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TRAILS WEST --
MARKERS OF THE CALIFORNIA TRAIL
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FABRICATION OF NEW MARKERS
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The basic "raw material" needed by Trails West to mark the various emigrant trails to California is the steel-rail "T" markers we install along the trail. These have to be fabricated from long length of railroad rail. Here are a few photos showing this process.
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THAT'S A LONG PIECE
A 30-plus foot long piece or rail is readied for cutting. It is picked up using Tom's forklift, moved into place, and then slid through the cutting area of the cutoff saw. Making one cut takes about 10 minutes. Pictured are Jack Lepisto, Tom Dougherty, and Richard Hallford working at Tom's home. Photo by Don Enneking.
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ADJUSTING THE SAW
Richard Hallford watches while Tom Dougherty suggests what to do and Don Enneking makes the change suggested. They are trying to make the Trails West cutoff saw perform better while cutting rail for new markers. That is a piece of rail sticking out of either side of the saw. Photo by Jack Lepisto.
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SATISFIED
Jack Lepisto, Don Enneking, and Tom Dougherty look over the pieces of rail they helped cut during the day they spent at Tom's house. They cut enough pieces (three per marker) to fabricate 25 new Trails West Markers. Reportedly, they all enjoyed a big lunch prepared by Tom's wife, Jeannine. Photo by Richard Hallford.
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READY
Enough pieces were cut to fabricate 25 new Trails West Markers. The "only" thing remaining to do is to weld the three pieces together to form a marker, drill the top piece to take an inscription plate, clean, and then prime the fabricated markers.
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ASSEMBLY
Ray Frederickson (on the right), drove from his home in Arcata, California to Tom's house located south of Sacramento and spent several days welding the marker pieces together to form new markers. Tom Dougherty helped Ray with the process. With that done, we now only have to drill, clean and prime the 25 new Markers that now wait our use along the trail. Photo by Richard Hallford.
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CLEANING
After the new markers were drilled to accept inscription plates, they had to be cleaned with power brushes. All of the rust and other surface contaminants had to be removed before painting. Among the several people that did that dirty job were Don Buck (on the left) and Milt Otto. Photo by Richard Hallford.
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PAINTING
The final step in the fabrication process was to put a base coat of paint on each marker. This was done to protect the new, completed markers prior to their being installed along one of the emigrant trails. Dee McKenzie (far left), Dick Brock (middle), and Alison Portello are shown painting.
Dee is wearing a face mask because he had just finished helping to clean a marker. Painting was a messing job because each marker had to be turned to complete the job. Dick is waiting to do that.
Photo by Richard Hallford.
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25 new markers are now ready to be installed along one of the many emigrant trails to northern California. They will be stored until needed on one of our trail marking outings. We normally have two trail-marking outings every summer.
It should be obvious that to fabricate the markers Trails West needs is a lot of work. We feel it is worth it because through this lengthy process we are able to mark the many emigrant trails with our distinctive steel-rail "T" markers. Because of the work our volunteers do, present-day travelers can follow the trails and know where they are. Given the historical importance of the emigrant trails to California, we of Trails West feel that we are helping to preserve some of the history of the region.
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