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

[SteamGene]

Having been scenery chair a couple of times, I know to paint rails before ballasting.   
Gene

[SteamGene]

The yard ladders for the staging yard (Gordonsville, Va to the east and Sugar Grove, WV to the west) are down, but not secure.  Number 1 yard track is almost connected. 
BTW, Sheldon, I had a suggestion to include locomotive storage by adding another ladder at Sugar Grove.  Makes sense and seems to work.  Might look again at Gordonsville and see if that would work, too.  Keep locomotives on the layout, not in boxes.  Of course I will probably have to have some on-off switches to protect my DC locos prior to their conversion.
Gene

[Atlantic Central]

Gene,

Great idea! If you use the ground throw made from a slide switch, the switch can be used to isolate the siding.

Sheldon

[SteamGene]

Gordonsville will work, too.  My wife wanted to know why they just wouldn't fit in the round house.  I pointed out that it will have only six useable stalls at best - and that might include a C&O SW-9!  BTW, my wife paid for the garage the layout is in.  Hard to find fault with her after that. 
Gene

[SteamGene]

Six tracks down and tested in Gordonsville/Sugar Grove staging with our handy VT&P WWII scheme caboose tester.  Each end has a switch for a locomotive ladder - to be done later.  but I'm thinking that it might add interest, especially if the yard is visible to have the engineer move the assigned loco to couple to the assigned train before leaving staging.   But I should have enough space now to have all my lcocs on the tracks.  Of course, that means the loco tracks will have to be isolated to protect the DC ones as they slowly -- very slowly - convert to DCC.  Fortunately, I have no desire to add sound to any of my (drumroll please) six, yes, six, diesels.
Gene

[lanny]

But surely Gene, your desiels are 'coal fired', right?

:-)

lanny nicolet

[SteamGene]

No, but their facilities are primitive. At best.
Gene

[SteamGene]

The Chief Detective, VT&P RR Police had to report to the CEO that progress west of Bradyton has been stalled by trespassers storing supplies for the dining redecorating project along the right-of-way.   OTOH, storage facilities under Bradyton and Noah Junction are being freed up by dining room flooring boxes being removed.
Gene

[SteamGene]

This evening, 6:55 PM, EDT (1855 hours), VT&P #847, a class M-2 USRA light Mikado ran back and forth in the Gordonsville, VA/Sugar Grove WVA staging yard.  Power was by temporary hookup and DC, but it ran. 
Now for more testing.
Gene

[Atlantic Central]

Gene,

That's great news!

Here at the Atlantic Central crews have begun removing unusable sections of track and roadbed to make room for the redesigned freight yard, passenger terminal and locomotive shops. Dispite the holiday, crews worked most of the weekend but did take off early on Sunday for Easter dinner with their grandchildren.

Construction of the new redesigned modular facilities is expected to begin within the week.

Sheldon

[lanny]

Gene,

Just out of curiosity ... about what percentage of your trackwork is now down?

Everytime I think of the layout you are building, my mouth waters ... and I get just a 'teensy' bit jealous 

lanny

[SteamGene]

Per centage of track work done?  Actually, maybe 20% as planned, 15% as built.  The staging yard is long!  But except for a little bit of siding in Nicksburg, that's all that is laid so far.  The visible South River Yard doesn't even have the benchwork done yet, and it's much smaller than staging.  The mainline is all single track with sidings. 
In the next day or two I should get the yard leads done so I can start running trains back and forth through staging.  I might well get DCC installed, too.
Gene

[SteamGene]

Lanny,
I seem to have misplaced your addy.  Send it to me if you want more pictures.   We've got subroadbed on top of some risers and, of course, pictures of world famous #847! 
Gene

[lanny]

Thanks Gene.

It's one the way!

lanny

[SteamGene]

Remember Bugs Bunny "I think I should have turned left at Albequerke?"  Do to a measuring error I was adding risers to the reverse loop route and raising the track instead of lowering it onto the benchwork.  The amazing thing is how fast the Dremel planer corrected the error!  Of course they were the most difficult risers to get to.  The reverse loop track needs to be put in before the mainline track, for sure.
Gene