Buildings and Grounds

For some months now, the Building and Grounds Department has been working on an aerial light tower for our parking lot.  This has become more important with after dark events like the Terror on the Railroad and the upcoming Holiday Train event.  Ray Piesciuk has posted pics in the IRMlist Photo files on Yahoo and Pete Galayda sent me these.  The tower was erected last Friday November 12, 2009.  If you think it has a railroad 'flavor' you are correct - it was salvaged, moved, reassembled and now installed; having originally served to light a rail yard area.

Getting Ready

Setting Lift Cables

Going Up

Vertical

Onto the Anchor Bolts

Done

Not real sunny and at times downright windy - but the crew got 'er done!

New Floor

The new floor has been poured and rolls of insulation are waiting.  You can determine where steel beams have been embedded in the floor, and outside the wide door opening sits a large stack of plywood sheathing for the interior walls.  To get a good image inside where it was dark, the lens had to be opened and so the stack of plywood only appears as a bright smear.

With thanks to Phil Stepek who has supplied many images which I will display below.  He not only made the effort to record the progress, but burned a disk and delivered it to MY HOUSE!  I guess I will have to change my address:>).  Without further ado, here is what amounts to an entire album of the work over the last two weeks.

Phil Stepek Photo, 10/21/09

Phil Stepek Photo, 10/21/09

Phil Stepek Photo, 10/21/09

Phil Stepek Photo, 10/21/09

Phil Stepek Photo, 10/21/09

Phil Stepek Photo, 10/21/09

Phil Stepek Photo, 10/28/09

Phil Stepek Photo, 10/28/09

Phil Stepek Photo, 10/28/09

Phil Stepek Photo, 10/28/09

Phil Stepek Photo, 10/28/09

Phil Stepek Photo, 10/28/09

Phil Stepek Photo, 10/28/09

Phil Stepek Photo, 10/28/09

Phil Stepek Photo, 10/28/09

Phil Stepek Photo, 10/28/09

Phil Stepek Photo, 10/28/09

Phil Stepek Photo, 10/28/09

Phil Stepek Photo, 10/28/09

You will note two freshly poured concrete 'runners' which I believe will serve as footings to next receive railroad rails to allow a truck to be rolled into the new shop.  The floor is scheduled to be poured next week.

Work continues to show progress on the new addition to Barn 4.  Amazing how fast things go when you can throw some money at a project!

Framing

The framing is taking shape quickly.

West End

The west end is being framed in showing the opening for the planned large door.

Barn 4 Addition

On October 12, materials began arriving and the contractors set up to build the addition on Barn 4.  (See my previous post showing grading work).  By Wednesday this week, they were digging the holes for the building support posts, despite light rain, and you can see some of the materials and supplies staged on the ground surrounding the work site.

Piles of Dirt

Work has begin on a long planned and much awaited addition to Barn 4.  Here Dave Diamond is working to remove topsoil, and by day's end crushed stone was being dumped and spread.

This will provide added shop space in line with the old electric car shop and newer wood shop areas.  Construction is being paid for through member and friend donations.  At this point we only have enough for the slab and building shell, so please consider helping with a donation to add heat, lights, and finish work!  Specify Barn 4 Shop Addition for your donation.

For those of you playing along at home, and wondering, we have not seen much activity in the last 6 weeks.  Nothing discernable from the contractor, and the east end sheathing and doors on both ends still missing.  The side light panels on the northwest end are finally in.  Before the winter closed in our own B&G guys moved and graded a lot of crushed stone, placed at the base of all the walls.

Roof Going On

With the end of daylight saving time the lighting for these early morning images is less than perfect.  But first, you can see the roof panels in place and the ridge vents.  The south wall is completely sheathed, including side light panels and the code required 'people doors'.

North Wall

This dark image is of the north wall, about 80% sheathed.  There will remain the two end walls to complete before the building contractor is mostly finished.

By last Sunday the contractor had applied all the red roof panels.

South Wall

And by the 22nd, most of the white wall cladding was up on the south side!

Roof Framing

Not too much different from the previous photo but the contractor has been working on more roof trusses and framing, now perhaps only a dozen to go on the east end.

First Roof Panels

Not too much activity on the project this week, perhaps due to poor weather.  But they have stopped adding more trusses, and focused on installing a lot of the sheet metal roof.

Framing

Amazingly, it seems the contractor worked both days last weekend, but not Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday this week.  Here is the current state of affairs, and you can begin to appreciate the size of this structure.

First Trusses

And by Friday afternoon the first six roof trusses were up.  This really shows the shape and form of the new barn.

Side Framing

By Wednesday this week the purlins and girts (side framing) were going in place.