I have another more personal-centric blog and over the last year or so I’ve posted a couple entries related to my GB construction progress. They won’t be linked directly here, but you can browse the Railroad category on the blog and see the entries there.
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RMRRS came, saw(ed) and conquered (worked)
A group of guys from my train club (Rockville Model Railroad Society) met at my house last night and helped work on the layout. Accomplishments:
- Broke down some old benchwork from a members’ old layout (sorry Andy, but it will find a new home elsewhere on the layout – everything, including screws, was salvaged)
- Built a box frame for the benchwork at one end of the room
- Sanded the section of spline roadbed that is complete
- Planned the addition of a small section of spline roadbed to join the existing stretch which is the location of the Government Mapping Agency siding (paper, etc.) and placed an order for some CVMW flexible turnout kits to use here. (There is a slight curve and a conventional straight or curved turnout will not work properly.)
Next up will be installing the siding, installing the box and building out the benchwork, starting the upper deck and working on the helix. Photos from the evening will be posted soon in the Gallery.
Welcome!
Greetings and salutations. Thanks for visiting the new Georgetown Branch blog. I’ve set this up as part of a massive redesign of my GB online efforts so that I might translate my progress to the online community more effectively. Programming in HTML can be tedious and when I’ve got little tidbits of news and info to share, I often will divert my attention elsewhere instead of posting updates to the site. So, I’m implementing this new blog, an updated Gallery and a revamped website. All of which will go live very soon. So stay tuned and keep sending me your stories and photos!
ps. Don’t be creeped out if you see old entries here on this new blog! I’m migrating all my old journal entries to the blog so they will be viewable and searchable.
Layout progress & a couple photos
Well, it’s been a long, long time (once again) since my last update here. If you’re regularly checking the Gallery page then you know that I’ve been posting some progress photos of the layout construction. I’m about half way done with the helix but it’s slow going. Mainly due to the addition to my family- a new baby girl! Born on 7/5/06.
In the meantime, I’ve done a couple other things GB related. I was lucky enough to gain access to a wonderful collection of old GB photos and documents which has helped greatly in my research. I also took a tour of the Georgetown Waterfront to document all the changes that are occuring there. And, I’ve posted a couple photos from a site visitor in the Gallery.
Helix work
Had a chance this past weekend to work on the helix for a few hours and made great progress. Drilled holes in the risers for the threaded rod. Installed one half section and got it calibrated. Looks great and was a lot smoother intstall than I thought.
Pics are up in the Main Gallery.
New layout plan & benchwork pics posted
Check the Layout & Gallery sections. *NOTE: I will probably be posting more and more photos to my main Gallery page due to its ease of use.
Some benchwork & Helix progress
Got some work done on the benchwork and the Helix – pics are up in the Gallery.
The E.L. “Tommy” Thompson Collection
At a recent B&ORRHS Archives Sorting Session, I scanned some pics from Tommy’s albums. These photos depict the Georgetown Branch from 1948 – 1951. Primarily they are of Georgetown Junction, on the Metropolitan Branch, where the Geo. Branch began. There is also a series from the 6/6/1948 MSME Excursion trip down the GB pulled by Q1c 4320. Pics are in the Gallery.
Some Layout features
Posted to the Layout section are two new items. First is a documentation of how I built a Helix using Cadrail 7.11. This was a learning experience and turned out better than expected. Second is a list of my DCC System purchase considerations.
The Wm. Duvall Collection
I recently was lucky enough to scan the negatives of Wm. Duvall, a Chevy Chase local. He allowed me to post them to my site. They are absolutely fantastic photos and give one a really fantastic glimpse back to when trains once ran on the Georgetown Branch. His photos cover from the late 1950s through the 1970s, with a few 1940s (and earlier!) shots thrown in. They are in the Gallery.
I also completed installation of the fluorescent lights in the layout room. I have also been doing tests and planning on the helix which will go under the stairs to connect the two levels. I have tentatively decided on the heights for the two layout shelf levels as 36″ and 57″. I am 5’6″ tall. I continue to refine the track plan and hope to have an updated copy up soon. Pics are in the Gallery.