Long overdue updates

 I've been remiss in updating the blog of late. I tend to treat blog posts as something that require some proof reading and editing - unlike a Facebook post that I tend to approach with a fire and forget attitude. 

But with summer travels and activities winding down over the last month, and MARPM (a great time as always!) in the rear view mirror, and the second book from Artisan Rail Media almost on the way to the printer, it's time to turn my attention to the layout. There's a few things I need to focus on before the next big event on the Southern New England - the annual New Jersey - Northern Virginia exchange is coming up in November and I need to make sure the layout is ready, and I want to complete one or two projects before the visitors arrive to put the layout through its paces. 

Getting ready for the New Jersey gang shouldn't be too overwhelmingly - last month we had the pleasure of hosting a group of operators from Long Island as part of the first ever "Beltway Ops" weekend. I had five guest operators on the SNE - and they seemed to have a great time putting the Richford Branch through it's paces.

Since I hadn't operated the layout for several months except for some test running the couple of weeks before the session stuff ended up all over the railroad, meaning it took a while to stage everything and get the trains set up. Since 6 is what I consider my maximum crew size I had to play some games with the true Richford Branch prototype schedule. So we ran a Richford Turn, a Richford Yardmaster, and a Mill Job to handle the paper mill. A good time was had by all! 

D.C. traffic contributed to a later than planned start even on a Saturday afternoon. But we ran the entire session and everyone had time for the obligatory bull session after the trains had been run. The day concluded with a nice dinner at a local eatery with the other layout hosts and local and out of town operators. Plans are already underway for the next "Beltway Ops" weekend!

Richford Yard staged for the start of the session. 

The crew posed for a picture before the start of the session. 

As I said there are a few things I'd like to get done on the layout in time for the next operating weekend. I plan to make some changes to the industrial tracks and sidings in Enosburg, and to finish the long under construction hardware store there. There's also a section of still raw benchwork between Stafford Mills and Berkshire where I plan to add a creamery. 

We will be out of town for a few days between now and the weekend before Thanksgiving (which is when the session will take place). And I still need to finish the Modeling Civil War Railroads book so we can ship it later this month. That means I have no idea if I'll be able to finish some or any of these planned projects. I may very well leave the layout like it is - at least until after the next couple of sessions. 

Oh, and I want to shoot another video update or two, and then there's another project that I don't plan to start until the end of the year - expanding the staging yard. As always, plenty to do! 

Plenty to do, and will try to keep the blog updated more regularly.