WOOHOO! Good weather = time to build

[Gary S]

Gary! It took me a couple of nights (and an afternoon) to read all the way through from the beginning, checking and reading each link along the way, studying each "fo-toe"and taking in the details, digesting differing philosophies of layout design and suggestions of industries to be included ... and I have come to a conclusion: Gary S. knows what he is doing!

Thank you kindly sir! I very much appreciate you reading through the thread too.

It came to me on page 28 or 29 when there was a flood of suggestions regarding industries to include in the new areas. Some suggestions, the more general ones which spoke more to arrangement of track and structures to address scenery concerns and disguising what you expressed you considered a scenic liability - to "make it disappear," were thoughtful, workable solutions to troubling problems. Other suggestions, although similarly well-intended and just as workable scenic-wise, may be an awkward fit for your layout. Now, please! Let's no one get in a huff! You guys have all been a lot closer to this than I have, seeing it develop on more or less a day-to-day basis, seeing it as it happened and reacting to it in the moment. All well and good!

Ya gotta love The Gauge and the folks who participate. I figure I've been around for about 5 years now. Saw alot of changes, people have come and gone, then the big z, and then back again. It has been a good ride. Lots of intelligent and great modelers have taught me alot.

My input, however, comes from an intense three day study of this building program, initially from the viewpoint of design and subsequent construction and then as an attempt to understand what you, Gary, are trying to portray with your layout. Although many of us may have suggestions for industries that would fit a general industrial area, unless we have an understanding of the industries of Texas, and more specifically the industries of the outer "industrial parks" of Houston, our well-meant suggestions, although interesting industries in general, are not a fit for "close-in" industrial Houston. But hopefully they got your mental juices flowing (even juicier than they were) about industry in your neck of the woods of Houston. :!:

Absolutely. We have wonderful modelers such as Steve, DocWayne, and Kurt, just to name a few, and then we have those who are versed in track plans and operations like Charlie B and Russ B and Stein and those guys. I get so much from what they do, great ideas for scenery and planning. And of course a big thanks for Mikey and EZDays for providing the forum. I am leaving out a ton of people who have influenced me... no hard feelings please! I thank all of you!

I am looking forward, now that I'm all up to speed on what has happened so far, to continuing to follow your progress as you work your way around the room ("That boy can really work a room!" ta-da-bum ... tssssss!)

Seriously though, I'm so impressed with the 1:1 scale building that I can't wait to watch how you will fill it up in the next episode of ... "Switching Freight in Houston in One Eighty-Seventh Scale!"

Thanks again biL. It is impressive that you made your way through the entire thread.

I am planning on getting tons of work done this weekend. I have the basic design for the long 38 foot shelf completed, so I just may get all the roadbed down. Another project I have is to fabricate and assemble all the pieces for the uncoupling e-mags. Gotta get that done before I can lay track.