Count Me in (sigh)
I model mostly C&O my father models mostly Logging (Cass/Mower lumber co.). We live together and are building a large ish layout. The area set aside for Cass Town and the Mill/Pond Started out about 16' long with a max depth of 4' (you can reach it from both sides.
I tracked down as much info as I could find and everything looked good. Then I was on site and figured out that the printed drawings of the track layout available while close, are not quite correct. So a bit of modification and away we go.(at this point the benchwork was in).
Then I start looking at the buildings that are planed and they don't fit all that well so, it is time to extend the area about another 4ft so we are not up to 20 long. At this point I had the sub road bed in place based on the best info I could find, as well as photos I have taken at Cass. I did this about 2 or 3 years ago.
So with revised plans and info in hand I start laying the track in the Y/coal dock area and the main and passing track and the cross overs.
About this point we get info on the old engine house at Cass and revise that area a bit (adding in a turnout to get to the engine house area.
Then I got the dimensions on the company store and a figured out how the track went up to it and the company store and all of a sudden the benchwork where it narrowed down from 4' back to 2' (a distance of about 8') was to narrow to fit everything in. So I added a wedge to the front of the bench and now the tapered area is 16' on the left side(vs 8') where the town/store/lumber storage area is, the Mill/pond area is still 8' by 4' (but the buildings extend about 20 farther left then they where planed) and then we a 6' tapper back down to 2' depth on the right past the mill pond. So we are now up to about 30' but the left 4' of the tappered area is not used for Cass.
So we have a total area for town and mill now up to 26 up from 16' But the subroad bed and the track that was in was not to bad.
Then a little while back we finally tracked down info on the bridge over leatherbark, and I had to rework the spacing of the mainline/passing siding (C&O) and the Log Dump track and the first track that was next to the flooring mill/pulpwood area.
So pull up the main line, add some more subroad bed to allow the mainline to move over about 1/4" (to fit the bridges in) but the rest of the subroad bed looks good. Now I cut into the foam for the creek (Leatherbark) And with the buildings being finished we are looking good (now we are up to about 3 years of on again off again construction in this area).
Then I make the biggest mistake of my live. I pick up a book called "Sawdust on the Leatherbark" or some such, and it is ALL about the saw mill at Cass. And all the questions I had before start coming back but this time we have answers to most of them. This leads to a bit of a change in the mill location, then I find out that the sidings change spaces vs run in straight lines then and then and then...... and the info keeps coming and I keep finding out that things are not as I thought they where. And the more I learn the more I understand what I am seeing. Then I find out that the tracks actually ran under the lumber docks and along the buildings and after spending most of the last two weeks looking into this I figure out what I need to do. Pretty much take out all the track that was in, and most of the subroad bed and start over again. So I spent the last 3 days tacking it all out, and reworking the layout to better reflect what really was there. On the plus side I have enough space (mostly) to fit in the tracks and buildings in as they really where.
Oh and I had to fill in the creek as we figured out that A) it was in the wrong space (the mill had to move a bit that direction), andb) it was the wrong size) and C) the Bridges where shorter (so the abutments had to get closer) and D) it was the wrong shape and E) it had concreate at least one side and some sort of wood dam on the other.
So yes I have been in your posisition, and after working off and on for 3 years I just took out most of what I had in (other then the benchwork) and I am reworking it. So I would guess that I have spent a good 3 or 4 months of work that is now in junk bags, and I have a couple weeks of work to get back to where I was a week ago.
I think it comes with the hobby.
Humm, I wonder what it would be like to go back to freelancing again? 
This proves that ignorance is bliss.
But we will end up with a really good version of Cass when this is done (until we learn something next year that changes everything we are doing today...sigh)
Doug Meyer
