Howdy, ya'll!  Been a while...not much new to talk about, home projects took up most of the summer so not much train activity. 

Some things I have accomplished are moving toward train fun....

New laminate flooring in my spare room/train room removed ugly wall-to-wall carpeting and now have a smooth easy to clean floor, also fresh wall paint....

Most of what I have done this summer was research, been trying to decide a Kansas prototype to interpret...

Belated Happy New Year to all!  My January was spent with a blessedly mild case of Covid....14 day isolation and all.  My wife was exposed at work, and we both tested positive.  We are both fine and neither of us required hospitalization, so God blessed us on that front.

So needless to say between the holidays and isolation I have accomplished nill....My plans and research are now centered on Kansas and Oklahoma for a prototype, and I have decided to build a small shelf layout to start off.

Been a good while since I posted, thought I check in instead of lurking in the background.....

Finally got some time from new house chores and built the chainsaw layout I need to test equipment and try new things.   Well, the benchwork is bad, I guess its been awhile since I've built any, and boy did my skills atrophy!  I'll blame the repurposed lumber and bad tools, yeah that's it, that's the ticket.....First time I've built benchwork since 1994,  need to bone up on things. 

Just catching up....still settling in to my new home, and making repairs and improvements.   House was vacant for a couple years and has some issues, but nothing serious. 

On a happy note , I managed to get the hard drive on my old computer and saved about everything!  New back up hard drive is coming soon.

The garage measures about 11 x 28 and has no windows.  May be the home of whatever I try to build, exploring options. For right now, I'm thinking TOMA and starting small. 

Its official I have made it to Kansas and have my own home!  Still setting things up but am happy to have a space of my own for trains and what have you!  Independence Kansas is my new home and glad to be here.  Models are on hold for now but I will be back at it soon.  I have a 10x11 spare room for a workshop, and a 10x20 garage for whatever flights of fancy I can muster.

Was in Kansas a  couple of months ago, looking for a house.  Came across this outbuilding behind a home in Cherryvale.  To me it looks like a Sante Fe section house.  Any opinions?

House was not what we wanted but this would have been a great train building!

In February, we put a bid on a house, and everything seemed ideal.....now after a month of stay at home, radio silence from the bank, and lack of human contact, I have just plain lost my mind!!!!

I packed most of our stuff in anticipation of a cross-country move, and now I am surrounded by my life in cardboard!

I put my tools and trains away, and thought we would be out of here by the next week or so, instead no news on our mortgage, our closing, and the rest of our lives. 

Just venting but I am nuts!

First off, to AZBaja, I apologize for my snarky and downright nasty comment, totally uncalled for. 

To the other topic that is apparently closed, I will say that while Ken Patterson did say that it seemed like work, he also presented Mr Pellegrino's railroad in a decent light. His operations were not delved into in great detail and that is probably because Ken is not a Railroad Modeller but is more building and art oriented.

Heading to Missouri and Kansas to find a new home, wish me luck!  Will try to take some photos on the way, see you all in a week or so. 

Peace Bill

Saw a small train the other day on my way to Walmart.....CSX GP40-2 couple of boxcars, couple of tanks,  working the remnants of the Erie Railroad Lockport Branch, (no camera, phone hanging on wall at home where it belongs....) when it occurred to me that I have lived here long enough to have outlasted three railroads!