We kicked off an ambitious plan for further development of our site with a Spring work and music gathering.Following its arrival at Black Butte in March, we started work on Red’s ATSF caboose.A group of friends who all work in bike shops up in Washington State helped rebuild and outfit our bike project space.Dirtyard, a punk band from Minneapolis, began a season of boxcar music shows at our Spring Work Party.Dirtyard‘s new album cover shot?On Sunday, May 17th we had an epic boxcar music show with seven bands — Fugitive Kind, Living Daylights, Pipsqueak, Brody Douglas Hunt, Golden West Service, and Glue all playing sets.Brody Douglas HuntDandelion Junk QueensSanta Cruz-based Blackbird Raum, on their way back from the Seattle Folklife Festival, stopped for an impromptu show.A quiet moment of contemplation during the Glue show in the boxcar.In addition to work projects, our gatherings feature lots of good food cooked in our outdoor kitchen area.Socializing around the kitchen at the Spring work party.
Summer 2009
Below are more photos from our third season:
At the work party, we started the process of cleaning up our reefer and boxcar in preparation for a summer of restoration activities.Xarick arrived in the area in April, aiming to turn our old junkyard into a productive organic garden for our members, visitors and others in the community.With help from a neighbor, we started tilling up space for our garden project, uncovering enormous amounts of buried car parts in the process.Black Butte volunteer “Dirt” wheels around her brand new mobile worm box — an essential component of our efforts to remediate the soil for our garden project.Bad Blood Revival was one of two New York City-based bands who helped close out our Fall Work Party in early September.Gruk, a hardcore band from Chico, rockin’ the boxcar.The Hobo Gobblins came up from the Bay Area for our Fall Music and Work gathering.After the boxcar show music continued around the fire.The next morning we had a horn section-led procession for a final ash spreading ceremony for Gonzo out by the water tank. Wave up to him next time you’re passing by!
Winter 2009
The photos below are from the Winter of 2009:
The CORP tracks cross the Shasta River at the town of Edgewood and climb almost 10 miles to the UP interchange at Black Butte, where the BBCRC is locatedGetting to our property during the Winter is much easier after UP plows the roadOur “office” is guarded by a team of highly trained canines, disciplined in the art of begging for food, lying in your path (while you’re carrying heavy objects), and sleepingOur first acquisition, the 1930 GN caboose, sits with a fresh coat of primer, awaiting another Summer of rehabilitationThe next job to tackle is to convert our boxcar and reefer into a storage area for the growing collection of books, magazines, and videos on various railroad-related subjectsThe outdoor kitchen area sits waiting for the snow to melt and meals to be preparedOur “barn” eagerly awaites zillions of holes in the roof and walls to be sealed so it can protect “stuff” during the WinterEarly April snowstormEarly April snowstorm
