Bob, approximately how many feet of track in your layout??? Regal
Great pics Ken. Thanks for the update. Railroad looks good 
Sounds like a good time was had by all.
Jean and I drove up Wednesday, leaving sort of early (6:30) to avoid most of the DC rush hour. We were almost successful, and didn’t encounter any other delays in route…well, until we hit NYC. It was backed up solid before the GW bridge, so we got off at the Palisades Parkway and took the Tappan Zee bridge across the Hudson. We checked in early and headed over to survey Bob’s layout and went out to dinner with Bob and Martha. Friday, we first had to take on some donuts and coffee at Bob’s before we started working on the main line approaching the coal yard. Jean took on the job as recording photographer; she took most of these shots.
(http://jbrr.com/Pics/Events/BobsRREvent/IMG_7856.JPG)
Sean showed up just a bit later and was soon constructing platforms for all of the yards that Bob wanted. I quickly found out he worked faster when I didn’t help. 
(http://jbrr.com/Pics/Events/BobsRREvent/IMG_7859.JPG)
Once that yard was complete, he went to work building the platform down by the coaling station.
(http://jbrr.com/Pics/Events/BobsRREvent/IMG_7868.JPG)
Sean had all of the right tools - and the right t-shirt…
(http://jbrr.com/Pics/Events/BobsRREvent/IMG_7869.JPG)
We decided that a leaf blower was MUCH better than a rake, so Sean and I got to pose with his blower - track powered!
(http://jbrr.com/Pics/Events/BobsRREvent/IMG_7881.JPG)
Not only is Sean an engineer, but he’s also great at trimming the shrubbery; he made a proper looking tree out of this Alberta Spruce
(http://jbrr.com/Pics/Events/BobsRREvent/IMG_7885.JPG)
Ken and Bob working on the loop
(http://jbrr.com/Pics/Events/BobsRREvent/IMG_7886.JPG)
By late Thursday, Bob was putting the final coats of primer on the ladder/spline trying to cover up all the bright white of TufBoard. I was putting the finishing touches on the passing siding and Ken was coming over to inspect my work, while Jon checked the track from his side.
(http://jbrr.com/Pics/Events/BobsRREvent/IMG_7896.JPG)
I was amazed at how fast everything came together. When I built my layout single-handed it took months. Having more people seemed about 20 times faster than doing it myself. The other good thing is having extra sets of eyes to detect little bumps in the ladder or tilts to the sides.
(http://jbrr.com/Pics/Events/BobsRREvent/IMG_7898.JPG)
Here Bob and Jon work on the upper siding - installing the ladder and setting it to the right grade. Ken and I work on re-doing the grade on the main. It was much too steep, but we quickly got it corrected. Again, just doing that part by myself might have taken me a couple of days.
(http://jbrr.com/Pics/Events/BobsRREvent/IMG_7906.JPG)
Jean took this shot through the window giving a great overhead view of what we were working on in the previous shot.
(http://jbrr.com/Pics/Events/BobsRREvent/IMG_7912.JPG)
Greta (the beagle/basset mix) thought that Jon needed a few ear licks to help him work…
(http://jbrr.com/Pics/Events/BobsRREvent/IMG_7913.JPG)
I cut some brass rod in an attempt to make a “golden” spike. Bob pre-drilled a hole for it.
(http://jbrr.com/Pics/Events/BobsRREvent/IMG_7916.JPG)
One very happy camper!
(http://jbrr.com/Pics/Events/BobsRREvent/IMG_7919.JPG)
We had to leave fairly early on Saturday morning - about 9:30. Just before I left I took these shots. Here’s the left side of the layout. You can see the platform that Sean built just in front of the main yard; I got to prime it. Bob will be putting some code 215 switches and track there to complete it.
(http://jbrr.com/Pics/Events/BobsRREvent/IMG_7925.JPG)
The main line goes down the hill on the right side of the layout. At this point, we were having some tight spots on the loop in the back of the layout. In just about an hour’s time, it was fixed. That meant moving quite a few of the posts and relocating the ladder on about a quarter of the loop. We also raised the track a bit as it crosses over the coal yard.
(http://jbrr.com/Pics/Events/BobsRREvent/IMG_7926.JPG)
We left just about the time that Stan showed up, so we didn’t get any pictures of him; and we missed Ray entirely. I really wanted to stay and work some more, but we also wanted to get back home. My daughter ran her first half-marathon - the Marine Corps Historic Half - in Fredericksburg 7 AM Sunday morning and we had to be down there to cheer her on - making for an early drive. She did well - 1:43:21; 340 in a field of over 5,000. #48 in the female side.
Congrats to your daughter, Bruce. More pics always welcome, nice overview pics
Thanks everyone for their synopsis of the event. We got a LOT further by Friday than I was really expecting, or prepared for. If I had known we’d have a working mainline and sidings by then, I would have had more 215 track ready to go onto the sidings.
Thanks again for the help. Looking forward to having an ops session sometime in September. Pencil me in.
THAT’s AWESOME!!! Sean seems like the kinda guy I could work with! I do find this picture humorous and thinking bronze statue material here!
(http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh58/rgseng/Bobs%20Weekend/bobs03.jpg)
Was the platform top plywood, or dimensional wood?
That looks great!
I’m having a similar party on this Saturday. Film at eleven.
The first platform is covered with 2" thick PT…salvaged. It was “dry” enough to prime.
(http://jbrr.com/Pics/Events/BobsRREvent/IMG_7883.JPG)
Sean told Bob he needed new lumber for the coal yard platform. So Bob took his truck and got some 2x4 and some 5/4" x 6" stuff.
Looks like you all had a great time… Railroad looks good…
Thanks Andy. Once I get the sidings in place, I can start scenery and running some trains.
Looks like the guys did a great job.
Ralph
Bob is it done yet?
Sean
…grinning…
RRs are never done! At least I can run trains around for the neighbors, and I have ONE siding in place
Looks great! Glad all went well.
Great railroad! Thanks for sharing your weekend with us. What do you use to prime your PT platforms? Isn’t the raw PT good enough?
I decided to prime that one because it was salvaged wood. The new PT I kept the way it was. I bought a gallon of already-mixed paint off of Home Despot’s “we screwed up” shelf. I think it was $1 or $2.
I like that shelf.
I paintedsome new bridge abutments with some of that a couple weeks ago.
Doug Arnold said:Yea, I look at that shelf every time I go to HD. Never know what you'll find. Same with Lowes, ours has a table of returned/etc items.
I like that shelf. I painted some new bridge abutments with some of that a couple weeks ago.