Visible progress on the Shenandoah Division has been slow since the 10/30/2003 Progress Report, but work does continue to be accomplished. Most of the current projects underway are related to wiring various portions of the trackage that has been completed so far. This work will continue throughout the fall and winter as we work to get the layout to operating status. The work associated with wiring the layout does not really translate well to pictures.

As the wiring of the railroad progresses, I have been cutting gaps in the rails for detection purposes at appropriate locations. I've been dropping feeders along the route, and I installed the second BDL162 block detection card.

Cherie and I took advantage of some of the nice warm fall weather to prime and paint sections of Masonite for backdrop and fascia. At this point, most of the needed backdrop sections have been completed and await installation later in the winter and spring. Since we had nice weather earlier in November, I also cut the final piece of plywood subroadbed for the south end of the Connellsville/Winchester staging yards in preparation for installation later this year.

Once I had installed the second BDL162, Marcus and Larry came up for a work session. Marcus made more than 100 pairs of feeders for future installation around the railroad, and he also wrapped electrical tape around the Rail A wire from MC Cabin to Broad Run and Laurel to Shenandoah Junction to insulate all of the feeder connections. While he was doing these tasks, Larry and I soldered feeders to the Rail B wire from SE Laurel to the Hays Creek block. Once we had done that, we also installed wires to activate 7 detection sections from the south end of Laurel, Va. to the north end of the Hays Creek block (near the south portal of the Mud Run Tunnel). In doing this wiring, we have now placed the mainline and passing siding at Laurel into service, along with the mainline from the north end of Laurel through Shenandoah Junction to just south of Mud Run Tunnel (near High Meadow, Va.).

Following up on the wiring progress, Jan and Chuck came over for a work session. We installed the risers and plywood subroadbed connecting Carpenter and Covington during that session. Since the session, I have laid Subvinylbed and Vinylbed from the north end of Carpenter well into the town of Covington in preparation for future track installation. The next progress report will likely show the progress of the track gang.

Unfortunately, a lot of the progress made since the last report doesn't translate well to photos, but I have included some pictures below of the significant work that has been done.

New risers and plywood subroadbed have been installed north from Carpenter, Va. towards Covington.

View of new risers and subroadbed on upper level connecting Carpenter and Covington.

Subroadbed looking southward at the south end of Covington. The CSXT mainline curves to the left. The Potts Valley railway will curve to the right and go behind the future backdrop.

Overall view of the newly installed subroadbed at between Carpenter on the left of the upper level and Covington on the right of the upper level. Since these pictures were taken Subvinylbed and Vinylbed have been installed on the mainline for all of the visible upper level subroadbed in this picture, as well as on the Covington passing siding.

The new BDL162 installed under Catawba. This BDL162 provides detection from the south end of Laurel, Va. to High Meadow, Va. for CSX, as well as future detection for the NS Shenandoah Junction connection and NS Charleston staging yard.

The panel for this BDL162 is hinged and will fold up out of the way when the wiring to it is completed. The LocoNet cable is temporarily installed for testing purposes.