Lake Shore Live Steamers.com

Located at

Penitentiary Glen
8668 Kirtland-Chardon Rd
Kirtland, Ohio 44094

The crew brought down the switch that Ted Nyland and John Koontz had reworked into a wye from a right-handed switch so we are going to cut it in to the track today. Ted and John did a nice job in reworking the curvature of the straight side of the right hand switch to match our curvature of the existing track.

Using the flash on a camera shows the reworked "wye" switch to better advantage in its final location. John Koontz and Ken Brooks sit behind the switch where it will be cut into the existing rail.

Ted came down to see how the switch looked on the track which we all agreed that it fit in very well. We got the generator out of the toolshed, put it on a gondola, and hauled it down to the location of the new switch by the Truss Bridge.

We started the generator and Dick Clark using his electric bandsaw, started cutting the steel rail after we dug out the ballast from between the ties. A close-up view of the action which saved us from removing the rail and taking it up to the Switch Shed and cutting it on the chop saw.

In his close-up view you can see the tongue that's part of the bandsaw that you buck up against the material you're cutting so the saw won't jerk all over the place. Ken digs out between the rails with the maddock so the opposite rail can be cut.

Dick starts cutting the opposite rail that was measured off using the switch as a template for this end of the switch. You just have to make sure that the ballast is removed low enough to clear the tab that bucks up against the rail.

John takes a breather after digging out the ballast for the new switch as Dick uses the grinder to square off the bandsaw cut that he made. With sparks flying the metal yields to the grinding stone as Dick continues with the grinding, rounding the corners of the rail foot for the rail clips to slide on.

Dick checks the other rail for any burrs that would be on the bottom of the foot from the cut. John removes the screws that hold the existing rail down that will be cut off so the switch will fit.

With the ballast removed to a sufficient depth we trial fitted the switch into place. John steadies a fill in piece of steel rail as Dick cuts it to the length required.

This portable electric powered bandsaw makes quick work of cutting the steel rail as long as you have a gas powered portable generator to go with it. John re-fastening some of the rail in the vicinity of the new switch.

We started with this, looking from the Justin Tyme Bridge, at the switch just lying in its tentative position...to the switch finished and installed as Ron Malinowski, who is on the second work shift, looks to see how much ballast is needed to ballast the switch.