The Rubber & Rawhide Railroad

Progress Report for 2nd January 2009

This Page Created on January 2nd, 2009

South Diver's Wye to Eastbound Porch connection Completed!

Early this morning, our track crew built on yesterday's roadbed progress and rapidly completed the Eastbound return leg to the Porch. The photo at left was taken from the same vantage as the two shots yesterday depicting the grading and roadbed building, for easy comparison.

West Porch Redesign!

With the successful completion of one project, the team went on to the next. Both Operations and our Porch Dwellers have been dissatisfied with the maze of switches trains must traverse to work through the porch complex. Horse's decamping to the North Woods had thrown the area open for complete reevaluation. Even though it would mean suspending all service to the porch for a short period, all agreed the best approach was to clear the entire West end of the porch, and design a clean new plan. The photo at right shows how literally our roadbed crew took that suggestion! A linked photo reveals where all the removed track was temporarily deposited!

West Porch Clean Sweep!

Well, our wimpy track crew found the sunny porch too sweaty to work their craft, and took every switch back to the coolness of the deck. This allowed a literal clean sweep of the West Porch. Still to be worked (the roadbed crew also having mysteriously disappeared) was the new alignment of the West Porch to North Diver's Switch track section.

Four Switches on the West Porch!

The old West Porch Wye seems to be missing, but four switches now grace the West end of the porch. Too bad they don't go anywhere! Well, more accurately, they don't COME from anyplace! Didn't those track fellas do a great job though, and the roadbed crew made another outstandingly fine installation!

Another lead to the House Circumnavigation Route?

We do apologize for the fuzzy nature of this photo. The light was failing, but it tells a great story! The roadbed sections laid out behind the new West Porch to North Diver's Wye lead track mark the alignment for the much proposed connection from Porch directly to the House Circumnavigation Route. Hang in there, Julio, you'll get your wish yet: One of the turnouts due in next week's shipment is earmarked for completion of this project!