Journey of a thousand miles starts with a single chuff (redux)

[SteamGene]

Drilling pilot holes through the subroadbed would be essential, I'm sure.  I shall try the Liquid nails and get some small fnishing nails and try it. 
Too bad we got rid of our 20 year old paper Encylopaedia Britannica two years ago.  They would be great weights.  I guess I'll have to use Great Books instead.
Thanks. 
Gene

[Bojangle]

The best weights I have found are old socks filled with sand or panty hose filled with buckshot.  The bag conforms to the shape  you need.  I use them building wings to keep things straight or when adding washout. (a twist).  For small "nails" I use dress maker pins of various gauges, with a tiny pilot hole, you can push or drive the pins.  For a driver I use a jeweler's hammer, or  an "automatic"  punch.  Micro Mark has them in sets, the driver can be adjusted down to a slight tap. If you support the pin with your fingers and tap it very lightly and quickly, you can drive the pin through solid pine without a pilot hole. 
Bo
PS, tiny pins make great simulated rivets.

[SteamGene]

I just happened to find my jar of bird shot today.  We are getting new kitchen cabinets and the  garage will hold the contents until the new ones are up.  Lots of weight there.  I may put some into ziplock bags and use them as weight as I do the upper level.
BTW, I thought I had about ten feet extra of buss wire.  Tomorrow I need to go buy about 50 feet of black and red to make up the difference. 
Military guys - an ID card gets 10% off at Lowes until the 8th.  I'll bet Home Depot is the same.
Gene

[SteamGene]

VT&P #847, with caboose #72 took a 19 car train from Bradyton up the helix to the end of the line at the South River viaduct construction site. 
C&O J2 546 running light,  tested the reverse loop and found it satisfactory. 
Gene

[ebtbob]

Gene,

      I am curious and admitt that I have not read every post on this thread.  Did you start this railroad prior to DCC,  or,  in fact,  are you using DCC at all?
      The reason for asking is this....last week,  my round robin group came to my place and we ripped out all the old original wiring on my HO/HOn3 railroad,  save for the wire drops.   Over the past week I have purchased new buss wire and the group as well as myself,  have been putting in the new busses.   The standard gauge portion of the railroad is segmented into four power zones and each zone will have it own color coded buss wire set - green/white,  red/white,  black/white,  and blue/white.   The HOn3 has just one zone and the buss for that is green and red.  What is really amazing is the tremendous lack of wire under the railroad now and with the buss color coding,  there is no need for tags etc.

[SteamGene]

Bob,
This is pure DCC.  At first I was going to make it DC/DCC, but after doing some reading and thinking about problems with the club layout, I went pure DCC.  You are right - it does cut down on the wiring. 
I am using tags around the buss wires, but everything is red and black.  I have four power districts and the reverse loop - staging, right penninsula, left penninsula, and Leesboro. Leesboro is still nothing but the buss wires.   I have a drop to every third strip of flex track, in general, and getting no voltage drop according to a DCC  meter a friend used to check voltage.
Converting some locos to DCC is going to take some time.  I may have to sell my PFM C&O K-4! 
Gene

[Jay]

Just reading through the post as you travel down the path is very informative and enjoyable.  Thanks for sharing and good luck.  Any chance of getting to see a couple pics of the layout.  I would be most interested.  Thanks!

[SteamGene]

Jay,
I have to hang my head.  I've been dealing with computers since something like 1985 and have been a photographer since 1967 or so, but I have had no luck uploading photos to any of the many photo sites on the net.  I'm going to get my daughter to unload her pics off my digital and try again.  I'd really like folks to see what the Blue Ridge Sub looks like. 
Gene

[Guilford Guy]

http://naphotos.nerail.org/

[Jay]

Sounds great .. I look forward to seeing them.

[SteamGene]

The first track easbound out of Sugar Grove, WV towards Hannaville, Va is beginning.   With luck, we may have track all the way to Mickie's Run tomorrow. 
Gene

[Jake]

Jay,
I have to hang my head.  I've been dealing with computers since something like 1985 and have been a photographer since 1967 or so, but I have had no luck uploading photos to any of the many photo sites on the net.  I'm going to get my daughter to unload her pics off my digital and try again.  I'd really like folks to see what the Blue Ridge Sub looks like. 
Gene

Gene, I would HIGHLY reccomend using a www.photobucket.com free account. I use one myself and have yet to run into trouble. It is very easy to use. If you want I could post a tutorial with pics to make life that much easier.

[SteamGene]

Faithful old #847 ran light east from Sugar Grove to the bridge over Mickie's Run.  In addition the lead to Valley Meat Packing siding is in.  I need another sheet of homosote! 
Gene

[SteamGene]

VT&P Pacific # 647 took three heavyweight Pullmans from the west end of Hannaville to Sugar Grove, WV this afternoon.  This is 2/3rds of the west penninsula and along the back wall - about 30' of track, with two sweeping curves and an S curve.  The cars did well.
Gene

[Atlantic Central]

Gene,

Just curious, what brand is Pacfic #647? And what brand are the Pullmans?

Glad things are going well and moving forward.

Sheldon