I've always thought that one of the things I'd like to have on my freelance layout is some sort of stockyard. I've looked at various kits and such for them and then I got to thinking that maybe a stockyard isn't really the proper term for what I want. Weren't there some type of rules about transporting cattle wherein that after so many hours on the rails that they had to be let out of the cars and fed, watered and/or exercised?

I have a Proto 2000 tan-box era (maybe '97) GP-18 that I am considering repainting. Does anyone know if the railings and grab irons were glued in or just press fitted? I am guessing they are just held in by friction but was hoping to benefit from someone else's experience before I try yanking on them.

I recently brainstormed with my mechanical engineer brother the whole fascia-mounted operator worktable and billbox configuration.  We turned the pencil/pick holders perpendicular to the fascia so they could be serve dual-purposes as the structural braces for the shelf.  We landed on this design showing two choices for the shape for the pencil/uncoupling pick holders: