Yesterday was a milestone day!

After more than nine years of planning, mapping out the route, cutting trees, grading, and countless other steps, the Mountain Division is finally close to completion. On August 12, 2025, I laid the last section of track.

Today, after returning from an appointment with my mother, I laid down about 50 feet of ballast. Next week, I’ll dive into a feverish push to get the whole line ballasted and leveled in time for having a the ribbon cutting ceremony.

Never lose sight of your vision. As the saying goes, “If you build it, they will come.” I’m looking forward to running trains on this brand-new section alongside the current track.

A special word of thanks to my friends at Accu-Tie Rail System. Not only has their system been exceptionally easy to use and streamlined the entire process, and their customer service is top-notch.

Here are a few photos from this week’s work. Once the ballasting and leveling are complete, it will be time for a long-awaited inaugural run — the first of many journeys across the Mountain Division!