Goals for 2015

I was reading and listening to Matt Forcum's most recent blog entry about his Metaline Falls layout. First, I was happy to see him back on track again after such a long hiatus. Matt isn't doing anything breathtaking, but his subtle approach is yielding fruits.

On the other hand, we have Marty McGuirk wondering what is going to do with is White River Junction yard. Been there too. It'S not easy to plan a layout, it's even harder when you try to capture the most essential aspects of a specific location. That gave me the designer block for years, at the point I thought I would never succeed in making a believeable Murray Bay subdivision in HO. I wish him to find that good enough compromise that make a layout go forward with staying satisfying.

And now, our layouts. What's going to happen in 2015? Seriously, no idea. That can go in any direction, but definitely, it is going to be the scenic year... I hope!

We still have some wiring issues to address, but that should be too much of a problem. Among the goals we set, here are some that have chances to became reality:

• Install working grade crossing signals in Villeneuve
• Complete scenery in some area (more likely to be Brique Citadelle)
• Build railcar drawers to store cars and enable us to stage trains
• Paint and detail a set of kitbashed Atlas RS18 in CN scheme
• Kitbash several 40ft roofless boxcars into old CN woodchip gondolas

The last point is very important because woodchip is a major commodity hauled over the layout. Making 12 cars will be required. I've got several Athearn and Roundhouse boxcars waiting to meet their inevitable fate. My attempt to 3D print modern CN woodchip gondola was promising but cost prohibitive. With canadian losing steam recently, it makes them even less affordable.

So far, I have found very little evidence of these cars. Hard to find good pictures of them. If any of you have information about them, let me know. From what I know, there was a LOT of variation among them. Some had new doors, side extensions, but many didn't... Did they have internal bracing added? I know Maine Central used to had some kind of flimsy bracing at the top to make the cars didn't distort when loaded.