To List:

Thanks to all for your helpful suggestions.  Ultimately,
the answer to getting this 2GB disk to work was:

o newfs the NetBSD part
o roll back to NetBSD 1.5 (latest with pre-built SBC)
o build the devices
o cpin "netbsd.GENERICSBC" "netbsd"
o install as much of base as possible
o boot NetBSD, install everything except kern

Now, it no longer complains about "fictitious geometry"
when it boots, or panics when it tries to write beyond
the magic 512 MB barrier.

Life is good!
--
Thanks and Regards,
Paul MacAvaney
paulmac2@aol.com