Campo Depot Flooded

A severe thunder storm dumped two inches of rain on the Campo area in less than an hour during the week in early August. The run off from the hills around the museum happened so fast that the meadow in front of the depot turned into an instant lake and the drainage ditches under the track backed up. The water found a way out by going down between the rails right at the depot carrying sand and debris with it. For the first time in memory two inches of water and mud found their way inside.

The deluge stopped right away but the damage had been done. Lucky for us, Tom Walker, Fred Carnathan, Dick McIntyre, Rich Warner and Ken Hanson happened to be nearby and immediately started to shovel out the mud and squeegee the floors. They did a fine job and started fans running to dry the place out.

A few weeks later our new caretakers, Bruce and Gwyneth Palmer polished the floors and cleaned mud from under the counters and Coke machines. They also straightened up the merchandise displays and scrubbed the shelves. Be sure to stop by the depot on your next visit to the museum to meet them and see their great work. What flood!?

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Fred Carnathan is shown here sweeping the mud out of the Campo depot. Water and mud reached two inches deep in some rooms. This was a nasty mess to clean up but thanks to Fred and friends the depot ended up cleaner than it has been in years! Ken Hanson, Photo

Old Caretakers Trailer Removed

Our decrepit old trailer on the hill, home to many caretakers over the years, has finally been removed: a piece at a time. Over the course of several weeks, the old mobile home was cut apart and placed in a large industrial dumpster but not before all useful parts were salvaged for use elsewhere on the museum grounds. Leading the charge were Jim Lundquisl. Tom Meatzie, Rich Warner, Tom Walker, Fred Carnathan. Ken Hanson and Larry Rose.

The kitchen cabinets and counters were fairly new so they were saved by Tom Walker and Fred Carnathan along with a large hardwood book shelf a Jacuzzi type bath tub and the water heater. Rich Warner and Larry Rose installed most of the cabinets and the salvaged counter top in the kitchen at the car shop. Other salvaged items were stored in the SD&A section house. The site was cleaned of debris and bladed smooth by Rich Warner and his tractor To get ready for our new caretakers who moved their snazzy "fifth wheel" RV on a week later. Bruce Palmer hooked his own rig up to the existing utilities and was set up in a few hours.

Grounds and Facilities Clean Up

Piles of trash in the "North Forty" have been accumulating over the years and weeds have popped up everywhere to make our grounds look like the City Dump. Tom Meatzie, Rich Warner, Jack O'Lexey and Ed Duling decided to do something about it and began filling up the dumpster and whacking the weeds starting next to the car shop. Tom found a power weed whacker that had not been used for many years and rebuilt it in a few hours. He fired it up and blasted all four sides of the shop. Ed chipped in and cleaned up everything in and around the grounds keepers store room. Jack sprayed "Round Up" weed killer all over the yard to follow up. Jack and Ed also filled up three hazmat containers with oil soaked dirt. The boxes were loaded on the removal services truck by Tom Walker.

Inside the shop building, our Membership Director, Tanya Rose, cleaned up the wood shop, filling several trash cans with years worth of accumulated sawdust and wood scraps. She put tools, screws nails and supplies away and straightened up the wood racks. She also mucked out the toilets as she usually does. Ray Lethbridge came up to service the members Coke machine as he does once a month and cleaned the lunch room from top to bottom. Dave DiGiorgio serviced and repaired the ice machine that is vital to our survival during the hot months. A new back door and frame for the lounge was purchased by Jim Lundquist and installed by Larry Rose. Larry also purchased and installed a new push button cyber lock set on this door. He had to construct a new stud wall next to the door with new drywall and exterior plywood. Jim furnished and applied the paint to this door and all the doors in the building except those in front of tracks 12, 13 and 14.

Thanks people, for showing the kind of initiative that the PSRMA volunteer troops are famous for.

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