Here we are, sailing off into a new year, but I would be remiss if I failed to consider the events of the previous year before planning for the new one. The wife and I had been discussing selling our house and in February we contacted a realtor. By mid April, we had sold and were closing on our new property. What a whirlwind of change, my head is still spinning!
When we put the house up for sale, I began dismantling my HO scale layout. I spent a few nights carefully packing away locomotives, cars, structures, and electronics. Then I destroyed the layout I had worked on for several years previously and placed it in the back of my pickup truck. Two loads to the dump, and it was gone.
I was able to save the turnouts, but the track was history. I had decided that the next layout would use code 83 track instead of the code 100 of the previous layout, so that didn’t hurt as much as the scenery.
We were moving into the new place by May. I had a basement now. It was unfinished and I briefly thought about just building a layout there as it was, but this would probably be my last layout and I wanted to make it right. When we looked at the place, the wife said I could do whatever I wanted to with the basement.
Now, 7 months later, in my basement I have a family room, bathroom (not quite finished), a workshop, and a train room which still needs a suspended ceiling installed. I guess the point is, I’ve been working my tail off for seven months and I don’t have a single inch of track laid, no new structures, no new locomotives or cars, nothing even remotely related to model railroading. I haven’t even ran a train since February of last year. As railroad modeling goes, 2018 was a complete disappointment for me.
This year must be better! There is a CID modelers meet in Indy in March and I’ve not been modeling, so I have nothing to bring. Got to think of something for that. Possibly a test module with some of the elements I’d like to incorporate in my new layout. Not sure I have enough time. I have a Jordan Scale Miniatures Erie steam shovel kit I’ve really been wanting to tackle, that might be good…
I also plan to get started on the new layout this year. I’ve got some track plan ideas for a two level layout though I’ve lately been doubting my stamina for such an effort. Maybe I should consider toning it down a bit, after all, I am getting a little older. NOT!
