WW&F Track Construction Gantry Car: "Elmer". Here's a clean view of the WW&F's recently-developed track construction gantry car, affectionately known as "Elmer". This car, and its accompanying work train, were instrumental in the construction of the WW&F Museum's Mountain Extension, during the 2019 Fall Work Weekend, when some 2100 feet of new track were laid, essentially completing the railroad for the foreseeable future. Mounted on a flat car, this large gantry crane is 80 feet long and stands 10 feet above the railhead. It overhangs either end of its support car by more than half a length of rail, enabling it to pick up rails from an idler flat behind it, and drop them onto ties in front of it. A traveling crane with chain falls runs the entire length of the crane. The work train typically carries enough supplies for one track-laying "cycle." Bundled ties can be seen on the deck of the gantry car. Each bundle contains enough ties for one length of rail. As noted, rails are carried on the idler flat behind the gantry. A small, track car is typically pushed in front of the crane, carrying joint bars, attachment hardware and tools. The gantry is propelled by the museum's Diesel Locomotive #52, the green cab of which is visible behind the idler flat. Behind that, Caboose 320 functions as a crew car. Trailing the caboose is typically another small track car carrying spike mauls, railroad spikes and other tools for the spiking crew that follows the train. Coupled with a gang of perhaps 30 or more volunteers, this is a lean, mean, track-laying machine!
It is interesting to note that the gantry on this car was built from the two steel beams that were used as temporary spans across Trout Brook, before a donated, restored covered bridge was placed in that location. Each of the temporary spans was 40 ft. long, and were placed on pilings driven into the stream bed. The covered bridge was reconstructed in the WW&F Museum's parking lot, then transported as a complete structure to the work site. It was then rolled into place over the two temporary spans. The bridge was then jacked up, and the steel beams removed from beneath it. Once their job as temporary spans was completed, these two steel structures were then repurposed, by attaching them end-to-end, and placing them on a support structure which would hold the resulting crane at the proper height above the flat car. Like a lot of things at the WW&F, a lot of forethought and sound engineering went into the plans for this entire Mountain Extension Project.
