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SRM Ties weekly news letter  12/07/16
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SRM TIES

The Volunteer Newsletter for
Georgia's Official Transportation History Museum

VOL 1612, ISSUE 1                                                         December 7, 2016


Table of Contents

Welcome!


Good evening,

 This newsletter serves to help communicate within our volunteer organization both our successes and our plans for the near future.  It is more than just the plan of the day so that we can encourage everyone to be aware of ongoing projects and upcoming events further out than just the POD. 

Please let us know what we could include in a weekly newsletter that would make it more beneficial to you as a volunteer.

Help us out by contributing via email to our newsletter team.

Ramblings from Randy

 
I hope everyone had a great week.

We had a very successful week at the museum with over 200 visitors for Polar Express Experience and a reasonable number of regular visitors. It was a pleasure to host a small concert by the Duluth Middle School Honors Orchestra too  Thank you to everyone that worked together to make it happen.

Coming up this week, we've got 5  showings of Polar Express Experience. We've also got 3 birthday parties, Breakfast with Santa , Lunch with Santa and public so we're going to have a busy Saturday with at least 14 train rides. If you can help with trains or parking let me or Andrew know.  With the holiday season upon us we all have family & work commitments too and I appreciate those of you who can stepping in for some of our regulars so that everyone can enjoy the holiday.  This is true from now through Christmas and if everyone that is qualified covers a 4 hour shift, we can all have a good time.

Please everyone that is able, park in an overflow lot.  With the number of shows & visitors, visitor parking is at a premium. 

As always, I appreciate everything you do to make the museum grow and be successful.
Randy

Announcements

.For your planning purposes, the museum is planning on operating short day schedules both Christmas Eve (Dec 24) and New Years Eve (Dec 31) .  Depending on visitor volume we expect to close between 2-3pm each of those days.

Please submit announcements by Friday each week

Ongoing Event


Day with Santa... This week...
Breakfast With Santa 9am
Lunch With Santa  noon
Polar Express Experience 1pm - 8pm
Duluth Middle School Guitar Concert 1pm
Jingle Bell Dancers 1:45pm

Upcoming Events

For more information about event details see our website.

Dec 15 :  Board of Trustees Mtg - 7:30
Dec 24 :  Christmas Eve - Museum closes by 3pm
Dec 31 :  New Year's Eve - Museum closes by 3pm
Jan 5, 2017 :  Museum winter schedule in effect, No Wednesday operations until March 1
Jan 7 :  Events Planning Committee 4pm
Jan 25 : Entry deadline for our Black history month art Exhibition -  Rising from the Rails
Feb 3 - 28 :  Rising from the Rails - Black history month exhibition
Feb 25 : Photo competition entries due.

PLAN OF THE DAY

 December 7, 2016


For all of your scheduling needs and concerns, here is your volunteer plan of the day for this week. For your convenience, you can also download a copy of the latest plan of the day by clicking PDF.


SRM OPERATING PLAN
Week of Dec 7, 2016

Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday
Please park in overflow lots (ALL VOLUNTEERS AND EMPLOYEES) & remember to wear Museum Uniform & your Name Tag!
 
ROW: Standard Time & Publication: Signals: 6. Signal Disappearance
 
DOW: Proper Authority
 
Parties:     10:30 in 112 and 4529, 1:30 in 112
 
Standard Gauge Train Equipment, Schedule & Crew Assignments:
Saturday: SRM 3, Clinchfield 1064, & Norfolk & Western 500837. (built as noted) Use one caboose only during weekday operation, unless otherwise noted.         
 
Wed:   11:30ES
Thu:    10:40, 11:30ST, 12:15ST(opt.), 1:00, SD,     E-Colin M., C-Leo S., S-Sam R.
            2:30, 3:10
Fri:      10:40, 11:30, SD, 1:00, SD, 2:30, 3:10          E-Sam R., C-Leo S., S-NEED
Sat:     10:30BS, 11:00,11:20P, 11:40P, 12:00(opt.) E-NEED, C-Leo S., S-NEED
            12:30PE*
Sat:     1:00,1:20LS, 2:00PE, 2:20P, 2:40, 3:00PE,  E-Randy C., C-Leo S., S-NEED
            3:30*
Sat:     5:00PE, 5:30PE                                              E-Randy C.., C-Andrew D., S-NEED
E-Education, ES-Education Special, P-Party Train, ST-Second Thursday SD-Shut Down
PE-Polar Express
 
*Crew Change. Train Crew please report for work one hour before the first train
 
*Saturday Entertainment Schedule*:
1:00 to 1:30: Duluth Middle School Guitars
1:45 to 2:15: Jingle Bell Dancers
 
 
Park Train Schedule and Crew Assignments: “Out of Service”
 
Gift Shop:
Thurs :   Jackie Hallam
Fri :        Bert Chu
Sat:        Jim Morris
 
Special Groups, Tours, Etc.:
Wed: Carrington Academy (24 Guests)
Thu:   Second Thursday
Fri:     
 
Events:  Breakfast with Santa, Lunch with Santa, Polar Express Experience
 
 
Announcements:
- Annual Depot Termite Inspection, 10:00-12:00.  Mike Dudley, facilitator.
- Note reminder, below, regarding parking.
 
 
Reminders:
- PLEASE park ONLY in overflow lots.  The parking spaces in front of Building 1, in particular, are for guests only.  This applies to ALL volunteers and employees. 

 
NEED TRAIN CREW SIGN IS LIT FOR BOTH TRAINS, NEW & PREVIOUS VOLUNTEERS Please sign up for train crew by the SUNDAY evening prior to your service.
 
Please send announcements and articles in MS Word, pictures attached by 3rd Monday
SRMCrossing News Editor - newseditor@train-museum.com
 
 
 

 
 

Shop Talk



Shop Report for SRM TIES - December 7, 2016

 

Shop Report – December 4th, 2016

 

More like winter

 

First a huge thank you for those of you who were able to come out last week . Much needed rain at least to help stave off the drought and forest fires and temperatures were cooler as well, but very tolerable. But we managed to get SRM 1 and the backhoe started with a bit of help and thanks to Donald the Trackmobile is usable as well while waiting its celebrity makeover thanks to Nick H in the coming weeks.

 

But also have some housekeeping to do for the first time in a few months. It is imperative that all of us follow the traffic pattern in the main parking lot, especially on Saturday as we have had so many visitors that they have been using the overflow lot.  In fact, both were filled to capacity with Santa's arrival.  Saturday, I watched three times as shop members almost hit visitors head on by going clockwise and not going counter-clockwise as Randy and Abe have consistently asked us all to do. In one case, it forced a car to go against traffic, who almost hit a car backing out as there was little room for two cars. Visitors don't expect us to be heading straight at them when they are following the traffic signs.

 

Also, Randy has nicely asked ALL the volunteers and staff to park in the overflow lot at all times when we are open to visitors. Clearly, if people are running into the building to check in and out (much easier to do on-line via Volgistics by the way) or to use the rest rooms, that is not an issue. Or if people have challenges physically walking longer distances. But since we never know when it will get busy, like Friday when we had a bunch of school buses there, please park in the overflow lot when you will be up the hill for any period of time. And please don't park in the drives around Building 1 as we are still doing track work along the south side of the building.

 If you are working on equipment or electric in Building 1 or 2, please park behind Building 2 or as close to the passenger cars on Tk 14 as we all did while working on #1104 now that we have cleared the crossing. I also painted the fire hydrant bright orange so hopefully no one will hit it on dark nights.  During Polar Express, we shouldn't bedoing any work in those areas in any case.  Please use Willy's Road behind Building 2 for moving the backhoe, lawn tractor and other equipment down to the shop.

 As to this week, I know Kurt and John will be doing various electrical projects and Harry, Allen and Ben are continuing work on #8202. Donald and Allen will be working on #902 (wheels should be in this week), Steve and I will be working with others on finishing up the park train track work, Stephen has work on Tk 32 (some quick fixes Saturday afternoon) and Andrew has several projects lined up for those who want to offer assistance. Kurt will be ditching along Tk 32 by the shop, Lloyd, Nick W, Doug, Bob and Rich are continuing work on the Western Union and Nick H will be continuing work on the Yale crane. Ken continues helping with Polar Express, hoping Jim, Rich, Colin and Duncan are back and Donald, Andrew and I will finish installing the solar panels on the N&W to charge the battery for the LED lights on the back for night passenger operations.  Jim will finally be doing some milling and machining along with Ben and Donald will be doing some track welding this month with Stephen.

Steve and Lloyd will continue their incredible work sorting and organizing the library and a group of us will be doing the final curve on the park train tracks Saturday. Steve has spent hundreds of hours on this gargantuan project. John K and Kurt are also continuing our year long project in getting ground power to our display cars in Building 2 and on Tk 14 which will continue through much of 2017.

 Randy and Andrew have asked John Pollock to look at the HVAC systems in #1104 to ascertain if he can figure out what controls we need to work the heating elements, since the other controls were removed. Andrew has reached out to other railroad museums as well and Gary Cullen continues his research as does John K.

 As to the past week, we accomplished a lot. All of you will be proud to know that the Polar Express is going flawlessly and Sue has thanked us several times for getting the electrical working in #1111, the commissary car and #1104. Due to the great work crew on the Western Union, Nick W, Lloyd, Bob and Doug, work is progressing. The flooring is coming along and I was happy to give them much deserved credit (along with Rich) when I did a VIP shop tour Friday to the Director of Sales of Interstate Batteries – Suwanee.

 Allen was there three times this week working on #902, but sadly Donald only made it a couple of times due to his overwhelming shop work and some family issues which we will pray has a good outcome with surgery on his son tomorrow. I know just how important prayer and family support are from my own battle with cancer 8 years ago and how friends are key for the family members as well.

Steve Storey took some well earned time off this week, but managed to be at SRM both Monday and Tuesday and every time I go in the library, the work he has done is very noticeable. His big job in 2017 will be cataloguing our noteworthy and extensive collection. This will also allow researchers, historians and higher education students supervised access to it and another revenue source to SRM.

 Nick H continues his labor of love and as has become normal for him, he closes up the shop Saturday nights working on making the Yale crane look like new and succeeding at it. Scott Sadow and I left him lying on the creeper, in the lights of the N&W caboose, to the delight of the passengers who love seeing work in the shop, painting the underside of the Yale. Guests love seeing real work going on in the shop and around the property. I ended up with a nice crowd as I was pouring in ballast east of the Park Train Depot late Saturday afternoon with the difficult to use backhoe due to the on-going brake issues. Same when Harry and Ben are on top or on the sides of #8202 as the train comes to slow stop on Tk 32.  After all, how many people get to see actual work going on in a 345 foot long railroad museum shop?

We have often talked about doing actual demonstrations in Building 1 with some of our mills, turret lathes and more, which may be moving towards reality in 2017. This was the topic of discussion at lunch at Family Restaurant Saturday as we alternate between there and Rexall Drugs.  We have many issues to tackle next year to make this possible, but it can be done safely and productively and put a new face on the work we all do as volunteers. More work will continue on displaying our signals, crossing gates and more as we have on the main crossing on the park train and in some cases making them operational with help from John Marbury and Stephen Warner.

As to the park train, it was Chuck, Ben and I working on the northeast curve Saturday with Scott joining us late in the day. We got ballasting done to the trestle and I started putting in ballast east of the Park Train Depot. Ben was a huge help as always and really missed Steve, Jim, Duncan and Colin who are great at doing track work. Still some work to do on the northeast curve and trestle, but we may let some of that be done by professionals in the next few weeks as we did with Tk 25 and Sw 26 before the State Inspector reviews the track work for operations in 2017.

Thanks again for another productive, albeit wet and cold week with more rain and colder weather expected later this week.

.

Best wishes, Jordan Rice, Shop Manager

 
Editors Note: Shop and park train projects frequently work Tuesday - Thursday evenings, contact Jordan or Andrew  if you'd like to get involved. With the end of daylight savings time, week day sessions will begin focusing more in the shop.

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