Restore the Bridge Street Signal Tower
- MQT1223
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Re: Restore the Bridge Street Signal Tower
Tower has been prepped for its big lift tomorrow! For those of you who don't follow the Facebook page, further prep work will ensue starting around 8 am, with the tower's cabin being lifted an hour later at 9 am. The cabin will then be trucked roughly a block north to where it will be rebuilt over a period of a month.
I will be on site documenting the lift. Hope to see some of you there!
I will be on site documenting the lift. Hope to see some of you there!
1223 OUT! President and Founder of the Buck Creek Central, the Rolling River Route! (2012-2017) President and Founder of the Lamberton Valley Railroad, The Tin Plate Road! Proudly railfanning with Asperger's since 1996.
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- Railroadfan...fan
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Re: Restore the Bridge Street Signal Tower
Step one of the restoration has begun. There are a couple of great historic pics in the article.
http://www.mlive.com/business/west-mich ... river_home
http://www.mlive.com/business/west-mich ... river_home
- MQT1223
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Re: Restore the Bridge Street Signal Tower
WZZM 13 and Fox 17 also have done articles. They were out at the tower today.
1223 OUT! President and Founder of the Buck Creek Central, the Rolling River Route! (2012-2017) President and Founder of the Lamberton Valley Railroad, The Tin Plate Road! Proudly railfanning with Asperger's since 1996.
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Re: Restore the Bridge Street Signal Tower
Any word or pics on how the restoration is coming? Judging from the pics of the structure when it was resting on a flatbed, it looked like it would be a time and $ intensive project.
- MQT1223
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Re: Restore the Bridge Street Signal Tower
Word yes, pics ATM no. The cabin is finally starting to get torn apart. No word on whether or not it's salvageable yet. Most of the time in between the lift and now was spent on getting quotes. The steel superstructure got a quote to get coated in Rust-Bullet paint. The foundation above the ground is supposed to get a facelift too.PM1946 wrote:Any word or pics on how the restoration is coming? Judging from the pics of the structure when it was resting on a flatbed, it looked like it would be a time and $ intensive project.
1223 OUT! President and Founder of the Buck Creek Central, the Rolling River Route! (2012-2017) President and Founder of the Lamberton Valley Railroad, The Tin Plate Road! Proudly railfanning with Asperger's since 1996.
Re: Restore the Bridge Street Signal Tower
I haven't read back through the thread, so I suppose this has already been mentioned, but what company is doing the restoration?
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jimthias/
GRHC - you know every night I can imagine he is in front of his computer screen sitting in his underwear swearing profusely and drinking Blatz beer combing the RailRoadFan website for grammatical errors.
GRHC - you know every night I can imagine he is in front of his computer screen sitting in his underwear swearing profusely and drinking Blatz beer combing the RailRoadFan website for grammatical errors.
- MQT1223
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Re: Restore the Bridge Street Signal Tower
Rockford ConstructionJ T wrote:I haven't read back through the thread, so I suppose this has already been mentioned, but what company is doing the restoration?
1223 OUT! President and Founder of the Buck Creek Central, the Rolling River Route! (2012-2017) President and Founder of the Lamberton Valley Railroad, The Tin Plate Road! Proudly railfanning with Asperger's since 1996.
- MQT1223
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Re: Restore the Bridge Street Signal Tower
If your a Trains Magazine subscriber, take a look. We are an EXCLUSIVE story today!
Personally looked at the tower on Monday. The progress is outstanding. All of the work is custom. Frame was in good shape. All exterior and interior wood minus some near the roofline is being fabricated and replaced. The floor was found to be braced with railroad ties and was very solid. The original window weights were found in the walls, and the cabin is found to be ORIGINAL. It was not heavily rebuilt in the 80's as previously thought. All of the rotted wood removed was found to be rough cut timber, which means it most likely came from a local sawmill. Roof work is being done as we speak and the paint scheme will be selected by the end of the week!
If you haven't followed the progress I suggest you should!
Personally looked at the tower on Monday. The progress is outstanding. All of the work is custom. Frame was in good shape. All exterior and interior wood minus some near the roofline is being fabricated and replaced. The floor was found to be braced with railroad ties and was very solid. The original window weights were found in the walls, and the cabin is found to be ORIGINAL. It was not heavily rebuilt in the 80's as previously thought. All of the rotted wood removed was found to be rough cut timber, which means it most likely came from a local sawmill. Roof work is being done as we speak and the paint scheme will be selected by the end of the week!
If you haven't followed the progress I suggest you should!
1223 OUT! President and Founder of the Buck Creek Central, the Rolling River Route! (2012-2017) President and Founder of the Lamberton Valley Railroad, The Tin Plate Road! Proudly railfanning with Asperger's since 1996.
Re: Restore the Bridge Street Signal Tower
Say hello to Becky for me.MQT1223 wrote:Rockford ConstructionJ T wrote:I haven't read back through the thread, so I suppose this has already been mentioned, but what company is doing the restoration?
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jimthias/
GRHC - you know every night I can imagine he is in front of his computer screen sitting in his underwear swearing profusely and drinking Blatz beer combing the RailRoadFan website for grammatical errors.
GRHC - you know every night I can imagine he is in front of his computer screen sitting in his underwear swearing profusely and drinking Blatz beer combing the RailRoadFan website for grammatical errors.
- MQT1223
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Re: Restore the Bridge Street Signal Tower
Tower Unveiling will be on November 14th starting at 4:00 PM, with the official unveiling occurring about a half out after the event has started!
1223 OUT! President and Founder of the Buck Creek Central, the Rolling River Route! (2012-2017) President and Founder of the Lamberton Valley Railroad, The Tin Plate Road! Proudly railfanning with Asperger's since 1996.
Re: Restore the Bridge Street Signal Tower
A few weeks ago I drove past the intersection this tower sits at. I was impressed at how the tower was built using rail, with joint bars, and bending the rails over 90 degrees at the top to make a platform for the "cabin". I love vintage engineering.
- MQT1223
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Re: Restore the Bridge Street Signal Tower
Ya its built very rugged. It would take quite a bit to knock it down for sure.EWRice wrote:A few weeks ago I drove past the intersection this tower sits at. I was impressed at how the tower was built using rail, with joint bars, and bending the rails over 90 degrees at the top to make a platform for the "cabin". I love vintage engineering.
1223 OUT! President and Founder of the Buck Creek Central, the Rolling River Route! (2012-2017) President and Founder of the Lamberton Valley Railroad, The Tin Plate Road! Proudly railfanning with Asperger's since 1996.
- MQT1223
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Re: Restore the Bridge Street Signal Tower
Tower is up but under wraps...
1223 OUT! President and Founder of the Buck Creek Central, the Rolling River Route! (2012-2017) President and Founder of the Lamberton Valley Railroad, The Tin Plate Road! Proudly railfanning with Asperger's since 1996.
- MQT1223
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Re: Restore the Bridge Street Signal Tower
One day left! Unveil is tomorrow with the festivities starting at 4:00 PM. Be there!
1223 OUT! President and Founder of the Buck Creek Central, the Rolling River Route! (2012-2017) President and Founder of the Lamberton Valley Railroad, The Tin Plate Road! Proudly railfanning with Asperger's since 1996.
- MQT1223
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Re: Restore the Bridge Street Signal Tower
http://woodtv.com/2016/11/14/renovated- ... -unveiled/
http://fox17online.com/2016/11/14/iconi ... nd-rapids/
http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/ ... ailro.html
http://www.wzzm13.com/news/local/grand- ... /351905750
http://fox17online.com/2016/11/14/iconi ... nd-rapids/
http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/ ... ailro.html
http://www.wzzm13.com/news/local/grand- ... /351905750
1223 OUT! President and Founder of the Buck Creek Central, the Rolling River Route! (2012-2017) President and Founder of the Lamberton Valley Railroad, The Tin Plate Road! Proudly railfanning with Asperger's since 1996.