Lake Shore Live Steamers.com

Located at

Penitentiary Glen
8668 Kirtland-Chardon Rd
Kirtland, Ohio 44094

Track #1 has already been lowered and todays project will be to lower track #2(on the left). Frank Foti and Joe Banzer got the clubs' GP38 up on one of the steam bays to check out the problem with the disc bracke.

Dick Clark and Rick Nagy were leveling a section of track on the main line heading down to Gulch. Bill Deptowicz tamping the track ballast on the grade above Gulch.

The key dropped out and the hub of the disc and has been spinning on the axle shaft which is severly worn, needing to be replaced.Joe and Paul Zorko putting the front truck back together again as this project we be tackled at our winter headquarters, namely Hose Master.

Dave Foster grinding the paint off the support bars for the trucks to prevent binding with the painted surface. Frank, Joe and Dave checking the clearance of the trucks on the new conductor car.

Frank watching as Tom Pappas and Ted Nyland adjust the switch throw mechanism that can be done manually or by air cylinder with Rick behind them. Frank removed the plank from between the rails at the loading area so we may unfasten the rail joiners prior to removing the track.

With the board removed the ties under it don't look in that good of shape. A view with about forty feet of track removed from the ballast with the track setting on the #1 main line track.

Bill and Tom working on fastening in new ties between the old ones and then removing the deteriorated old ties. Karl Losely showed up with his John Deere excavator and started loosening up the existing ballast so we can lower the track 3+ inches.

With no place to put the old stone ballast and dirt, Karl just dug it up and left it in place as Dick Mackey watched the machine make easy work of it. A view of Karl digging close up against the tie wall in front of the station.

As Karl got across from the trees he encountered tree roots that were near the surface just under the tie depth of the old ballast. John Koontz screwing the rail down to the new ties, we just changed out all the old ties for new ones and we should be set for many years to come.

That's forty feet of track with the ties replaced just waiting to be reset in ballast after we get down to the proper depth. Karl continues to make progress with the roots removed and found a buried conduit that will now need fixing.