Lake Shore Live Steamers.com

Located at

Penitentiary Glen
8668 Kirtland-Chardon Rd
Kirtland, Ohio 44094

Steve Zaken cutting the grass in front of Shriver Station above our grade wall with one of our power mowers. Today Steve was getting an assist from Lew Fowler with the grass cutting as Lew was cutting the grass on the level area around the station where it is difficult to cut with the riding mower.

Behind the station Ken Vendlinger was using the used riding mower that we had donated to us. Ron Trenhaile working on assembling the signal light for the switch on the Justin Tyme Bridge that he and Steve Zaken were working on last week.

Ron is checking out the operation of the switch throw that has the collars on the shaft with embedded magnets that Ron made. A closer view of the control box showing the collars with a magnet in each one to operate the proximity switches protruding from the box.

The guard rail on the switch that routes traffic onto Ted's Connection was in need of replacement and Frank Foti uses the drill to remove existing screws. Greg Guy works on fastening down the new guard rail by hand due to the closeness of the two rails.

The drill had a socket type driver that wouldn't fit between the rails so Greg tightened the screws by hand. Dick Clark adjusts the rail on the switch throw for the crossover switch by the ash pit and inclined rail to the steaming bays.

Checked back with Ron and he finally has the switch mechanism adjusted to his likeing for operating the signal light. This switch had its guard rail replaceed also.

John Koontz, with level in hand, checked the track and Frank was using the track lifter to level it as required. Here John and Frank check out the section Frank just lifted and make minor adjustments with the screwdriver blade.

What you didn't see is Dick laying across the rails and sighting down the track about ten feet away letting the crew know if a spot still had to be lifted. As John and Frank watch, Ken Brooks tamps the ballast where they made a small adjustment with the screwdriver.

Here you can get a better idea of how the operation works as Frank adjusts the track as Dick sights down the rail. Of course if you adjust the track it has to be retamped and Tom Reder and Ken are doing just that.

Here Ken Vendlinger is using the smaller mower to get the grass mowed between the mainline and the Orchard Loop behind the station. Frank is running the ballast sweeper on the mainline track in Horrendous that was ballasted before but that particular day looked as though it would rain any minute.

Frank finishing off the grading of the ballast with the sweeper on the grade coming up from Filmor. He also used the sweeper on this section of track on the Branch Line leading down the grade from Zip Junction that we ballasted.

The Summit Bridge on the Branch Line near Bruce where alot of water flows under it from the parking area by the steaming bays. The track leading from Filmor up at Horrendous having been swept with our power sweeper shows the ridges of ballast beyond the width of the sweeper brush that have to be knocked down.