Submitted by Steve Winicker.
LAST WEEKENDS SHOP ACTIVITY
It is getting late and there is still work to do, so this will be somewhat brief. Carl and I spent most of Friday and Sunday UT testing 534’s boiler. I picked up the hardened pins and pedestal liners at Precision Heat Treating and they are now at the shop. To the best of my knowledge we have what we need to put the trailing truck together next week. Getting the trailing truck together will be the focus of the weekend. I did get the drawbars magnafluxed with no defects being found. Much of Saturday was spent getting cable on the crane. It is installed so it is ready for next weekend as well. Several of us spent several hours filling ruts which, in moderation allows for mower operation over Jimmies over the top crane extraction effort earlier this year. If you happen to be dumb enough to drive your vehicle in those areas plan on filling the ruts, you make before you leave. We will loan you a shovel.
UPCOMING ACTIVITIES
Next weekend is going to be devoted to assembling the trailing truck starting Friday morning. This event is expected to last through the weekend. Other projects will be on tap incase the number of volunteers gets larger than the number needed. So far, I have several highly valued volunteers signed up.
SAFETY SENSE
Spring is here and we’re really into the Severe Weather season for the entire Midwest area. It’s important to review what the various National Weather Service alerts mean. In the last few weeks we have experienced periods of significant rainfall, severe thunderstorms (just last night) tornados and significant area flooding.
Watches…. mean the conditions are favorable for severe weather in the area(s) covered under the Watch. You do not need to take cover, but you should keep an eye on the conditions and monitor a radio/tv/weather radio/weather aps for any further information. Watches can apply to the following…
Severe weather
Tornado
High winds
Flooding due to torrential rainfall and/or extended periods of moderate rainfall
Blizzards
Warning….means that a severe weather event has been spotted in the area either visually by someone, typically a NOAA trainer individual, or by Doppler Radar. Action should be taken immediately. Watches can apply to the following…
Severe weather
Tornado
High winds
Flooding due to torrential rainfall and/or extended periods of moderate rainfall
Blizzards
In the case of a Tornado Warning, if you have a basement or a storm shelter in your home that is a very good place to go. One should be thinking, once a Tornado Watch has been issued, what safe location they will go to if the Watch has been upgraded to Warning.
The most important thing to remember is not to ignore weather Advisories, Watches and Warnings. Heed the information and have a plan in place should conditions deteriorate, and the Watches are upgraded to a Warning.
SAFETY IS JOB 1
SAFETY FIRST ALWAYS
