Coming round the final curves of 2013 and Weekend Modeling Plans/Accomplishments. How did you do? I had great plans laid out for work too be done on the B&M layout. By 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, those plans for the day were changed into Christmas shopping. Sunday seemed the answer but it too was de-railed by more Christmas shopping and domestic duties. In the end, Christmas took over. Hopefully I can regain my work schedule after the Holiday madness. So how about you? Were you able to get away with any building or layout work, or did Santa conspire against you? Those of us with kids get hit harder at Christmas so those without may have gotten something done. If you did, let us know. We'll come back on Friday the 27th and try to eek out the last vestiges of 2013. Now at this point, at the risk of offending someone in our politically correct world, I shall proclaim an expression that has been passed down for many a generation. Merry Christmas!
Well, the only plans I had were to go skiing. The trip up was fine, and we got out on the mountain and enjoyed the day on Saturday. The weather turned nasty later in the day, though. We hid from the raindrops (and had an Old Thumper on tap, so you can tell where we were hiding) and then I finished the day as the lifts were shutting down. The weather got colder and the rain continued, so by Sunday it was icy, and they had only one low-level lift running for those brave or foolhardy enough to chance it. So, we came home. Fortunately, the roads were a bit slushy at first and then just wet, so there were no safety issues. With no train plans at all, I exceeded expectations by being an Accidental Rail Fan. As we drove up Route 26 on Friday afternoon, we passed a short freight on the St. Lawrence and Atlantic, the short line that runs from Portland, Maine up through that state, New Hampshire and Vermont, eventually crossing the border into Canada where it becomes the St. Lawrence and Atlantic (Quebec.) Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus, and yes, there are still GP-9s in service on short lines. Not my photo (this one is on a postcard 20 years old) but it shows pretty much what these engines look like today. So, a Merry Christmas to you all, and may you find a live steam engine under your tree for all that coal that Santa brings you.
I just upgraded a gaggle of Proto cab units (3 C-Liners, 3 F3As, 2 FA2s) from their wimpy incandescent bulbs to brighter LEDs. I still have a couple of FA1s to convert - I ran out of LEDs.
Nothing accomplished on the model physically, just ordered some detail parts I have been waiting to buy until after Christmas shopping was done... All for this:
