Year 2, Day 48: 15 December 2013

It's a quiet Sunday morning and the substation site is blanketed in snow.

Year 2, Day 46: 13 December 2013

The roofing kettle chugs away, with a bright little fire in its belly, sending a stinky flow of tar up to the top of the substation; in a few of these pictures you can see the steam rising from the hot tar on the roof. The weather today is in the upper 20s--downright balmy when compared to the past few days, but the crew is working hard to get the roof completed before the next round of snow begins tonight. 

Year 2, Day 45: 12 December 2013

On yet another bitterly cold morning, the crew was hard at work on the roof of the substation. Since it's a little above my vantage point, i can't provide any pictures of the actual process of applying the roofing material, but the steady hum of a roofing kettle provided the soundtrack for today's task. I hope that the finished product will include a green roof, something with some nice, environmentally friendly plants to remind us of the trees that were here originally. 

The temperature might have been in the single digits, but this hardworking woman
still had a smile on her face as she gave me a thumbs-up early this morning.

The roofing kettle (bottom center) was set up early this morning.

 

A pipeline was put in place to bring the hot tar up to the roof.

Close-up of the kettle

If the temperature had been just a little warmer, i might have been able
to convince myself to walk to the corner to get a better idea of what
the large blocks of building materials on the flatbed were.  But i confess
that i had a very hard time even forcing myself to step outside the door
for the few seconds needed to take these pictures.

Year 2, Day 44: 11 December 2013

The weather continues to be bitterly cold, and, as i am writing this post, a few advance flurries of the next round of snow are beginning to fall. But, although there is not a lot to see from my vantage point, the crew is still on the job. 

A blanket of snow covers everything, with more on the way.

Walking in a winter wonderland

Shoveling snow off the substation roof

Year 2, Day 42: 9 December 2013

The snow has been cleared away, but it's still a very cold day
on the roof of the substation.

Year 2, Day 40: 7 December 2013

The substation site has been relatively peaceful, now that the big crunch to complete all the necessary work on the outer structure before winter set in has been completed. A reduced crew has been on the job this past week, and -- at least for the present -- Saturday has gone back to being part of the weekend, rather than just another busy workday. Most of the work this week has taken place within the structure: i can hear hammering, drilling, and voices echoing off the concrete walls, but there is little to see or photograph. So here are a few shots of the worksite in repose, from a slightly different perspective than most of my pictures. 

Remaining section of the original retaining wall, most of which 
came tumbling down in May. Also visible here are the conduits 
that will run under the tracks, along with piles of insulated tarps 
that were used to cover the concrete during the curing process.  

The view from the south end of the worksite at Pratt Blvd.

Year 2, Day 35: 2 December 2013

Carting away more materials from inside the substation.