Rockhill Furnace Work Session: March 12-13, 2005

The second FEBT Rockhill work session of 2005 was held March 12-13. We had 12 volunteers of Saturday and 12 on Sunday.

Those participating included l. to r., Tom Kozub, Bill Adams, Charlie Wootton, Jim Bacon, Richard Culp, Steve Jacobs, Jim Sucke, Bob Harris and Lee Rainey (Chris Coleman is behind the camera) Not in the photo are Wade Woodcock, Reggie Arford and Dave Brightbill. We also had valuable help from RTY volunteers Larry Freeman, Henry Long and Frank Shoop.

Paint Shop

Bob Harris, Tom Kozub, Dave Brightbill and Charlie Wootton worked on installing additional electrical circuits in the Paint Shop, and removing trash and surplus materials.

Brush Crew

Richard Culp continued a dramatic cleanup of brush along Jordan Run, working north to within a few feet of Meadow Street.

Boiler House

Jim Bacon and Jim Sucke continued work in the Boiler House. Additional mortar work was done and then the scaffolding used last season was dismantled and the wood was salvaged for reuse. The sagging beam supporting the wooden portion of the west wall was jacked up to level, and a pillar and tie rod were installed to hold it in place. Work then continued on preparing the attached coalbin for major repairs.

Machine Shop

Chris Coleman and Bill Adams attacked the west side of the Machine Shop. Major progress was made on window pane replacement in an area which is inaccessible during the operating season and which was badly exposed to the weather due to broken panes.

Flat Car 119

Lee Rainey, Tom Kozub and Reggie Arford removed the benches from the passenger flatcar 119. After much prying and hammering, they succeeded in removing all the decking except for one end sill. A lumber order was prepared and reassembly of the car will begin as soon as materials arrive.

Hopper 802

Charlie Wootton and Frank Shoop installed the new brake piping on side-dump hopper 802. Steve Jacobs, Wade Woodcock, Lee Rainey and Henry Long traveled to the New Holland plant in Belleville to pick up over a ton of new laser-cut steel for the car. The folks at New Holland have done a great job at a great price and we are most appreciative. Steve and Wade then began the installation of the new parts. The center plate between the hoppers, the door mechanisms, and a number of reinforcing angles and plates have been attached. Installation of the slope sheets will begin at the next session.

Lunch and Inspection

Excellent hot meals were again prepared for the volunteers by RTY chef extraordinaire Larry Freeman.

Our work was inspected on Sunday by EBT General Manager Stanley Hall, and he expressed great satisfaction with the progress.

Next Session

The next session will be Saturday and Sunday, April 23-24.

Lee Rainey,
Rockhill Restoration Coordinator

You can view other photos of this work session at Bill Adams' EBT Pictorial.