Another Work Session, Another Rail-Mower Problem

The RPI work session on Saturday, May 19, went well, for the most part.  RPI gained a new member, Phil Hopper of San Antonio, who joined Leland on his MT-14K open car and helped lop off branches and brush.  Jerry Light also came with his hy-rail Gator.  He brought his chainsaw mounted on a long pole, enabling him to cut pretty thick tree trunks and limbs from a distance.  Frank Glatzl rode with me in my Woodings CBI, intending to operate the rail-mower.

The rail-mower, as previous posts have indicated, did have a few issues with the tensioner and one of the jackshafts.  We were nonetheless hoping we could get a good day's worth of mowing out of it before removing and taking apart the mower deck.  Alas, it was not to be.  After about a mile or two of mowing east of Llano a few miles, the deck stopped mowing.  When Frank went back to check on it, he found the belt had snapped in two, evidently due to severe wear provoked by the tensioner problem and maybe the driveshaft issue as well.  We found the belt is a 129" double-V belt, but it was not available at the NAPA store in Kingsland.  So the rest of the trip Frank and I stopped periodically to help cut brush and branches, which was about all we could do to help.

We are going to have our own "rail-mower work session" before the next RPI work session on June 30.  Frank is fabricating a triangular support for the tensioner so it does not cause wear on the belt.  He will also make new blade driveshafts so we have some spares in case we damage them.  Frank took the driveshaft hub off the deck and brought the whole assembly home with him to work with.

Meanwhile, the scenery was quite impressive.  There were some very heavy rains in the Llano-Kingsland region the night of May 11 (which also showed up down at my place in Dripping Springs).  As a result, virtually every significant depression along the Llano-Scobey Spur rail line was filled with water and many small washes and gulches, normally dryer than a revival preacher, had water flowing in them.  The Llano River itself was higher than I have seen it for quite a while.

We saw wildlife along the rail line, probably taking advantage of the abundant water, including a group of feral pigs, deer, and vultures.  We also saw a herd of goats, a herd of cattle, a feral hen out in the middle of nowhere and a cat that ran across the tracks.  My motorcar severed a snake that tried to slither across in front of us.

The water contributed to a lovely series of flower carpets across the meadows and fields, with golden and red flowers predominating (by now almost all the bluebonnets are gone; their peak was during the mid-March work session).  Here are the obligatory motorcar-in-flower-fields-with-passenger pictures:

The weather was perfect, cloudy in the morning, burning off by the afternoon but with a breeze developing that helped keep temps bearable.

We hope to be back on the 30th with the rail-mower raring to go.  Meanwhile I probably will invest in not one, but two, mower deck belts to be sure we are not behind the 8-ball the next time that problem develops.

21 April 2012 Llano-Kingsland Work Session

The work session from Llano to Kingsland on Saturday, April 21, was one to remember.  While we enjoyed very favorable weather, with highs in the 70s and clear skies, the weeds provided major challenges in several respects.  They had grown up tremendously since our last session on March 17.  If we had been able to use the rail-mower through the trouble spots on March 17, it would not have been so bad in late April.  But, the mower was damaged and unable to be used over virtually the entire route on the 17th.

We nonetheless got off to a good start in the morning.  Frank Glatzl joined me in my Woodings CBI towing the rail-mower to provide technical and operational support services.  My job was to keep the CBI and rail-mower moving, preferably in the same direction.  We turned the rail-mower on several miles out of Llano, after passing over the plank crossing that had caused the belt to slip off the pulleys on the 17th.  We had no more trouble with that crossing nor with the frog at the Stolz quarry siding.  The results were immediately apparent as the two photos below show.  Here's one looking east toward the uncut line:

Here's another looking the opposite way showing what we just cut:

This was an area where Frank and I had to get out of the motorcar and push it along to get it through the heavy growth of weeds.  He also had to continually adjust the throttle and choke to keep the engine from dying as the blades came close to clogging up.  But we managed to cut through nonetheless.

We were doing quite well when Frank looked back and noticed the middle blade was no longer cutting.  We stopped and went back to check on the mower deck and found that the pulley had come off the driveshaft and was missing.  Evidently the bolt that held it down had vibrated loose or sheared off.  We walked back up the line about 1000 feet and found the pulley.  Our mowing was done for the moment, however, but when the rest of the group pulled up, we asked if they had any 3/8" bolts, fine thread.  Turns out nobody had a fine thread so we would have to wait until we reached the NAPA store in Kingsland to purchase some.  Unfortunately that also meant no mowing on the way down, when we could have trimmed quite a few miles.  Here's a photo of Frank standing by the inoperative rail-mower while awaiting the group.

We bought the bolts and continued on without mowing to Spyke's BBQ because by then it was 1:30 pm and stomachs were rumbling.  After lunch, Frank and new RPI member Samuel Warren were able to remount the pulley, realign the mower deck drive belt, and get the mower operating again.  That was very fortunate because the absolute worst weeds of the trip were just ahead.

The CBI began to bog down, big-time, because it couldn't get traction with the crushed weed juice lubricating the track and the wheels.  Not to mention the weeds themselves were 2 to 2.5 feet high and impeded our progress forward.  We made progress but only by pushing the CBI + rail-mower forward.  Leland hooked up his M-19 in back of us with a tow-bar and tried to push us but we continued to bog down and the outlook for further progress darkened.

Here's a photo of CBI + rail-mower + M-19, surrounded by high weeds near the Campa Pajama Lane crossing as we try to figure out how to keep it moving forward:

 
Jerry Light saved the day.  He took his hy-rail Gator off the rails at a crossing, drove to the next crossing and re-railed, then backed up to the CBI.  We hooked up to the Gator and it pulled the CBI and rail-mower through the worst of the weeds.  Meanwhile, Frank Glatzl ensured that the engine did not die and gave direction on when to continue forward.  As a result we were able to cut through the choking weeds and clear the path for the rest of the group.  I didn't get a photo of the lashup with the Gator (sorry Jerry), but I can testify that without it, Frank and I might still be trying to push the CBI and rail-mower to the next crossing.

We continued until the County Rd 127 crossing and there we all turned around.  By then it was about 4:00 pm and time to head back to Llano.  We continued mowing on the way back and that really made the railbed look good.  But when we got to the 1431 crossing near the Antlers Hotel, Leland told us to turn it off, since we would have to make good time to get back to Llano on schedule.  So there was a lot of railbed not mowed that would have looked better with a mowing, but on the other hand, the absolute worst areas did get cleared through for the April 28 Bluebonnet run (see railroadpartners.com for details).

Here's a photo of Frank with the rail-mower, on the east side of the 1431 crossing near the Antlers Hotel, after its herculean efforts in Kingsland had ended, pointed toward home base in Llano:

And here's the rest of the line-up, waiting to cross FM 1431 in the middle of Kingsland, on the way back to Llano,with Leland Stewart and Jerry Light looking on:

 

This is not a complete account of the work session by any means, since it focuses on the rail-mower operations.  The vast majority of participants worked behind the rail-mower (which was in the front since it travels slowly when mowing) to trim and remove trees and vegetation obstructing the ROW.  So probably a lot happened of interest in their activities of which I am unaware.  Be that as it may, at least we had a great day on the rails and accomplished a lot.

The rail-mower deck will have to be removed and inspected and the blade driveshaft checked out to ensure there isn't a repeat.  At least the rail-mower is proving that when it works, it works well, so it will be worth keeping in operating condition.

More Prepping for Work Session

Loaded the CBI this morning in preparation for tomorrow's Llano branch work session.  Before loading the rail-mower I decided to grease the axles and the wheel bearings.  That was a good idea because it took about 14 strokes of the grease gun for each axle and bearing before grease came out.  Then I winched up the rail-mower as well and secured the load.

I tested the trailer rear lights and found one light, the one with the license plate, was blown.  So I tried replacing it and then noticed something strange.  The side marker lamp was on the inside and the clear plastic (to let the light shine on the license plate) was on top.  Eventually it penetrated my brain that there was something major wrong about that setup and I suddenly realized the light was installed upside down.  Took out the wrench and turned it around, went out to buy some extra 1157 turn light bulbs and finally the rear light worked as well as being properly oriented.  But I have had this trailer for almost two years and that was the first time I noticed that problem.  I checked the other rear light and it also was installed upside down.  Will turn it around on Sunday; at least there's nothing supposed to be illuminated underneath it.

Llano Branch Work Session Coming Up

The next Llano branch work session is coming up this Saturday, April 21, to prepare the line for the following Saturday's Bluebonnet run.  I am preparing to bring the Woodings CBI and the rail-mower mounted on a trailer.  Today, I greased all 12 zerks on the CBI.  It was a messy process.  I also added oil to the Tecumseh engine.  Put in about a gallon of gasoline and fired up the engine.  It came to life immediately and seemed to do well.  Cleaned and vacuumed the interior and side windows.  Then I fired up the rail-mower to make sure it is running well and had no problem.  The engine ran smoothly and the mower deck performed well.

Of course, the proof is in the pudding so we will see how they do once we get them on the rails.  I have to load them on the trailer tomorrow morning, before the afternoon thunderstorms and rain arrive.

The mission will be to mow wherever necessary, but particularly down in the Kingsland area.  There has been frequent rain the last several weeks so the grass could be pretty thick by now.  We will trundle along in the lead of the work session while the motorcars behind will stop to cut brush, etc.  Of course that means we get to open gates and dig out all the crossings on the way out.  Thank goodness Frank Glatzl will be in the CBI with me.  I'm hale but digging out our Llano branch crossings without help would be a killer.

After we get back from the Llano work session, am going to keep the CBI and rail-mower on the trailer.  I have an Operation Lifesaver presentation in Kingsland Monday night for a Cub Scout pack and they requested I bring a motorcar.  So will bring both to give the boys something to look at.  Will be giving the presentation at the restaurant at the Antlers hotel complex.

March 17, 2012 Work Session at Llano Has Great Turnout

Saturday's work session at Llano had quite a large turnout, including:  Leland Stewart, EC and RPI President, and his spouse Frankie Stewart, in his M-19; RPI Vice President John Pattison and his daugher; Charles Turner with his M-19 with a canopy roof; Bert Dockall with his Fairmont 59; Frank Glatzl with his parents (wife Cindy and his daughter later joined the group) in  his MT-19; Leon Sapp; myself with my Woodings CBI and the rail-mower; Jerry Light and George Gray with Jerry's hy-rail Gator; Robert Casares with his MT-19; and William Cook.  I am sure there were more but will have to get the rest of the names from Leland since I was too busy dealing with the CBI and the rail-mower to socialize much.

The day was perfect for running the rails with some clouds to keep the temps down and some sun in the afternoon to allow us to take some great photos of bluebonnets.  There was a special perfume in the air as well probably from blooming flowers.  The work session started for me with unloading the CBI and rail-mower:

We got both onto the rails and Leland asked Frank and me to mow the wye before the safety meeting.  We thought that would be an easy, quick job but it turned out to be more difficult because the bluebonnets and weeds got all over the tracks, creating a greasy mess under the wheels that made it all but impossible to gain traction.  Frank had to push the CBI a good way to get it to the point where it would move on its own.  We eventually did get the job done but it took longer than we thought.

It was enroute not far out of Llano that trouble struck--twice.  I started the rail-mower and revved up the mower deck and began pulling the rail-mower down the track about 4 or 5 miles out of Llano.  We almost immediately went over a crossing with boards sticking up and the rail-mower belt guard underneath apparently caught on it, causing a jolt that resulted in the belt jumping off the pulleys.  So the rail-mower was disabled but worse was to come.  We continued down the track and the underside of the mower deck, this time the roller, caught on the frog at Stolz siding.  That pushed the roller into a blade so there was no way we could fix that problem in the field.  Memo to self:  We must devise a way to tell whether the deck is in the "up" or "down" position and make sure the deck is "up" whenever going over crossings or frogs, etc.

Although the rail-mower was out of commission, we enjoyed the day and got some work done anyway.  I stopped three times to straighten marker posts that had been bent over by cattle.  Frank and I also did a lot of crossing digging since we were the two lead cars.  We did note that the December mowing in the Kingsland area (the rail-mower's inaugural run) was still very evident over most of the line.  Looks like we won't have to mow more than two to three times a year to keep the track in acceptable condition.  Hardly any problems with our motorcars and the crossings went well.  On the way back Leland had to approach a cow on the tracks very slowly to persuade her to move off but she did.  I did see two pairs of deers bounding off as we passed by, so that was my main wildlife sighting.  I also saw someone, probably a photographer, on the tracks on the way down but he or she moved off the tracks by the time we got there. Frank Glatzl helped me get the CBI and rail-mower back onto my trailer, so my hat's off to him again.

Here's some more photos to enjoy:

This is the CBI and rail-mower, along with Frank Glatzl and his MT-19, at the wye before we started mowing.

Here's VP John Pattison and his daughter behind Spyke's BBQ in Kingsland when we stopped for lunch.

Bluebonnets ran wild throughout the railroad ROW, leaving the land a scene of beauty.  The bluebonnets, however, also clogged brakes and decreased traction, making it tough to get across at least one crossing.  With the rains forecast for Tuesday early am, March 20, we will have additional growth of flowers and grass by the next work session on April 21.  We will have to get the rail-mower back up and running by then to clear the way for the Bluebonnet run on April 28.  But a good time was had by all at the March 17 work session so we may get just as many participants in the next one as word gets out that this is the most enjoyable and beautiful time of years to polish the rails.

Raingear Source

The store in Brownwood, TX, that sells raingear is Texas America Safety Co. (TASCO).  They have a 3-pc set for just over 10.00.  They also sell slush boots for about 20.00.  Those are affordable prices so I probably will pick up both and carry them in my Explorer for those days when it is just pouring and I have to get something done outside.  See http://www.tasco-safety.com/clothing/rainsuits-raincoats-ponchos.html#MCR2003.

RPI Work Session At Llano on February 18, 2012

A very tough work session, to say the least.  We knew it was going to rain 48 hours ahead of the Saturday work session but had hoped the rain would end and clear out by noon or so.  I planned to load up my Woodings CBI and rail-mower on Thursday and came home that afternoon to do so.  But a nail in a tire on my 16-foot trailer thwarted me, as I discovered it five minutes after all the tire repair shops in Dripping Springs closed.  By the time I dealt with the problem the next morning, forecasts were for heavy rain on Friday evening and overnight with more rain on Saturday.  I decided to drop the idea of bringing the rail-mower since I don't mow grass if it's raining or has rained (grass clippings plus water = mower deck corrosion).  Gave up on bringing a motorcar as well since by then it was raining and I'm not keen on loading and unloading in the rain.

I drove up to Llano on Saturday to take part in the work session anyway, to contribute whatever way possible.  We had Doug Gentles, an RPI member from British Columbia, show up with his hy-rail, along with Ron and Grace Pereida with their M19, Bert Dockall and a cousin with a very unusual open motorcar (a Fairmont 59, very few of them in Texas) and Jerry Light with his John Deere hy-rail Gator.  I brought some T-posts to replace some that have been knocked down and rode with Jerry.  Leland fixed a problem with Ron's ignition coil shorting out in its box on the front of the car by sticking a glove to one side to insulate it, and the car ran fine after that.

We started down the track and enjoyed seeing streams flowing freely (unusual after so many months of drought) and the Llano River featured waterfalls.  We also saw three eagles perched at the tree housing the eagle nest.  Of course we had to dig out various crossings along the way.  About halfway to Kingsland the rain began coming down harder and harder.  By then my pants and boots were totally soaked since I only had on a half-length raincoat.  We got the word that we were going to turn back to Llano since Bert and his cousin were getting completely soaked on the open 59.  So we turned around and went back to Llano, where we straggled into the China Wok restaurant to take our outer garments off, dry out as best we could, and have lunch.  Then we headed over to the Llano Depot and hung around there for an hour or so, hoping for the promised let-up.  By about 2:00 pm it looked as though it was letting up.

Just then, however, the wind picked up and I began to shiver.  I realized I would be courting illness if I spent the next four hours with wind whipping at my soaked clothing.  So I gave my apologies to Leland, Jerry, etc. and headed home.  They were planning to head all the way to Scobey Spur and back.  It was 54 degrees when I left and by the time I made it to Round Mountain it was 50 degrees and increasing rain.  Took me a while to warm up once I got home.  I heard later from Leland that they did make it all the way to Scobey Spur and back, arriving at Llano just before the sun went down.

I learned some valuable lessons:  1) If the forecast says to expect potentially heavy or prolonged rain, bring a complete rainsuit, i.e. hood, coat and pants.  You will be exposed to the elements even if your motorcar is fully enclosed, since you have to get out to dig out crossings, open and close gates, flag, etc.  2) Wool is your friend in cold weather.  I brought a wool hat and was wearing a wool sweater so I did well for the upper half.  But my cotton blue jeans and non-wool socks meant I was losing heat out of the lower extremities.  3) Waterproof your boots or buy galoshes to go over them.  4) Bring waterproof gloves.  Soaked cotton gloves allow heat to escape from your hands.  5) Bring two changes of clothes, one for lunchtime and one for when you are ready to head home, so you can drive in dry clothes.

We're a bit spoiled by Texas weather down here since we can and do run motorcar excursions and work sessions all year long.  But this work session was a reminder that rain can make a motorcar trip uncomfortable fast in wintertime.  Being prepared is essential.  Jerry Light mentioned a shop in Brownwood, TX, that sells raingear so I'm going to see if they have a website and what kind of products they offer.  This was my wettest trip on the Llano Branch since I first operated my motorcar on it in January 2005 so that shows how rare really wet weather is.  But with only a limited number of work sessions available each year, I want to be better prepared to participate, rain or no rain.