I am 59 years old and have been interested in trains all my life. I worked as a carpet installer for almost thirty years and had my own business for over twenty of them, and drove over the road for almost 10 years until my wife became disabled. I have been married for 29 years (2nd ) and have 2 boys (39 & 25) and a girl (35) and I am now retired. I live in a small town of Brookfield near the Pa.- Ohio border. I take care of my wife who is now handicapped because of a doctors misdiagnosis. I model in HO and have a large home layout in the basement that has taken so far almost 5 years. I have used 7 1/2 boxes of Atlas code 83 track and 100 turnouts with tortoise machines and it is all Dcc with Digitrax radio. My layout is around the walls with 2 large islands 25 feet long and 6 feet wide and I am now in the process of relocating my yard. My yard will be about 40 feet long and 15 tracks wide with a large engine facility and will incorporate a wye to turn locos and trains. The yard is on 6 sheets of homasote ending in a large 8 foot return for ease of the long trains that my oldest son and I run. The layout is a double main twice around with 2 40 foot passing sidings. I model the CSX, NS and Conrail take over that all run thru our town and the CSX-NS line that is about 1000 feet from our home. I have about 1/4 of the scenery done and hope to finish it this next year. Jim.