LATEST NEWS

TRACK  PLAN UPDATES

Track plan has been updated but most of the work has been on selected detailed sections of towns and industries.  In some cases specific "building locations" and track purpose have been identified.  The previous track plans [the three "overview" plans below] were 1/2 " [two blocks] = 12".  The detailed sections are 1" [four blocks] = 12".

Additionally, a short [around two walls] track was added at the upper level to go to sawmill with the power to be geared locomotives.  

Another addition has been added to provide for continuous operation at the lowest level with the addition of a removable track bridging the doorway.  This connection would not be in place for operating sessions but is designed to provide ease of re-staging, brake-in running and, if appropriate, demonstration running.

FIRST, AN OVERVIEW OF THE LAYOUT

Going from top to bottom, trains going down travel in the clockwise direction [except for the track going behind Ozone - number "2"].

AND HERE ARE THE MORE DETAILED TOWNS AND INDUSTRIES [again, a train going down would be going clockwise - except the track leading off behind OZONE which goes up about 6%].

The lowest level and all industries and towns are level.  The grade between Hagerstown and Ozone and then from the other end of Ozone and Saltville is 1.4%.  The grade between Satlville and Elza Gate is 2.8% [note: beyond Gate City yard is a turntable at the bottom of this grade and at the top of this portion of the grade there is a "Y" at Salville].  Bimstone and LaFollette are neither industries nor towns but are interchange points for holding staged trains and are on the 1.4% grade.  There will have to be at least one "car/train holder" on the main line, certainly for switching Devonia.  Elza Gate is at 46", Saltville at 58", Ozone at 63 1/2" and Rockwood at 65 1/2".  Grade transitions to be about 1 1/2' to 2' long.

For the detailed drawings, a commercial template was used for curves and switches.  The switch template used was #6 and parallel track spacing was chosen to be 2 1/2" minimum spacing to assure enough space had been allotted and what was drawn could be built AND operated successfully.  In a couple of cases, pieces of tracks were laid out and measured and found to have up to 20% more space than the drawing was showing.  Certainly, details of specific towns and industries may change but the detailed drawing shows a workable layout suitable for operation.  By necessity, the down side for this much track and maintaining a 3 1/2' aisle is that buildings will have to be essentially two dimensional.  Light lines represent the edge of benchwork for the given level and, in some cases, for levels below.

The plan is that major switching areas have little or nothing above or below them.  The three track sawmill is above the two track coal mine [Devonia] which above the two track ore mine in the area of Elza Gate but not much time would be spent at any of these locations.  No switching is under Ozone, no switching is above Morley nor Piney River and very little switching is under Saltville.  Piney River is a bit off set from Saltville which should [like that word!] separate those two operators.  Brimstone and LaFollette are only holding tracks for interchange, no switching is done there in the closet leaving the yard operation and engine servicing to the two operators in the closet.

Holiday Work

REPORT to the Interested

by V&T Management

Interested parties may think it was all fun and games for management during the Holidays but far from that.  It was only four days up in WVa for dancing and part of that time was spent with the beginning of detailing track arrangements in towns and industries.  This work is building an list of anticipated track and turnout needs AND the realization that no conscious arrangement have been made for the few passenger trains.  That said, the need for handling of passengers will be added in the detail review, maybe a step box near the track, but actually not much needs to be added as most industries are company towns and there is little need for the other plastic people to travel much beyond the daily routine of home to work to home.  

As for trackwork, gaps between the main plywood surface was filled with blocks and countersink holes sanded smooth.  

The effort to reduce clutter continued.  A number of gigantic and un-needed equipment [3 G scale and a Lionel set] left the area for more useful purposes.  Boxes of photographs were reviewed with many finding new homes, some on the walls of the management homes and others in the land of far beyond.

KINGSPORT   COURIER                                                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                       Friday  December 18, 1953

PRINTING  ALL THE NEWS  THAT'S  FIT  TO  PRINT and some that's not worth it.

Gate City Residents "SEE  THE  LIGHT"

Amid all the moving of the earth in Gate City for the Virginia & Tennessee Rwy's new yard and new main track, there appeared light of a different nature.  It is reported that the V&T Rwy has brought in some special lights by which to do their work, and it rumored that these lights will stay after the new yard is completed.  What is confusing is they are called LED track lights.  Obviously somebody doesn't know how to spell or has been having an extra "nip of the 'shine"  as there is not yet any track in the yard nor where the main line is going to be located.  Also, no one has heard of this company LED but the glow of the lights can be seen all the way over to the north side of Kingsport if the clouds are at the right altitude.  

In the "enlightening" photo below, the reader can see the status of the earthwork for the yard, mainline and branch.  Yes, the turntable pit on the right had to have a few extra feet of fill added.  Management had been hopeful of having a substrate added before Christmas but attention to choice of new [read "new" to the V&T Rwy but some of it looks pretty old to this reporter] equipment as well as MAJOR earthwork beyond Gate City may push track laying into the first of the new year.

V&T Rwy wishes all

Best of the Holidays

and a Happy*

New Year

* Happy = NOTS = Nip Of The 'Shine

Closet work

Not keeping this post "in the closet".  Today again Doug came over and while there still needs four fillers between sections of plywood we have finished the installation of bracket and risers and the "laying of the plywood" in the closet.  Photos to follow, hopefully soon.

Mo[o]re Work Done

Since the last post got some prep-for-work things done and today Doug and I got a pretty good 6 HRS of work accomplished.

CONTINUING WORK

After a couple of months, all the effects of the swelling/infection are finally gone from this old body.

With the cardboard template in place, the ability to see car numbers on the yard was checked out with temporary track on the cardboard template:

The photos of the GP entering and exiting the tunnel are inspiration on how to handle the main though the wall [hole in the corner].

With the help of Doug, got some 19/32's 5 ply plywood that looked flat.  Cut the upper and lower level in the closet and set it in place:

The 1/2 inch four ply plywood I purchased in the mid 70's for my previous layout was just fine.  But this stuff, the problem is it warped:

First looked at clamping it down to force it straight:

But then decided to look for better plywood.  At the same lumber yard, hand picked 3/4 inch 10 ply Birch plywood and, again with Doug's help, got that home and cut:

Some of the brackets are too long so cut them to size:

 Here is what a 1 X 2 "riser" will look like.  It is screwed and glued to the metal bracket:

On the lower level, about every fourth bracket, the riser will be a 1 X 4 instead of the 1 X 2 to better attach a fascia.  The upper level will have a very thin fascia.  Once the risers are in place, the 1 X 4's and 1 X 2's will be laid on their large dimension parallel to the wall on top of the risers and then the plywood placed on top.

Will use the laser level to mark location on grades:

The goal is to do some work at least five days a week, whether it be cutting more wood, cleaning out the train room, buying proper size wood screws, refining the track plan, etc.

NOW TO GET ONTO DOING SOME MORE PRODUCTIVE WORK ON THE V&T Rwy.

Reasons for little progress since last post

No significant progress recently for three pretty big reasons, but here is the update [NEWS FLASH today's last minute addition look at the bottom - some good progress]:

1.  BAD  overall body swelling - tick bite??  What began as a mild flu progressed over a two week period and varying day to day and time of day [night worse] muscles, tendons, ligaments, and joints HURT and energy level dropped.  The night before going to the second doctor's visit the 30 pushups had gone to ZERO, could only partially close my hands and they were weak, could gently take stairs using only one foot and one step at a time.  Anti-swelling pills and an antibiotic brought down the swelling and it has never been so good to see my tendons and blood vessels in my hand under the wrinkled skin!  Energy returning and much better now.

2.  GOOD  In-laws from Switzerland visited!!

3.  GOOD  Over a two week period documented the move of two ex-CP 4-6-2's from storage in Verona to Staunton, VA, their being loaded on heavy duty flat cars, and transfer from the Shenandoah Valley Railroad to the Buckingham Branch Railroad and delivery to Norfolk Southern in Waynesboro for their return to Canada.

Friday afternoon Shenandoah Valley RR freight with the two GPs bracketing the 4-6-2's.

Shoving the 4-6-2's into the yard.




 

Setting up the four jacks and cross beams for the lift.

Ready for the lift.

Almost there

The flat fits under so all that needs to be done is lower and block.















Enough blocks are welded into place to move the engine and the remaining blocks welded.  

The loaded engine is set over, the second engine spotted and the tender removed.

 

The second engine is loaded, the third flat has been prepared with "strap" rails for the two tenders and the loading of the two tenders proceed.

All the blocks have been welded in place and steel rope cables applied.  Buckingham Branch picks up the three loaded flats and heads off to Waynesboro and the Norfolk Southern interchange.

Doug came over today as the post was in progress.  Before he got away construction methods were discussed [including 1/2 inch plywood versus 2 inch foam - plywood wins to keep the upper levels thin] and track arrangements in Saltville, Ozone, Devonia and Piney River were discussed.  Then down to the basement closet to lay out the cardboard yard "template" to check track design and use of the on-hand curved turnouts.

The cardboard "template" shows the available aisle before cutting plywood.  Only two people are to be in this room working the yard [left] and engine service [right].  The dispatcher in the storage/staging area brings trains in and out on the main line which runs against the far and left  wall.  The shelf on the right with the level is the upper level, just past Saltville and 12 inches above above the "engine service area" [boxes and blocks of wood] level.  The shelf on the left is 14 1/2 inches higher than the yard and is the other end of the upper level in the closet and exits to Devonia and Ozone.  Operators running the upper level between Saltville and Devonia stand at the door watching their train do the gradual elevation change - a LOT better than watching a train in a helix by some magical method.

On-hand curved turnouts are being checked for fit to the design before cutting plywood.

Track spacing is checked using the "template".  Closest to the wall is the main, next is the passing siding and then the A/D track.  There is a gap between these three tracks and the six track yard.