR folks before the work session for requests/suggestions on places needing work. Along with the brush and branches growing too close to the track, to the point of slapping the train, there also are hazard trees that need to come down before they come down on their own. Fortunately it's an area with relatively access from State Route 17. Weatherwise, its an opportune place to get some work done when lightning storms at higher elevations restrict what we can do elsewhere along the line.
- As the name implies, things are cramped most places trackside in the Narrows, so crews working there need to back into the woods a bit to be a safe distance from passing trains.
- From trackside in the Narrows, the highway is out of sight a little ways up the hill. The sign was installed a couple of years ago by the sign crew. It's a replica of a long-gone historic sign that was a notice for travelers on the old toll road that crossed the tracks in several places.
Re: The Narrows
Posted:
Mon Oct 02, 2017 6:49 amby Rich Murray
Thank you Paul. That is kind of a unique sign, cool.
( the images are really good, what are your camera specs?)
Re: The Narrows
Posted:
Mon Oct 02, 2017 7:06 amby Jason Rose
LOVE THAT SIGN!
Great job on the clearing. That's a ton of effort and it looks good.
Re: The Narrows
Posted:
Mon Oct 02, 2017 10:16 amby Paul Davenport
Jason, Thanks, the crew works hard but the Narrows never looks "good," even when we're "done" for the day as there's so much growth and not enough time. The "private property" signs that Jim Gross' C session sign crew erected in the Narrows and on the slope above Lava were a special project a few years back. Tip the hat to Mike Mahoney and Terry Woolsey for research and design/production for that one.
Rich, nothing too fancy. A Canon EOS Rebel T5. I have a long lens but I only carry an 18-55mm when doing sign or tree work along the line.
Paul
Re: The Narrows
Posted:
Tue Oct 03, 2017 1:09 pmby John Cole
Paul, back in 2004 Nan Clark arranged a brush clearing work session with about 100+ Friends members. The original plan was to mount a brush chipper to the Friends speeder trailer and chip the brush as we went along. Any chance to using a chipper to mulch the cuttings away from the ROW? I recall that we were not allowed to bring the chipper with us and there was something like 5 work trains bringing in the now dried out branches clear into September.
Re: The Narrows
Posted:
Tue Oct 03, 2017 6:17 pmby Paul Davenport
Hey John, things must have been pretty bad along the line to devote that many volunteers and multiple trains to the 2004 project. I remember you telling me about not being able to take the chipper along the line for that project. Most unfortunate. I guess whether we do a mass work gang and-or a chipper train would depend on the RR concluding that conditions require it and the Friends honchos deciding to go all in by sacrificing time needed for other work. I haven't heard any inklings along that line so far in the past several years. But it wouldn't be the first time that something urgent and important presents itself.