Alcalde & Coalfield High Line

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JBodenmann
Posts: 3856
Joined: Sun Oct 26, 2003 1:37 pm
Location: Tehachapi, California

Re: Alcalde & Coalfield High Line

Post by JBodenmann »

Hello My Friends
Here is what has been going on with the high line switch. The steel cross ties have been welded to the rails and now it's time for paint. First a good scrub with metal prep, then some rustoleum primer and black. The little pins for the guide rollers had to be masked off before painting. There is a gaggle of them. Now it's time to put it all together. This will be the first actual bit of the railway to go in.
Too much fun!
Jack
Attachments
Switch45.jpg
Switch46.jpg
Switch47.jpg
Switch48.jpg
Switch49.jpg
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JBodenmann
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Location: Tehachapi, California

Re: Alcalde & Coalfield High Line

Post by JBodenmann »

Hello My Friends
First off Happy New Year to you all. Here is an update on the high line. It has taken a back seat for a while, the new shop has been the priority and now the shop is ready for dry wall. The plan is to finally get moved to Ponderosa ( the new place is on Ponderosa drive so I like to call it Ponderosa ). So here is what's been happening. There are about two thousand ties ripped, cut to length, and pre drilled for the track screws. Fifteen hundred left to make. The grading is mostly done, still a couple of high spots due to stubborn rocks. All the rail and rail joiners are on site, and most importantly the high line switch is in place. The top photo shows one of the footings in progress. The plywood is to locate the mounting studs. The second photo shows the switch in place waiting to have the sliding ties and rollers and rail installed. The next photo shows the switch set for the main line, and the fourth photo down, the switch set for the turntable lead. The last photo is of the turntable location. There will be seven steaming bays. The steaming bays and turntable will be about thirty to 34 four inches high. This was a major milestone as it's the first actual part of the railway to go in. Up till now it's just been tractor and shovel work. Once I get moved progress should move along quite nicely. Now to start on the turntable footing, the steaming bays, and the concrete pylons. Only about a hundred of them to make! Heavens to Betsy!
See you in the funny pages..
Jack
Attachments
Footing1.jpg
Switch1.jpg
Switch2.jpg
Switch3.jpg
TableLocation.jpg
mikeehlert
Posts: 109
Joined: Thu May 28, 2015 5:17 pm
Location: Los Alamitos, CA

Re: Alcalde & Coalfield High Line

Post by mikeehlert »

Jack:
Have a weekend cabin in Lancaster (a bit lower and warmer) and look forward to seeing the RR. I'm not a Loco guy but love all things mechanical.

Your doing great work, keep it up,
Mike
mattmason
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Joined: Tue Jan 17, 2006 7:37 pm
Location: Sacramento, CA

Re: Alcalde & Coalfield High Line

Post by mattmason »

Do you think you'll have it in by summer of 2017? I'm willing to come down and help.
Matt Mason
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JBodenmann
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Re: Alcalde & Coalfield High Line

Post by JBodenmann »

Hello My Friends
The little railway is coming along nicely and I hope to have the main line done by the summer of 2017. I hope to be moving in the next several months and then progress should move along a bit better. But you never know…reality has a way of rearing it's ugly head now and then. For now I am there almost every other weekend. No shortage of things to do!
Jack
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JBodenmann
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Re: Alcalde & Coalfield High Line

Post by JBodenmann »

Hello My Friends
Tinkering away on the high line. Cut 1200 ties this weekend. 12 foot Trex material 5-1/2" wide. First rip to 15/16" wide and then cut to length 8-7/8" long equals 80 ties per twelve footer. Trex material is absolutely brutal on a carbide saw blade. Sometimes it even blows sparks…! Luckily there was quite a stash of saw blades on hand from the old furniture shop. Now they are all dull. But, this was the last of the ties, 3600 of them. About a thousand still must be drilled with the drill jig. No shortage of things to do!
Jack
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Ties.jpg
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JBodenmann
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Re: Alcalde & Coalfield High Line

Post by JBodenmann »

Hello My Friends
Here is a bit of an update on the high line. The little railway has not had as much attention as I would like the past few months, as the main push has been the shop, which his almost done. So here are a few snappies, the first of which is just for fun. The high line switch in the snow! The next two photos are parts of the turntable lead. The high line is 23" high and the turntable and steaming bays will be 36"high. 36" is a more comfortable height for us old gomers when fiddling about with our tiny engines. Some curved 2" x 6"s x6' long were needed. So some 2" thick material was glued up to make some 8" wide lumber. Then they were zoomed through the bandsaw to achieve the needed curvature as you can see in the third photo. The first six feet arcs up a few degrees. The second six feet is straight. And the third six foot section arcs back down to a level condition where it will meet the turntable. All this takes place on a curve too. The bottom photo shows the turntable location in the snow with stakes marking where the seven steaming bays will be. One steaming bay will be quite short, only about four feet as the main line going by will limit it's length. But remember, a four foot steaming can be very eyeful when dealing with 3/4" scale. Looking forward to this summer when there should be a lot of progress, building steaming bays, pouring concrete for the turntable base and walkways. Water, air, and electrical lines. Lots of concrete uprights for the main line too.
See you in the funny pages..
Jack
Attachments
SwitchSnow.jpg
TurntableLead1.jpg
Turntable Lead2.jpg
TurntableSnow.jpg
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JBodenmann
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Re: Alcalde & Coalfield High Line

Post by JBodenmann »

Hello My Friends
The weather was a bit different this last time, it was short pants and a tee shirt. Obviously the snow had melted! This last trip was mainly to work on the shop, but I did manage to make some progress on the railway. These two photos show progress on the turn table lead. They are just propped up on some temporary supports to have a look and to measure up for the steel supports that will be made for them and set in concrete. The rail height goes from 23" on the main line to 36" for the steaming bays. This seems like a good height for steaming bays for 3/4" scale. What height do other small scale railways use out there? Wondering also where to put the ash pit. No shortage of things to do!
Jack
Attachments
TableLead1.jpg
TableLead2.jpg
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JBodenmann
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Re: Alcalde & Coalfield High Line

Post by JBodenmann »

Hello My Friends
Check out my new trinket setting in the back of the truck. I was just going to get the Argon bottle refilled and was drooling on the welders when the salesman walked up. The welders are on sale he says. Now I'm thinking, yeah right, $50.00 off when he says $1300.00 off. So I says, wrap it up I'll take it. This will come in handy for building steaming bays and such. No shortage of things to do!
Jack
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Ranger.jpg
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Fender
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Re: Alcalde & Coalfield High Line

Post by Fender »

Jack, a good place for the ash pit is on the lead coming into the steaming bays. Some people just dump the ashes on each track, but it's not as messy if you have a central spot that is convenient to all of the bays.
Dan Watson
Chattanooga, TN
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JBodenmann
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Re: Alcalde & Coalfield High Line

Post by JBodenmann »

Hello My Friends
Thanks Fender that is a great idea. I'll put the ash pan there.
Jack
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JBodenmann
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Re: Alcalde & Coalfield High Line

Post by JBodenmann »

Hello My Friends
Here is an update on the High Line. Now that I am moved progress will resume with casting concrete uprights and getting the concrete turn table base cast and the turn table set in place. Here is the concrete plant which consists of a mixer and two concrete forms on a short railway. The railway allows one form to be rolled under the mixer for filling, then rolled out of the way so the other form can be rolled under and filled. Three sacks of ready mix makes two uprights. Man are they heavy!
Jack
Concrete Plant.jpg
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