Prior to the Fall Meet of 2001, Rita Allan had been engaged in cleaning chores inside the Dining Car, while I spent some time on the roof cleaning out the stove’s flue in order to get some draft going again. The Presto log experiment during the February 2001 dinner was less than successful, so a new source of coal has been located in the high desert. Back to burning black diamonds!

Richard Pantoja spent the better part of a Friday afternoon re-plumbing the small beverage-dumping shoot in the Castle Peak’s pantry, which was plugged solid in several places with rust and what-have-you. This was particularly a dirty and frustrating job and we thank Dick profusely for his efforts!

Tom Arnold, Eric Bauer, Ken Eells and I spent a Saturday in October hooking up the septic line to the sink drains on the Dining Car. No more wet and washed out road to contend with during the dinners! The job included finding the existing underground connection left in place by the founders, and trenching up the north side of the car to the drains. Provision was left to hook up the salon in the Pullman Car once it is permanently coupled to the Castle Peak.

The Fall Meet Dinners went well, the Friday night Camper’s Dinner was lightly patronized, but those who attended were pleased with the fare. Saturday night was another sellout. Roger Colton and Jeffery Ferris added a touch of elegance again as Steward and Headwaiter, and to them we are grateful. Our friend David Wallace traveled from the Bay Area as well and was treated to piles of dirty dishes! David’s Southern California vacation also included work as stove tender. The Mugele Family of La Grange, California joined us for the first time this year. Rick and Candice along with their daughters Katie, Amy and Allison were invaluable during the course of the weekend in every respect, and we look forward to their return in February.

Pullman car progress is steady as well. The six upper berths, purchased through the generous donations of several of our members, have been moved into the car and await installation. Thanks to Tom Arnold who donated three original Pullman folding sinks for the roomettes. Thanks also go to Bob Murray, who put on long-term loan a semi-circular bar for our use in the Red Oak. A general clean up of the interior is under way thanks to the efforts of Rita Allan. Large amounts of trash and effluvium have been removed from the interior. Soon the car may be used as a lounge for dining patrons and sleeping quarters for members and crew. On January 5^th a contingent manned by Tom Arnold, new member Andrew Moore, and myself moved the Pullman against the Dining Car utilizing a great deal of ingenuity and stamina. Tom nearly single-handedly removed the excess track behind the Pullman, wielding a sledgehammer with wild abandon! Andrew proved that you could cut 60-pound rail with a Sawzall! Go figure! Thanks also to Andrew’s wife Sue, who tirelessly entertained the kids during the workday with hiking, G-Scale railroading, and myriad other activities! Thanks Sue!

On the Grand Scale Division front, my good friend, the aforementioned Rick Mugele has been busy working up a preliminary 15" gauge track location plan based on the topo found in the depot library. This plan is now complete and available for viewing. Rick, a locomotive engineer for the BNSF, spent earlier years as a civil engineer and surveyor for the National Park Service. He is also an authority on the history of logging and mining railways of the Sierra Nevada. Our JT&S 15" gauge will resemble something of a mining "tram" reminiscent of the turn-of-the-century operations such as the Gilpin Tram, or the Argentine Central. The next phase of GSD construction is the complete removal of the existing loop trackage and relocation of those materials to the shelf behind the standard gauge cars. This will facilitate the re-grading of the loop into a broader and even radius. Beginning the tracklaying behind the standard gauge cars will allow us a viable starting point without having to construct the large bridge at this time. When we do build the bridge over the big wash, we can relay the track around the loop. Ken Pimlott, Nick Pimlott and Ken Eells have all been taking part in the track removal, Thanks guys!

Keep watching the club message board’s 15" gauge work schedule for a posting of dates that you can come out and help, or call me at (562) 809-7455 for info on the next work day. Thanks again to everyone who has come out, worked and supported our efforts over the past year! Chris Allan

Update - Winter 2002

A great deal of effort went into making the Pullman car ready for the President's Day Weekend Meet. Rita Allan single-handedly mucked out the interior of the car, which generated two dumpster loads of trash. Tom Arnold and Rita installed the plumbing into the car with Ken Pimlott. A new toilet, sink, and other restroom fixtures were placed for the convenience of Dining Car guests and crew boarding on the car. Using the Red Oak as a lounge car prior to seating guests for the dinner in the diner worked out quite well, except that the donation jar on the appetizer table remained all but empty during the night. A modest "cover charge" is being considered for the Fall dinner.

Goals for the Fall meet include transformation of the men's room area in the west end of the Red Oak into a bar area freeing up floor space where the bar is now, and installation of the upper berths to increase sleeping capacity.

Grand Scale (15" gauge) Division progress was made as well during the past few months. Ken Eells has been busy designing the servicing facility to reside within the loop, which was recently torn up by Ken Pimlott, Steve Pimlott and crew. Ken Eells has also designed a 20' turntable, which is patterned after a prototype Rio Grande Southern table. The complete plan for the facility can be viewed on the Grand Scale Division web page.

Rick Mugele and Bill Shepard were able to survey a few key points that will allow us to start excavation for the turntable and roundhouse curtain wall this Spring. Rick is also sketching up a couple of proposals for the "big" bridge. We are now thinking along the lines of a through-truss, a design which will allow for safe pedestrian passage while avoiding hand railings which would be too high to be prototypical on a deck-type bridge.

As always, if anyone is interested in coming out for a workday, or discussing plans for either the standard gauge cars or the 15" gauge, you can contact me at home (562) 809-7455 or via email: wsflco@earthlink.net.

Chris Allan