And just like that, another year is gone, and it's time once again to reflect on what has been accomplished. To think that just a year ago I was waiting on the Loctite Pl-300 to dry after getting the pink foam cut and placed down on the bench work. Some track was laid, but not enough to run the trains, and indeed the track plan wasn't even fully finalized!
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Over the past year, I've felt overwhelmed by the scale of this project. My previous layout was only a 3'x5', almost a quarter the size of this garage-sized monster. However, getting photos together for this post has shown me that it's the journey in building it that's the exciting part, and I shouldn't feel rushed or guilty when progress is slow. What you put in, even if for only an hour a week adds up on the end!
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We'll start at the wide end of the layout where scenery and ballast have already started going down. I heard that stuff spreads like wildfire and it should cover the entire section completely before much longer!
Besides that, another building has shown up in this section. This is another that survived the move and over a decade in storage, and will be the railroad museum gift shop and place to purchase a ticket for the park.
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So apparently my Wife had a direct line to Santa this year, and my hinting at gift ideas did not go unnoticed! Under the tree all wrapped up nicely were two Walthers kits, one of a common split level family home, perfectly styled for what I'm going for in this middle section of downtown Fox Creek, and the other a modern train station, fitting in perfectly with the commuter trains that will run through town! I didn't wait to begin putting them together for some early planning and this photoshoot.
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And finally, the area that has been touched the least... Big plans exist for this section, and while I'm excited to begin building, I will have to get more foam, turnouts, and track. Until then, it sits as a lonely rail yard. Hopefully 2024 will bring more attention to this end of the layout.
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Happy new years everyone from Chris and Lisa here at Fox Creek! Hope everyone has a wonderful evening and a happy, healthy 2024!