Wait, what? I know nothing of this track. I still have my Shay and it needs exercise! Oh, but it’s not 16mm. That will be cool.
My Brother and SIL will be here for the reunion. We’ll look for the track!
As long as it is narrow gauge, Rob will let you run it. 45mm or 32mm gauge.
ANNUAL GATHERING OF NORTH AMERICAN 16MM MODELLERS
(Click on 2025 and you can selecte venue, etc.)
Rob Kuhlman is in charge: [email protected] so email him for details.
The tracks are Mike’s Aikenback Live Steamers group and many of us will be there. Tracks are set up as shown below.
Shot from my back yard this afternoon. I am still pinching myself to prove this isn’t a dream!
The video begins as #16 is out of frame, moving over to track three to approach the wye. The locomotive waits for the switch to be thrown back to the main before proceeding. I witness this move at least three times per operation day and see the train leaving for those three runs as well. You could set your watch by departure times!
@PeterT I’m not sure I will have time to run, but we will stop by.
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Beautiful Jon, I hope you have many years of enjoyment there.
I would be too! It must be amazing.
Oh, I see you got that branch and brush taken care of, good job. 
PS: With that view, plus a listing of train schedules, you could probably get some decent side income by Air-B-n-B-ing your RV!
Nope. It’s all still there. I’ve investigated. It’s all tough to get to. I don’t think my pole saw will reach the branch.
Speaking of serious hand-laid track, I ran across this fun video this evening.
Now that the weather suits my clothes I’m back at it. Working North from Saltillo. This is the siding…
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At the end of the day. Roughly 300 feet of track down. Most of it gauged and about half of it fully spiked.
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Jon, correct me if my memory is bad, but I think the track plan was a passing siding at the station, and a wye a little further south. The Narco spur wasn’t that much further, I think.
This confused me yesterday when I saw it. Had to look it up again and remembered the bend northbound then back south.
Pete - I wouldn’t be able to answer if it hadn’t been for the discussion amongst the track crew. You remember correctly.
There were 3 tracks at the station. All three cross the road. They are a freight siding which is what we are building now, the main, and the Narco siding. The Narco spur is nearby, I think a little North. No current plans to add the Narco siding back in. Both sidings were run-arounds with switches at both ends. There is a Wye a little further south beyond the tank and the bridge. The tail isn’t long enough to turn current passenger trains, but would accommodate a steam engine and a caboose. That would make for some exciting switching action!
They are discussing moving the freight siding switch to the station side of the road so a run-around move would not impact the street traffic.
I’m talking Railroad North. Working both ends toward the middle. There is well over 5 miles yet to build between the High School and Saltillo. Part of it is cleared and graded but a big section is still uncleared. Waiting on a grant for that.
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Building a “kit” switch
Yesterday, FEBT Volunteers and the EBTF track employees gathered in Saltillo to reinstall the North station siding switch. This is a re-build of a switch that was removed (along with all track) to prepare the roadbed for re-built track. When the switch was removed, all parts were labeled, thus creating the “kit”.
The procedure was quite a bit different than how we do it in scale. First, before the volunteers arrived, the track crew laid out the headblocks and several switch ties around them. When the volunteers arrived work began by laying out more switch ties then locating and assembling the points…
Next up, the outside stock rail of the main was laid out. Joints in the area of the point required cutting the foot from two joint bars…
Next, the siding stock rail was laid out. The end of the points had been marked on the stock rails to make everything that followed line up…
By lunch time more ties had been laid out and the frog joined the the point rails…
The diverging route was beginning to take shape. By quitting time the switch was looking like a switch…
The group will gather again tomorrow to finish this work then continue the siding rails toward the new track at the station. Next week is a work week with lots of track work days. I expect to see both the main and the station siding in place before the end of next week.
If you would like to join this fun, you are welcome to attend the Work Week that begins this Saturday in Rockhill. If you can’t volunteer labor, financial assistance is always welcome. You can donate at FEBT.Org
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John
Did you make some gauge guides to help keep it in gauge 
Like I said initially you made a “Good Investment” in many aspects. I “might” be just across the ridge from ya’ in about 5 or 10yrs if you can hold out that long. 
We use a 3 point gauge that is original to the railroad. Gauge is checked at every other tie as the second rail is spiked down.
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Tons of progress on track in Saltillo. The station siding is complete and a good 300 foot or more of the main is done and another 100 feet laid out. Progress pictures…
This section that has yet to be gauged looks like a transition from 3 foot to 2 foot gauge…
Track work continues tomorrow and Friday.
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Thanks for the pics Jon. Fantastic progress.
I’m amazed at the availability of right of way for relaying the track. Was the ROW part of the deal when the state took EBT over? Or was it already state-owned, and repurposed for the reconstruction? Or is it having to be bought back from various landowners? Or a mix?