By Donovan in Dallas
As if I was stuck in one of those time laps films where everything moves faster than possible, I sit here now having flash backs of what I accomplished. First on the list: wiring! For the last year I have run my small layout with one throttle. This has been fine, as I am only one person and can only run one train at a time. I have power routing Peco turnouts, so electrical blocks were not a necessity. For the Op. Session that would need to be changed. I dropped in feeder wires and cut gaps so that the layout could be divided into 4 main blocks (with the power routing t.o.'s controlling finer segments as needed). Earlier in the week I had run down to Radio Shack to buy 4 toggles, but they were out and would not have enough in by the time I needed them. So I opted for one of the very functional, but less sophisticated Atlas controllers - the one with the green slide buttons. Drill a few holes in the fascia, spend an hour on my knees feeding the wires to their destination, and presto! Grab a throttle to test everything out an ... a defect! Another 20 minutes of pondering, thinking, checking and frustration. Ah-ha! I had missed cutting a gap in one of the rails, causing a short. Grab the Dremel, cut the gap, test again, and....perfection! Multiple trains running in multiple directions on different blocks.
I still needed a number of building "flats" to represent industries for my "itty-bitty" rolling stock to reside at. Having more artistic talent than I had time, I decided to draw them on artist board. Problem is: I got a little carried away with my time. It was now 2 AM on Friday morning and I still needed to fire up the air brush. By the way: the flats were a success.
2:30 AM and still no painting.....my air brush was jammed. Apparently I was lazy and didn't clean the brush thoroughly enough the last time I had used it. Not a problem normally, but it had been almost two years since it's last use. It took an hour of soaking and cleaning to get it to function properly. By 5 AM I am finished painting and heading to bed for some much needed rest.
By 11AM the next morning I am at it again. This time I am working on structures of the 3D type. I live in an apartment at this time. This means that I have no designated work space, and my storage space is always moving form place to place to accommodate the rest of my life. So, first thing is pulling out boxes, lots of boxes. Paint, glue, miscellaneous parts, and instructions. All in separate boxes. Some in multiple separate boxes. By noon I am at the dining table surrounded by boxes and piles of stuff that came from those
boxes. But I am happy because I am functioning. Work, work, work! I had set a dead line of 7PM for the paint and glue. I wanted the house to have plenty of time to air out before the guests arrived.
Finally at midnight I enforce my 7PM deadline. With my family leaving town less often, who knows when I will have an opportunity like this again? Midnight and I still have to put away everything. Not just the boxes, but the bachelor in me has avoided any household responsibilities for a day and a half - dishes, clothes, etc. All
needing attention, and all in less than 18 hours. Need more coffee!
Sunrise (7AM). Another all nighter. Feels like college all over again. The house is clean, except for the stuff I conveniently stashed away into my sons room until I can get back to it after the session. Back to the layout....cars are tipped on their sides, industries thrown together, engines in no particular place they
should be. Staging the layout begins....
