August 27 – 31, 2021

Friday, August 27, 2021

Last night, I arrived at the shop by 9 PM after 140 miles. This morning, I met Eddie at the truck in the yard at 6, so we could leave at 7 AM. We spent the day driving the empty trailer to Kimberly WI. We were not sure what we woulld find there. We knew we were going to move a 60 ton electrical transformer from one sub station to another, but we had no idea what the sites would look like. Typically, those sub stations are in residential neighborhoods, with marginal access at best for us. Since this was an emergency job, due to a transformer fire, no site survey could be done.

We arrived at the site after 342 miles by 2 PM, right on schedule. On boy! A skinny driveway, with pretty grass on both sides, leading into a narrow gate, with a turn past a storage shed, between the structures packed with millions of volts and amps, around a tight corner the other direction with a fence on the outside, and then under a crane.  I could hardly wait to get on it!! We had to back in there, so it is not only my job to steer the back end around all that, but I also need to guide Eddie over the radio as he backs his dolly {called a jeep} because he can not see what is ahead. I LOVE these challenges!

Well, we did it!  No sparks! No fires! We did have to drive both my dolly and his jeep onto the grass on both sides of the driveway to get it off the road, and into the driveway, which left some ruts. But we had warned them before we started.. Then he pulled forward to straighten it out, and we backed in through the gate, and around all the obstacles to the crane in one shot. Amazing! I walked out of the gate, and over to the side and took this shot, as it started to sprinkle. You can see how tight it is in there!

And from the inside, you can see how close to the fence we had to be.

Once we were loaded, and chained down, we pulled it back out through the obstacle course and onto the driveway, and parked for the night.

We were both concerned about the route. Even though it was only 45 miles long to the destination, we were 18 feet tall, and it was mostly residential. So we decided to put my HP’s on, and drive it tonight. It was dark by the time we got to the other end, because Eddie wrote down every wire we hit, and one was so low, it broke off the tip of one of my poles!

The electrical team met us at the other end to discuss how we would get into the sub station there. It was even tighter than this one. All the restaurants were closed, so I took Eddie to a hotel after we stopped for fast food. We will start just after sunrise in the morning with three others to help us. It will be a short night!

Saturday, August 28, 2021

A HP guy joined us at the hotel last night, as well as a steerman and driver who were stopped for the weekend just 80 miles away. We got to the site just as the sun was rising. We strung three plastic pipes across the top as skids for wires to glide over, made some measurements and adjustments, and developed a plan. Last night we determined that there are at least 70 low wires to deal with along the route.

Our plan was to have the HP guy hit and point out the low wires, telling us over the radio how low they are, which ones can be navigated with the skids, which ones need to be lifted, and which side of the road the truck needs to travel on. We will have no police help, so the other two in the escort van will have to direct traffic and also lift the wires. I will communicate with the driver how each wire is sliding across, or as we clear the lifted ones, or obviously stop him if we snag a wire BEFORE it snaps! Then I will hold traffic back until the line lifters get back in their van, and move on.

Our plan worked flawlessly! Of course, we are always amazed at how impatient people are. No understanding, no patience, always in a huge hurry, and always mad that we slowed them down. On the other hand, we are working against them to replace a transformer that burned up from overload, so they will continue to have electricity! How ironic. After you honk at us, cuss at us, and give us the finger, you can thank us for keeping your lights on! LOL

It tookcus 3 hours to travel the 45 miles,  so we arrived at the new site by 11 AM, right on schedule. They had laid some crane mats down on the grass on the inside of the turn, because it had rained last night, and the grass was very soft. Eddie wanted me to try and steer my tires out on the grass on the outside of the corner to give his jeep extra room. Though I tried, I had to give up on that, because once my tires got out on the grass, they would just slide in the mud, and I could not steer. So after three tries, we had to pull back out on the road, and this time I stayed on the gravel, and we backed in on one try. You can see in this picture that it again very close.

They lifted the transformer off,

and we pulled back out. Here is a look at the burned up transformer we were replacing.

The HP guy and the other company guys said goodbye, and we left for the shop by 1 PM. We actually drove 351 miles, and made it back to the shop by dark! What a day! The owner’s son was so impressed, he told us to go out and have supper on him! LOL We did, but you really don’t feel like doing too much when it’s 9:15, and you’re tired! Plus Eddie has over an hour to drive home from there. So we went to a local place that has a bar so was still open. I spent the night there in the yard in my van.

Sunday, August 29, 2021

Woohoo! A Sunday off! I went to my MN church, right there in town. It was great, but the people there don’t go out of their way to welcome new people, so I have to work hard to find someone to meet each time I go. No success today, but the worship and the message were really good! I made lunch, did laundry, bought some groceries, did some bookwork, and caught up on phone calls. I still don’t know what my next adventure is! Do I sleep in, or get up early? No brainer. Get up early, and go find out!!

Monday, August 30, 2021

I was in the office shortly after they opened. The problem is that next Monday is a holiday. Many states will not let us travel from Friday at noon until Tuesday morning. So the jobs are not bid to add the extra cost of paying everyone to sit over the long weekend. Plus, some people actually have a home they’d rather be at with their families! Interesting concept!

So I told him “I don’t want to sit up here by myself for a week, so a 17 hour drive is well worth it. I’ll just drive home.” He was trying to find me a job going my way, but could not.  He will try and find me work after the holiday that starts in OH so I will only have a 7 hour drive back.

But before I left, I wanted to replace that rooftop AC they sent me several weeks ago. So the manager got on the fork lift, and I swapped out the units, and found a way to put the old one on my couch so I could take it back to NC to store. I want to try and fix it later, and use it in my future shop at the house I build. So it took me until 5 PM, and while I was pulling out, I got a call from the owner’s son.

“Dave, can I pay you to do three site  surveys in Indiana and Ohio on your way home?” Sure! That’s a job to get me home!

I drove 500 miles, and slept a few hours in my van at a truck stop. . . . .

Tuesday, August 31, 2021

I don’t remember what time I stopped, or what time I started again, but I drove another 287 miles, and got to the first site in Indiana by 11 AM. It was a small site, receiving just a single building. I needed to determine what type of truck would be needed to navigate the approach, the driveway, and get close enough to unload. Instead of measuring everything, drawing a picture to put those in, I suggested taking an areal shot straight down on the site with my drone. Knowing my van is exactly 20 feet long, if I included it in the picture, they could take measurements of whatever they want, using it as a reference. “That’s an excellent idea! Prefect!” So this is one of the shots of that little site.

We had to wait for a conference call with his client, so I didn’t get to leave until well after lunch. I was at the second site by 3 PM. It was very similar. These are locations where they make a splice in the the fiber optic cables, and want a structure over that splice, and probably have equipment to put in there. So here is the second site.

I made it to the last site by 5 PM, and did the same. This one is basically at the edge of a corn field.

I left there before 6, and drove 434 miles home, arriving at the RV just before 1 AM. Woohoo! HOME!!!