What Have YOU Accomplished This Year?

[Big_Boy_4005]

My how time flies when you are having fun. It is hard to believe that I have been a member of the forum for a year.

It seems kind of appropriate, this being the end of the calander year, to take a few minutes and look back at what we have accomplished, in the last 12 months, from a model railroading perspective.

In the last 12 months, I have restarted the construction of my dream layout, a project that had been dormant for over 5 years.The benchwork is nearing completion, and lots of little projects have gotten done, including all of the trackwork for the hidden yard, and some of it's wiring. The biggest accomplishment had to be building the 10' diameter helix.

The railroad actually went dormant again during the summer, despite my best intentions of continuing to work on it. There were simply too many distractions, including a lot of train chasing, and a great ride behind Milwaukee Road 261.

It has been a great year. I have had a wonderful time here on the forums, meeting people, and sharing ideas and stories about our hobby. I look forward to more of the same in the year ahead.[^]

[?]So, what have YOU accomplished this year?

[Buckeye Riveter]

A year in review. Good idea, Big Boy.

First of all the expansion of the layout has begun with the construction of the new benchwork. This is expansion will triple the amount of mainline track and add a location for some new and different accessories and another big bridge.

I was able to fini***he dead corner of the layout with this scene. What is in your dead corner?[?]

Although it looks much different now, here is a photo taken in May of the Garden RR Layout.[:I]

After 30 years of being an engineer, I finally got to sit in the seat! I hope it doesn't take another 30 years for me to be able to run the train.[^]
.
And I believe I was the only one on the forum this year to post a tombstone photo related to trains.[8D] Is there a prize for tombstone of the year? My mom would be so proud if I won.


Likewise, the CTT forum and also the Gardening RR forum have been very interesting and enjoyable. There are some very talented people who contribute immensely to my education. And of course there is the Chief, who has been giving me fishing lessons at no charge. Needless to say, the lessons have not helped one bit.[:D]

[locomutt]

Actuallly ,not much.[:(]
Bought a few things,painted a few things,decaled a few things.[:)]
Buckeye,not sure how to answer that one,but in "My Book" that's
an award winner. But I realy hate to plan that far in advance.[:D]

[cnw1995]

As I was pulling out the Christmas stuff from the basement, I realized how much has changed in a year. I was able to vastly expand the layout - rather haphazardly - to cover the entire crawlspace. I got the two old 2-4-2s working. I learned some more about electricity.Have to post pictures! I also discovered the other MR forums this year.

[spankybird]

Well a year ago, this forum was almost a chat room for me, Elliot and Brian. It sure has grown with allot of great member and now friends.

A year ago I read more than I posted, that sure has changed.

I love sharing and posting pic of our layout and can’t begin to thing how many others we have help on posting pics.

Our Circus Layout got finishing touches from this


to this



and we added DCS to it.

tom

[brianel027]

Okay, it's hard to answer this one and not get off-topic concerning trains. I think I've been to hell and back this year... at one point I think I was about as low as I have ever been. And some of you folks here know what I'm talking about. The obvious conern that came out of this forum from the folks here and on OGRR was uplifting and encouraging.

It's been written than we don't look up to God until were down on the very bottom. Like I said, I don't want to go too far off track as far as trains here, but I've had to make some real spiritual changes in my life... I really had no choice. We may have been born with all the faith we ever needed, but realizing we have it already (and believing it) is a lot harder.

And as you folks know from my previous posts, the economy in my neck of the woods is getting a lot worse than better. It's been a very long year plus being without work - and even more stressful looking for it. And seeing that I'm not alone: that folks in my age group have been hit extra hard by this. One fellow my age I know was just finally offered a job after 2 years of being unemployed!! And we're looking... even folks with college under their belt can't find jobs. And when they do, it's a very very large salary reduction from the previous job. One woman I know went from $18.00 per hour to $7.00 per hour... you do the math... that's desparation speaking.

Needless to say, I'm not buying trains other than a junker or two for a couple bucks at a yard sale. But I've been working on various projects. Fortunately when I was employed I stocked up on things like paint, wire, decals, basswood, various train parts, etc. NOt to mention I'm just resourceful and creative by nature. So I'm not completely stuck. If there's a way to save money and do something, I'll find it. More and more of my engines have been converted to straight DC current operation, which I have no regrets over. For the lower end conventional trains, DC current is the way to go. Off board sound is fine with me.

You guys who bother to read my posts know how passionate I am about seeing kids back in the hobby. The once in a while when I get here on the forum is a REAL escape for me. There's been some days where I felt just beat and defeated - and then got here on the forum, started writing and then my spirit picked up - even if I was on my usual rants about the lopsided nature of this train business/hobby and seeing kids back in the hobby.

But I find for me that getting centered on the real meaning of life also does the same thing for me too. I won't preach, but let it suffice to say there's more to life than lots of things, including these trains.

This year I've been thanking God for allowing me to have this little foolish diversion, which I've never done before. I got my first train set when I was only a few days old, so trains have been a part of my life from the very beginning. Maybe that's what keeps me feeling so young in spirit and looking so young in the mirror... people never ever guess my age... it's always at least 15 years in the minus direction.

If the trains have played a part in that, then I'm grateful. That little boy who was always excited about trains (so my mom tells me) is STILL alive and well inside me. I do know I STILL get a thrill out of running them - even without all the frills, or going to a train shop (even just to look), or watching the real trains roll through town... it is a real test for me when I'm at church to NOT want to stretch my head and look out the window when a train goes by during the sermon!!!

I guess what I've said above will probably be loads different from many of the other responses. But that's okay too... I've always been different. I'm just accepting it a little better now.

[daan]

That's a hard way to live, Brian(el); let's all whish you getting a job for the next year..
As for myself, a year ago I was still fiddling in N-gauge, had huge emotional problems getting 30 years old (stupid, but I had a sort of midlife crises, mainly because having no real hobby) and having huge problems in my relationship.
A year further, I have an attic full of 0 gauge, my relationship got much, much better and I started to say when something tends to go wrong in my opinion. The last part was the big step; I learned to stand up and straight my back for what I think, and learned to discuss that with people who where used to a person who always said yes.
So, in all means it was a good year, and my first year of american 0 gauge.

As for next year, let's all whi***hat Brianel finds a job he likes and that pays off. May be someone knows something?
I know jobs, but that's in Holland..