The Story
Twenty years have passed since I started volunteering at Doe River Gorge Ministries' railroad. (About 10 years since I was there last - but I'll be back.) Steam locomotive fireman (one less-than-stellar day), conductor, brakeman, tie carrier, loco cleaner and polisher, scenic sights announcer - those were jobs I performed. Then in autumn 2013 the leaves and silt of the years were clogging drainage along a section of Doe River Gorge's track. A few of us headed out on a soggy morning to lay a new culvert.
This feature is not so much a how-to of track gang work but a visual of colors of track and roadbed.
We're off
Toward Pardee point
Down grade
Tools of the trade
That's all
Honestly, most of the work was completed the day before. I spent a few hours trying to help - enough to require three cycles through the washing machine to clean my clothes, and many sore muscles for a week. It was well worth the time and effort and a wonderful experience.
For those of you who have five minutes of nothing better to do, below is my video of a speeder run to the site. Enjoy.
Doe River Gorge Narrow Gauge Railroad Speeder Run