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To: "oermsignal" Subject: Orange Empire Railway Museum Signals Update - 6/28/2004 This email is our semi-regular update about signals work (installation, maintenance and restoration) at the Orange Empire Railway Museum and is a collaborative effort -- the information for this e-news issue was provided by Gary See. If you have information that would be of interest to others, please email it to me and we'll include it in our next newsletter. If you would like to be removed from this mailing list, please email me. Likewise, if you know someone who would like to be added to this list, please have them email me. If you receive duplicate copies of this email, please contact me and let me know your preferred email address. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This past weekend (June 26/27) was our regular fourth weekend of the month work activity. Those present were Gene, Mike, Allen, Gary, Darrel, Dave Morgan, Paul Khoury, Bob, Melanie, and Ray Hirth. JULY SIGNALS MEETING NOTICE: --- SATURDAY JULY 10th --- This is the next signals work day. Also Gene is usually at the museum most Fridays if that better fits your schedule. Call or email him for confirmation of the date. SIGNAL GARDEN: This past weekend, the crew continued work on the installation of the new crossing gate in the Signal Garden. The unit is a Safetran/Griswold Model EM. They found a replacement gate arm out back in the "field of dreams" and installed it on the mechanism. Next they shortened it to fit the space available -- gate lights still need to be installed. After the arm was installed it was discovered that the main motor drive gear was broken. Searching for a replacement gear, they found a partially cannibalized mechanism out back and then had to figure out how to remove the gear from it. After Allen experimented with his spanner wrench collection, he managed to remove the gear which has a special locking washer ring/nut. At that time the gear was found to be very light weight. After a little research it was learned that this gear is made out of a composite plastic to purposively fail if the gate hits a solid object (like a car). Ray Hirth had guessed this earlier and he was right. The gear was then installed in our gate unit and it now seems to be mechanically operating ok and ready for us to try applying power at the next meeting on July 10th. They also worked on the gate lights by replacing one that was missing and re-installing missing sun-shields. See the attached photo (Gate1.JPG). Joyce O'Connor continued her work of planting new plants in the garden as well as tending for the plants currently in place. She's moved some plants around to better distribute the existing plants and attend to some of the weeds. See the attached photo (Joyce.JPG). CENTRAL WIG-WAG: Paul Khoury continued his Wig-Wag maintenance efforts by servicing the Central Avenue Wig-Wag (by the Wood Shop). MAPES CROSSING: Diesel Engine 1956 with 2 passenger cars and a caboose performed main line passenger service both Saturday and Sunday with the first part of the run as a reverse move through Mapes crossing all the way back to the south end of the main line. This "heavier" traffic (compared to the light street cars) should clean up the rails at the crossing. Throughout the weekend and even overnight Saturday the crossing operated properly with no false alarms noted. MISCELLANEOUS: Mike continued his repair of the crank telephone system feeding Carbarn 2 and the Machine Shop -- repair of some pole wires did the trick --- it's now operational again and sounding better than ever. Paul Khoury donated some of his used computer equipment to Don Robinson's library/interpretive center and for use in the signal shop -- thanks Paul. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For additional OERM Signals information, visit the signals website at: http://gsee.sdf-us.org/signals. Previous editions of these email newsletters are at: http://gsee.sdf-us.org/signals/enews/enews.html . Questions or comments regarding OERM Signals should be directed to the Signals Superintendent Gene Cranston. |