Submitted by Steve Winicker
LAST WEEKENDS SHOP ACTIVITY
Last week was a bit slow but some work was accomplished. With Zach and Jeremy’s assistance the chain rattler was run up the syphons and the turbine were used to clean out the arch tubes. The remaining boiler wash items will be completed this coming week before we fire up Friday for next weekend’s trips.
UPCOMING ACTIVITIES
This coming week I hope to do some repairs on the blower control rod extending from the locomotive cab. It currently is working but a bit delicate. The issue with getting this done is that the height of the rod is out of reach of the current ladders and the placing of a ladder beside the track is questionable due to the surface. In any case it should be possible to get it somewhat more stable then repair it permanently this winter when access will be better. Work needed before the weekend trips includes washing the cab and tender, filling oil cans and general servicing of the engine.
SAFETY SENSE
Eye Protection may take some getting used to, but that burden is significantly better than losing one’s eyesight.
There are several kinds of foreign particles that can get in your eyes during Society and other activities. The first type is wind-carried material such as…
• Dirt
• Cinders
• Rust
Although a bother, the above foreign particles aren’t generally quite as serious as the other types, namely high-speed chips that go flying when a hard material contacts another hard material. Some examples include…
• Sandblasting rusty pieces
• Drilling, scaling, or reaming steel
• Striking a chisel or punch with a hammer
• Cutting masonry or refractory products with a powered saw
• Needle gunning rusty surfaces such as the aux tender interior
• Blowing ash in the locomotive ash pan
• Cutting wood or metal with a portable circular saw or cutoff wheel
- Turning metal on the lathe
Don’t overlook working with molten materials such as…
• Welding, flame cutting, brazing and soldering
Eye Protection includes but is not limited to…
- Safety glasses
• Safety goggles
• Face shields
• Prescription glasses with safety lenses
Each type of eye protection has a different use depending on whatever conditions exist for your particular activity. It is very important to make sure that your eye protection fits correctly. Remember that proper ventilation and sprays can help reduce fogging of the protection lenses.
Eye Protection Tips
- To prevent scratching the lens, take care when setting your eye protection down or putting them away for the day. Glasses with anti-scratch and anti-fogg coatings are available
- Replace the glasses when scratches on the lens become noticeable
- Clean eye protection regularly at the eye protection cleaning station, if available. Or use a mild detergent and water with a soft absorbent towel such as a paper towel. Don’t use your shirt or a rag that collects and holds dirt, it will scratch the lens
- Be sure to purchase your safety glasses with lenses that block UVA and UVB rays. The safety glasses which the Society has for Member use are of the type which blocks both UVA and UVB rays
Always wear your eye protection. Remember that wearing your PPE is a Society Safety Rule and on top of that it’s darn good sense to protect your vision.
