2016-17 Annual Progress Report

It's that time of year again folks when I regal you with the past year's accomplishments. It's hard to believe I've been at it four years ago, and even harder to believe the layout is now, mostly seniced. But there's still a long way to go.

Before I dive into the recap of the past year, I'll drop the bombshell. I've cut the number eras on the layout from four to just two. Originally, I planned to have a fleet of 1956 Pennsy equipment, a fleet of 1996 Conrail equipment and a fleet of contemporary Norfolk Southern equipment. I decided to add Penn Central to the mix as well. Then I went and switched to DCC and bought some great, road-specific PRR power. As a result the other equipment largely became dust collectors.

While the NS fleet largely accepts drop in decoders, the same could not be said of Conrail and PC. Those fleets required decoders that are both difficult to install and quite costly, in some cases costing more than I paid for the locomotive. With that in mind, the Conrail fleet went on eBay. Now onto the progress report and goals for the upcoming season!

Track: 100% Complete to original plan. However, extensions are planned, more on this later.

Wiring: 99% of original track wired. I still haven't done the engine yard.

DCC Conversion: System install 100% complete, PRR Fleet 100% complete, Conrail and PC fleets: Sold, moot point, NS Fleet: 60% complete.

Last year's goal was to scenic from Cassandra to Johnstown. I managed to not only do that but Made some inroads into Johnstown itself. I also set a goal of working on operations. To that end, I've created printable Form 19s for time table and train order operation. I've also installed a phone system on the layout.

That brings us to this year's goals. I've come to the realization the layout lacks sufficient staging for operation. So, it's time to expand! I will be adding a new staging area at each end of the layout. One will represent Pittsburgh, the other, Enola (Harrisburg). This will free up the existing yards for switching and classification work.

I'm also planning to add some industries in Johnstown and am planning to finish scenicing it. Also on the scenery front, I've been going back over other parts of the layout doing touch-up. I want this layout to grace the pages of Model Railroader some day and in its current state, that just ain't going to happen.

We'll see how this shakes out. My enthusiasm for working on the layout has been lacking lately. Most years by he time summer is over, I'm ready to get back to work. But this year, not so much. For one thing, I have a new baby, and she saps most of my time and energy. Secondly, with most of the layout sceniced now, I'm getting to where I spend most of my time running the trains and enjoying the fruits of my labors. Hopefully when I get into the fall some more, I can dive back in.