Yes, that much was done a decade ago so there was prior experience with this. Finally, the original water pipe to the old toilet and lavatory had to be removed. The water tank is at the other end of the car. Most of it was already gone since 1992 as it had split from freezing before we got it, but we want to make the sink function so it requires replacement. The lavatory will continue to be historically correct and when the car runs on its own, the shiny new toilet will continue to invite in families. This is just one example of the detail we have to It’s time to talk shop. First, I want to go to the bathroom, which is an odd thing to call it when you can’t take a bath in there. It’s also known as the lavatory, though that is the sink within. Call it the powder room, convenience, the necessary, the head, the loo, the (porcelain) throne room, but on railroads, the door is often marked simply “TOILET” if not men or women. That pretty much says all you really need to know. In the last issue, I mentioned toilet work in M1. Historically correct becomes a problem with the nature of the original toilet. When we got it, it was still a hole-in-the-floor model, one of thousands that littered railroad rights-of-way all over the world. When we restored the car, it was still allowed under a “grandfather” clause, but as time went on, that also went away and the toilet had to be removed, lest it see illegal use. I can’t argue that after an incident in Maywood one day long ago. You know those old signs that read “Do Not Use While Standing In A Station”…? Now you may wonder why I am making this a big subject for this issue. The answer is simple. The people to whom we cater are the general public. It’s our mission to educate them about rail travel. General public means children and if you have them, you know where I’m going, to coin a phrase. There are sometimes complaints about having to have toilets and to service them but the truth is, without them, we are simply not making the environment attractive to families and their little “emergencies.” While M-1’s toilet was removed, it served as a closet for brooms and other junk. To install a new toilet, a retention tank model in stainless steel had to be installed. It still requires a hole in the floor to drain the tank, but the hole needed to be smaller and barely allowed the downpipe to snug up against one side of the original, once the funnel was removed. The floor had to be redone starting with a new layer of marine grade plywood, then tiled so the toilet could be fastened down. The lower door hinge needed to be rebuilt after years of water contact caused corrosion. M-2’s toilet had so much corrosion along the floor, the walls rotted away and had to be replaced. 18 attend to in maintaining the equipment. During winter 2013, we also saw work on brakes. The Long Island cars needed the brakes inspected this year and the valves were sent out to a contractor. Meantime, the brake cylinders were opened, inspected, cleaned and rubber replaced. This work got done before a pause to run trains for Easter. The three-day event was, once again, up by almost 600 riders over the previous year as it continues to be a growing event. The Saturday following was the annual rules classes for the operating personnel, then it was back to work. Brush cutting parties are occasionally held to clear the right of way. Besides removing more of the Sandy debris this time around, it was in preparation for weed spraying. Spraying is done to the whole railroad. As I said last issue, while not currently in service, we want it available to be put into service and the relatively minor work involved done on a regular basis has a tremendous cost-cutting effect later when track work occurs. However, our workers can smell Riegelsville getting close, with just over a mile of track work to get there. As mentioned earlier, our permanent shop will also be located just north of the station. The week after the classes, a day’s work accomplished major clean-up of the area around the shop building as well as some time spend clearing the trees at the station site. A second major session in May further opened up the area. Meanwhile, back at the other end, the week after the classes had a major work session going in Lehigh Junction as well. The problem we were dealing with was the slope next to the NS bridge pier. With each heavy rain and the water rolling off the pathway, more dirt and rocks rolled down the hill, creating a hazardous tripping condition on a part of the platform that is, of course, typically used only at night. It was also an unsightly mess. Using a string of concrete blocks (with the politically incorrect names), the area was dug out and a retaining wall installed. This not only improved the condition of the platform, but its width as well, which will help when the larger crowds are queuing up for a train. The following weekends would see more clean-up and planting of shrubs. With the 142 inspection under way in the shop, April provided busy weekends all across the road. Guess that means I should mention 142 now. During the annual inspection, the throttle valve was leaking severely and had to be lapped in order to seal it. The hydro test couldn’t build up the necessary pressure until then and only one leaking staybolt was to be found during the test. Naturally, it was in as inconvenient a place as it could be, under all the boiler lagging. The rods had to be re-babbited. Essential
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