Hi !

>   > boot netbsd
[...]
> 			  root on ra1a dumps on ra1b
> 			  ra1: size 633672 sectors
> 			  root file system type: ffs
> 			  warning: no /dev/console
> 
> Note how the system (or at least the console) hangs on the "warning: no
> /dev/console" message. 
> 
> The file /dev/console does in fact exist, but perhaps it has to be 
> configured somehow. 
> 
> Any suggestions? I'm almost there.

Usual way for those device files:
cd to /dev in your root-dir
type "./MAKEDEV std" or better "./MAKEDEV all" to create the device files.
With this everything is done correctly.

so long.. Michael