Due to the blizzard that hit the Northeast over the past weekend, as well as having Monday off, I managed to get a lot accomplished on my workbench. My parts arrived, and this is what $70 gets you... some sprockets (they would be "gears" if they engaged one another, but they are "sprockets" because they are connected via chain) and a double-length of chain. Though expensive, they are really well machined. I have done a lot of metal working but wouldn't want to make my own gears. And, unlike some companies' gears (cough... Bachmann... cough), these things won't split on the shaft. I bought twice as much chain as is required because I was concerned I might be a little short (and the chain was only $6 total, the cheapest part of the mechanism!)
One of the sprockets is installed on one of the axles, which is how power is transmitted from the engine to the wheels. This sprocket was the part that was out of stock. I had to press one of the wheels off of the axle, and by "press" in this case I hit it with a small hammer until it was free. The diameter of the hole that runs through the sprocket was a little too small to fit on the Sierra Valley Enterprises wheel axles, so it had to be drilled through with a 7/32" bit on my drill press. Then, I slide the sprocket onto the axle and looked through the holes cut in the frame so that it lined up with them. There is a grub screw on the sprocket to hold it to the axle, but I also used some Loctite on the sprocket itself for good measure.
The last axle and axlebox were mounted to the frame and I flipped the page to the next step. It was then that I realized I was short a couple of necessary pieces of K&S tubing. I found I could either order them online and pay twice as much for the shipping, or pick them up cheap from the local hobby store. Unfortunately for me, I misread the parts list and forgot to get the last two items I needed. And, with the blizzard going on outside I wasn't going to be able to get what I needed. So, again the project comes to a halt. 
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