Much progress continues to be made on the Shenandoah Division. More benchwork, roadbed and track have been installed. There have been two group work sessions so far in September.

During the period since the last progress report, I have managed to get a lot of stuff done a little bit at the time, so I'll just summarize what I did during this period.

I taped together all of the 3rdPlanIt templates for North Salem, and I glued down templates on all the existing plywood subroadbed at North Salem.

I managed to lay 17.5 pieces of Vinylbed roadbed. Roadbed now exists on the No. 1 and No. 2 tracks at North Salem about 2/3 of the way between SX Cabin and SN Cabin. I also laid 9 pieces of flex track with the No. 1 track at North Salem having been laid through Roanoke Junction almost to SX Cabin. I also laid 1 code 55 #7 turnout.

I also installed the plywood subroadbed and riser for the NS at Roanoke Junction, and I moved all of the scrap layout pieces from the old layout into the garage to allow us to have room to continue installing benchwork.

In addition to track work, I cut a lot of wood during this period in preparation for the group work sessions where I had additional hands to help me assemble benchwork.

Jan and Scott came over for an evening work session. We installed 11 brackets on the long wall in the back room (Hanging Rock-Catawaba on the lower level and Ridgemont on the upper level). We also worked on starting the assembly of the MC Cabin/Pearson Curve short peninsula that separates the two rooms.

I spent a weekend afternoon determining how to install Tortoise switch machines with Atlas code 55 turnouts. I also created a manual spring to hold the turnout points in place to see if that would work, and it indeed does.

I created a cut list for the masonite backdrop and fascia pieces.

Marcus, Larry, Tommy, and I had a Saturday work session, and were joined later by Rich, Todd, and Jan. We assembled the 5 sections of grid benchwork along the Hanging Rock/Ridgemont wall. We also assembled 4 brackets, and we doubled up the feet on the supports for the Catawba peninsula. We then installed the 5 grid sections, and the 4 brackets we had made earlier (3 at Catawba/High Meadow and 1 at Hanging Rock) as well as 2 fascia support boards at Hanging Rock/Ridgemont on the short peninsula.

This picture is looking at the MC Cabin area on the lower level and south end of Ridgemont on the upper level. The start of the short peninsula separating the rooms is visible in the left hand side of the cased opening.

Benchwork brackets installed at the Hanging Rock (lower level) and Ridgemont (upper level) area.

Overall view of the Catawba Creek Viaduct area on the lower level. The benchwork drops here to allow the 560' long Catawba Creek Viaduct to cross its namesake creek and the NS CR&E Division.

Overall view of the Catawba Creek Viaduct area on the lower level, with the Ridgemont area on the upper level.

Another view of the same area as above.

Here's a view of the under construction short peninsula at MC Cabin/Pearson Curve.

Another view of the short peninsula, which still needs to be finished.

This view shows North Salem. Roadbed (gray strips on benchwork) has been laid to the end of the subroadbed, almost to SN Cabin.

Current end of track just south of the crossovers at SX Cabin in North Salem.

Overall view of the Roanoke Junction area. Roanoke Junction is straight ahead with the NS CR&E Division diverging from the CSXT and crossing under the window to enter staging at the right. Salem's Market Street Union Station will sit in the triangle between the CR&E and the CSXT ex-Shenandoah Valley Line trackage in the foreground.

Preview of things to come: light power move consisting of a CSXT B40-8, CSXT (ex-NYSW) B40-8 and SP SD50 heads south on No. 2 track at SY Cabin in Salem. The track in the foreground is the Salem yard lead, while the No. 1 track is behind the lead unit.

The first Circuitron Tortoise switch machine has been installed on an Atlas code 55 #7 turnout using a method described by Lionel Strang in the July 1997 issue of Model Railroader.

The Shenandoah Division construction crew does very precise work and uses a multitude of tools to ensure that everything fits according to the design specifications. ;-)

Larry and Marcus demonstrate that even with all of the precision tools available for building a layout, you still have to know how to use them properly. ;-)

The construction crew discusses the results of measurements from Tommy's super construction computer. ;-)

Overall view showing the extent of the benchwork in the Catawba (lower level) and High Meadow (upper level) area.

Close-up of the same area as above.

The grid benchwork sections spanning the window and supporting the eventual Catawba Creek Viaduct are in place.

Another overall view of the Catawba Creek Viaduct area.

Overall benchwork view.

Close-up of the grid supporting the Catawba Creek Viaduct.