This is the area of Plainwell on the GRT. The upper line is the C&O/NYC heading for Lansing/Jackson, and the lower lins is the PRR heading to Kalamazoo. Actually, they're just going into the garage staging area, which is what this post is about.
I've been working on installing a new staging yard in the garage for the GRT. This has been going on since summer, and it is a slow process. One of the things that slows me down is that I feel the need to do a complete job at each step. Thus, the backdrop is installed, and now the wiring is going into place. With the GRT, I don't just run a couple wires anymore and call it good. That's what I used to do. No, first there is the power bus (12 gauge wire, red and black), there are terminal strips every 6 feet for the wiring to the track, there is the Easy DCC throttle bus, (I have been using RG59, but have decided to change to RG6), there is wiring for the telephone. And because all this has to go through the wall between the basement and the garage, through about 6 inches of wall and insulation. I've gotten good at running wire through the little holes, but I only want to have to do this once, seeing as the staging yard covers the area where the wires go through.
So, while I thought I would be laying track Thanksgiving weekend, I wound up running wires. Here are a couple pictures of the process. I will try to make more progress this weekend, as I finally have a tool and the F connectors to connect the RG6 to the existing throttle bus, which no longer is functional due to the modifications in process.
If anyone is wondering why no ops sessions yet this season, this is why, and it will be a while...
