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Signal Maintenance on the Central Oregon and Pacific Railroad Part 2:
August 20, 2000
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Signal Maintenance on the Central Oregon and Pacific Railroad Part 2:
August 20, 2000
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| Return to Part 1 | Go to Part 3 | Go to Part 4 |
Click on thumbnails for larger images
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Early this Friday morning finds the hi rail boom truck on the track in Glendale and loading signal mast assemblies off of a trailer. |
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As the crane gets set up and ready to lift the first mast at the installation at MP 506, your Webmaster climbs onto the case and busily removes the duct tape covering the pipe stubs the mast will be set on. These guys are really nice and I thought I ought to help out a little. Rick sees my camera lying on the ground and decides to experiment. |
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Dave (on right) eases the mast assembly down onto the Electrocode case as Rick (on left) and Tim line it up. The assembly is fabricated aluminum and consists of two masts to hold the signals heads, a ladder and two work platforms. |
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After a second mast was set at MP 503.5 (in the shadows and not good for pictures) the boom truck must load additional masts from the flatbed trailer. This mast is going to be set on a case right behind the photographer near MP 500. |
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The most accessible Electrocode installation is next to Lower Grave
Creek Road (west of Leland). The case is set right next to the concrete
base of a semaphore signal removed earlier by the SP.
Note what is next to the outrigger of the boom truck. In the foreground is the base of an old motor car indicator and right behind it are the battery vaults for both the indicator and the semaphore. To the left of the base and vault is a fiber optics locator post. 80 years of technology span this picture. While this grade crossing is currently only guarded by cross bucks and a stop sign, it is slated to receive a full set of flashing lights and gates. |
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The final mast is lowered into place at the north end of the Hugo siding right next to signal 488.2. This low angle shot gives an excellent view of the wheel arrangements of two different hi rail trucks. Rick's pickup rides directly on the rails with its own tires while the steel wheels mainly provide guidance along the rail head. However, the larger boom truck depends on the railroad wheels to carry the full front end load as the front tires are spaced too far apart to fit the 56.5" gauge track. Also note that only the inboard rear duals rest on the rail. |
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The last of 5 mast assemblies set and secured, Tim tightens one of the 16 bolts that hold it to the case. |
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With the day's work safely completed, the crew poses for the camera. On the left is Signal Maintainer Tim Marshall who's pretty happy knowing that in a week or so he'll have about 16 less miles of pole line to maintain. In the center is Signal Maintainer Rick Perry without whose friendship and assistance this entire CORP Signals site would not have been possible. And on the right is boom truck operator Dave Putman who makes setting these bulky, cantankerous masts look like a piece of cake . |
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The signal heads are assembled and lifted into place. Wiring begins. |
All photos and descriptions Copyright 1999 by Larry Tuttle
Special Thanks to Rick Perry, Rich Gollen, Tim Marshall, Dave Putman, Gordon French and the Central Oregon & Pacific Railroad
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This consist built on August 20, 1999
And last switched on December 3, 2000