All,
I've been away a long time. I had to sift through about 4000 messages it's been so long. I finally gave up and just jumped back in at July 1.
The marriage finally crumbled, the layout's destroyed, I'm on my own, and a much happier person for it. The trains are boxed, but the tools and materials are accessible. Once school's out I plan on continuing my model development of North Shore car sides (detailed ones, not those Walthers' abominations), some buildings, and maybe a module or two, and certainly building my own turnouts, although cutting ties will be a trick without a table saw and being in an apartment.
Maybe next time around in another house with another wife who will actually gives a rat's backside about what I do in my off time I can get the dream alive again. If not, I can enjoy life by myself. In the meantime, I can draw up plans. The last layout had some major flaws, and I did things way out of order because I went with materials on hand rather than waiting to do it in the proper order.
My personal goal is to have a house and to have a layout up and running in time for the 2010 national meet. That's a tall order, but I'll see if it can be done.
Ya hey dere to Mr Mathu and the Cream City guys!