To all those who replied, thanks.  I seem to have it figured out now.

Patrick Welche:
>>   /usr/mdec/installboot -f /usr/mdec/biosboot.sym /dev/wd0a
>How about /dev/rwd0a ?

I'm pretty sure I tried that it did the same thing.

Matthias Drochner:
>(I'm assuming that you used "fdisk /dev/rxd0d".)

I believe I tried all combinations.

>The other way is to edit the MBR partition table by
>"fdisk" and set the start sector to the real beginning of
>partition 'a'.

I'm starting at 0 now and it seems to work ... at least
I get sensible results from fdisk.

Zdenek Salvet:
> It is OK if you have assigned the whole disk to NetBSD.

Yes, I know but, a long time ago (ok only a couple of years) I
read about the boot blocks going on the first track and I just got in
the habit of leaving  it unassigned.  I've also noticed that
biosboot.sym seems to be larger than 63 secotrs that might have
something to with the problem?  Perhaps it's just this new disk I
may have done something slightly different (it's been awhile since
I had to init a new disk).

>I think installing new bootblocks on c partition (NetBSD fdisk partition)
>will be sufficient.

I think there were a couple of other responses that I can;t find right now,
thanks to you also.

So I'm wiser now in the ways of i386 boot stuff on NetBSD.

Thanks again,
Paul