Lake Shore Live Steamers.com

Located at

Penitentiary Glen
8668 Kirtland-Chardon Rd
Kirtland, Ohio 44094

The ties adjacent to the mile markers were painted red but they were quite faded out so today Dick Clark was going around repainting the tie that indicated the mile marker point. Here's Dick repainting the tie at mile marker No.3 just out of Horrendous.

After passing through Filmor, Gulch and High Creek as you approach Horrendous, Dick is marking the tie for mile marker No.4. Here Dick marks the tie on Cider Bridge for the 4.5 mile marker as you head back towards Shriver Station.

We had installed a switch just off the Justin Tyme Bridge for westbound traffic to cross over to get on to the Branch Line so today John Koontz and Frank Foti, under the supervision of Dick, are going to see if a wye switch that we had will fit in. Dick and Frank discussing the pros and cons of the fit.

Ted shifts over the wye switch as Dick in the distance gives him alignment instructions with Frank and John looking on. Everyone seems to be in agreement that the route to the left on the wye switch has too much curvature.

The alignment from this angle looks good for the right hand curvature of the wye. Looking down the track you can see how too much curvature in the left hand route of the wye will have to be reworked.

The zoomed in view really shows off the curvature. All of us were in agreement that the left hand route through the wye would have to have its curvature lessened or another words bent to a larger radius.

Ken Brooks and John Koontz carried the wye switch track panel back up to the Switch Shed and John started loosening up the screws that hold the rail down. John working on the rails for the left-hand route through the wye switch.

Meanwhile Frank Smoley and Ted Nyland looked over the points where we have been having some derailments backing through the switch which leads to the Orchard Yard behind the Shriver Station. Back on the Branch Line just below Bridge No.14 we started to remove rail joiner's.

The tree roots, from the large tree on the opposite side of the track, have heaved the track up causing a noticeable bump for the trains going over it. Frank and Ken work on removing the rail joiner's from the track as it comes off of Bridge No.14.

We removed three track panels or the equivalent of 30 feet and now have to scrape out the existing ballast and see where the offending roots are. Dick Clark sits down and takes a breather while waiting for Dick Schmidt to bring up some tools to work with the ballast.

While Frank works with the pick, Dick shovels out the loose ballast in the right-a-way. Frank has dug it down to about 3 to 4 inches below the existing grade of the top of the ballast and there were roots aplenty.

With the offending roots removed, the track panels were replaced back into their position and Frank and Dick work on rebolting the rail joiner's back on. Frank puts the bolts through the last rail connectors and the second shift of the track crew will probably re-ballast the section.