Work begins (more updates-WIRING!)

[waaytoomuchintothis]

[waaytoomuchintothis]

Unfortunately, I had the same feeling. This is a big one. I discovered today that I can't work as hard as I used to, and I got about half as much done as planned for the day. Getting old. But I'm enjoying it so far. We'll see. I'm planning a swamp with 500 year old cypress and Spanish moss as a tribute to where I grew up. I can even make a model pirogue like the one I poled to school until the county built the bridge. That's real, by the way, all you city dwelling sparkling urbanites!

[HomeRacingWorld]

Hey, it is a nice thing to restore a track that you have history with.

You will enjoy it and be happier when progress starts :)

Get a good burger or something, that always helps the energy.

[litng1]

Cool

litng1 from Bardstown ky.

[MoparGreg]

[waaytoomuchintothis]

That was Larry, and yes that is his track (mine now) when it was almost new. Since I've had it, I rewired some of it, installed circuit breakers (he had fuses), re-routed part of it, run it in the opposite direction, added to the scenery, and retaped it as well as painting it with a mix of steel dust and black paint that was then lightly sanded to keep it from being abrasive to paint jobs on rolling cars. That's why it looks so much like asphalt paving. I'm not wrecking it, I'm just covering it up. I'm specifically arranging the bracing and forms so there is no appreciable damage. I'm even keeping the driver's stations, although they are unscrewed from the track and stored underneath, still wired up, though. The great thing is that the huge sweeper turn in my old track is on the new track, too. Larry is still around. He doesn't come to see us much anymore on the new site, but he's still running the best track I ever saw in his basement right where this one came from. That's Hellenbach Raceway, or something very close to that.

[waaytoomuchintothis]

No updates, I'm afraid. I discovered that in order to reach all parts of the track there are a lot of things around the track that have to have a new home. So, I have spent the last two days without touching the track at all, building a huge cabinet to store paints and varnishes and 5 gallon cans of lacquer, etc, and new shelving for spray cans, stains, color agents, and tons of other stuff. When that's all finished and loaded up, I can finally get to framing the platform for the track. I did figure out a great dust cover... if I ever get there!

[SpeedyNH]

getting organized is a good thing. sometimes i'm forced into it myself.

[BEEK511]

I hate to see that track go i love the layout . that being said i cant wait to see what you do with it .

[waaytoomuchintothis]

Well, it isn't gone really. Someday, when someone needs a track, the old 3 Lane Blacktop will still be there, and with a few friends, it should be fairly easy to lift this track off and walk it over to supports in order to get the old track out. Then a simple trestle table with L-girders will replace the old track to hold up the new track. What makes it work is that the new track is 8x16, and the base for it is flat, even though there is an elevated section at one end.

[waaytoomuchintothis]

[MoparGreg]

Looking good Rob, Im watching this one. Im sure you have probably thought this through & have it sorted but make sure you have enough support on the underside of the old track to support the weight of the new one.

[waaytoomuchintothis]

No problem. This was Larry's first track, and like me, he tends to overbuild just to be safe.

My kids always give me grief because I learned woodworking and carpentry by being a helper building shrimp boats. No matter what I build, the boys tell me I've built another boat. The significance is, when you build a boat and fail, you can't pull over to the side of the road to fix it. You sink.

[Mr56p]

I do still get to make it here, every now and again... :D Life just gets in the way of the fun these days!
Awesome to see my ole Blue Ridge Raceway track again... and looking forward to seeing what the re-build looks like.
Since it's Rob doing it, I'm sure it will be well done!

[waaytoomuchintothis]

Great to hear from you again, Larry!

I see the Hellanbach Speedway on your signature no longer is a link to the great shots of your wonderful current track. Is there are website for it other than what was on the old HRW?