2021 Accomplishments/2022 Goals

Although I'm loathe to make any hard & fast New Year's Resolutions, I do find it helpful to look back and look forward. But unlike that more general post I did the other day, this "accomplishments/goals" post is a no-nonsense, no-frills (and no pics) comparison of what I'd set out to do in '21 versus how I actually did.  While not "resolutions" per se, I'll at least note where I'd like to be a year from now.

And, unlike last year, I'm posting this a day earlier. So that's a step in the right direction at least...

A layout is never done - there are always additional details and scenic textures we can add. But there's definitely a level of "done-ness" that I definitely want to achieve - if not by the end of this year, then as soon as possible. By "done-ness" I mean the following:

• All trackwork is in and operable (mission already accomplished here, mostly, despite some persistent shorting issues);
• Main structures, roads, and grade crossings are done and in place;
• There's a basic layer of scenery (at least ground foam & static grass, and ballast on the track - trees are a bonus);
• Backdrops are all installed.

Other than the inevitable detailing/scenicking that will go on (and on), additional items that will move a layout to more "done" than "in progress" have to do mostly with the layout room itself and include fascia & valences being installed and painted (fascia definitely - valences optional), layout curtains installed below the fascia to the floor, and carpet or carpet squares.

I completed the fascia as part of the benchwork, but I've only installed valences and layout curtains in a few areas. And operators don't have nice carpeting yet - or even carpet squares - to stand on during sessions, but foam squares do in a pinch.

So my main focus is on the layout itself - which unfortunately still has quite a way to go before it's at even a basic level of "done-ness." I'm making progress - but never fast enough for my liking. So in the hopes of spurring some additional motivation here at the beginning of the year, here's a current assessment, starting at the north end of the line. . .

Wethersfield

How I did: After major progress in 2020, including finishing basic scenery, I only got started on the backdrop and did a little more scenic texture.

How (I hope) I'll do: Finish the backdrop. That's it. There are no more structures that need to be done here, and basic scenery is already in. Of course, there's LOTS AND LOTS of detailing that needs to be done here - including lumber piles, chain link fences, additional scenic colors/textures, and switchstands (cosmetic only, but needed throughout the layout) - but to hit the level of "done-ness" I outlined earlier, I just need to get the stupid backdrop done, finally.

East Berlin

While technically branching off the mainline, north of Middletown, in my basement East Berlin is located in the corner next to Wethersfield, so it's next . . .

How I did: Ditto Wethersfield. Major progress in 2020, but only a little more scenic texturing in 2021 - including trees though!

How I'll do: I actually just started working on the last structural element there today - a concrete loading dock for loading bricks from local brickyards. Other than that, I'd like to improve the transition between the foreground and backdrop on the right side of the scene. And other than just a few more details, this area should be very close to "done" by the end of this year - if not the end of this month(!)

Rocky Hill

Continuing south from Wethersfield, the Rocky Hill scene has been close to done for years, lacking only a backdrop.

How I did: I started the backdrop here last year, finishing it from the Goff Brook scene around the end of the peninsula.

How I'll do:  I have only to finish the backdrop from the peninsula to the backdrop in Dividend for this area (at least "north" <to the right> of Glastonbury Road) to be done.

Dividend

How I did: Progress in Dividend was my major accomplishment in 2021, including a speed record in getting the backdrop done start to finish, as well as finishing most of the basic scenery - including a rock cut(!)

How I'll do: I'm working more here now, having just finished painting the major structure foundations and starting to rough in the rest of the backdrop. Other than that and the remaining basic scenery (which will have to include a lot of trees), I need to build the tank farm at the south end of the Hartford Rayon complex.

Cromwell

How I did: Other than mocking it up enough to figure out where/how to place the hill that divides this town from Dividend, I think all I did here last year was some cardboard lattice and plaster cloth.

How I'll do: Other than a distinctive diner, and perhaps scratchbuilding the station, most of the buildings here will be generic DPM-type town buildings - some of which are already built. The other challenge will be colorizing an era-appropriate postcard of Main Street and integrating it into the photo backdrop here. 

But the MAIN accomplishment in this area is actually also the last major (re)work that needs to be done on the layout - I need to remove part of the benchwork and add-in the Mattabessett River and a rail bridge. On the prototype, that represents the line between Cromwell and Middletown, so if there's any way I can figure out how to replicate that on my layout, I'm gonna try.

Middletown

How I did: I did a lot of mocking up and trying different street/terrain levels to try and get things to look "right" in the limited space I have for the major town on the Valley Line. Other than that, I reworked the terrain at the north end of the yard.

How (I hope) I'll do: There's a LOT of structures to build for Middletown, even though I have a huge head start thanks to Bill Maguire and Dave Messer. Some of them - like the freighthouse and Meech & Stoddard - will have to be scratchbuilt, but most of the rest of the city structures will be a mix of DPM, Walthers, and Magnuson Models kits.

Given all the structures needed - as well as all the area I need to cover with even cardboard lattice and plaster cloth (it's mostly bare benchwork here) - I think it'll be a long time before Middletown is at any level of done-ness. But I at least hope to get the backdrop done this year.... fingers crossed.

East Haddam/Deep River/Essex

How I did: I painted the foam board.

How I'll do: Since I plan to focus on getting everything north of Middletown "done" this year, I don't expect I'll be accomplishing much on the south end of the Valley Line. But I'll see if I can at least finish the structures in East Haddam that Dave Messer started.

Old Saybrook

How I did: Um, nuthin' - zero - zilch - nada

How (I hope) I'll do: The Saybrook Scene is the first thing you see when you come down the basement stairs, so I'd really like to get this area to a level of "done-ness" in 2022. The good news/bad news here for years has been that (thanks to BillS), Saybrook has been within striking distance of "done" - all major structures in, and most of the scenery completed. However, before it checks all the "done-ness" boxes, I have to at least ballast the track (still vacillating on what to use), finish the backdrop, and get the Route 1 overpass done. Signal bridges will be a bonus (I figure actual signals are a detail that's way off in the future).

Unlike the rest of the layout though, Saybrook can boast that it's the only area that has not only painted fascia, but painted valence and layout curtains. Still no carpet though (I don't think having it on the basement stairs really counts...)

Other Projects

J-1 Class 2-8-2 #3022: I worked on the cut-down tender a bit in 2021, but still have to do the over-the-top-of-the-smokebox handrail (the bending of which is surprisingly tricky), and finish detailing the tender and the loco itself. I really hope to get that done this year.

DEY-3 & DEY-5 Class diesels (Alco S-1 & S-2): Last year, I finally got these undec models out of the box(!) and started putting them together. And THIS year so far (even though we're only 9 days in...), I got the DEY-5 primed and painted. So that should definitely get done by the end of this year month. The DEY-3 will need a little more work (3D printed fan housing, perhaps thinner radiator shutters), but it should definitely get done (finally) this year - perhaps even by the end of winter. Fingers crossed!

Ops Sessions: Unlike 2020, I was able to operate monthly for a few months last year, but ops sessions are on hiatus for the time being. Turns out, some of my shorting problems have resurfaced, so - in addition to more sessions in 2022, I want to figure out - once and for all - what the source of the shorting problem is, and fix it.

Blog Posting: If there's one thing I can almost guarantee that I'll improve on in 2022 vs. 2021 it's the number of posts on the blog. Of course, the more I can accomplish, the more there'll be to write about.

So there you have it - a thorough & current, if not quick, assessment of the layout and what I hope to accomplish by this time next year. Here's hoping you'll continue to follow along and provide some much-needed motivation and encouragement (as well as guidance & tips) over the coming months. 

With your help, I hope next year I'll be able to report a LOT more on the "How I did" side of the ledger.

Looking Back, Looking Forward

The beginning of a new year is a common time to take stock of where you've been and where you'd like to go. Such an assessment is a common pathway to progress and further accomplishment. And, if you think about it, one's hobby could benefit from the same sort of looking back and looking forward - especially if you discover (sometimes to your pleasant surprise) that you learned more and got more done than you thought you did.  But even if you didn't, going through the exercise often provides at least a little shot of motivation.

So, without further ado, here's where the Valley Line was - and where it is. And, with a little motivation, where it may be heading...

The first thing that occurred to me as I reviewed the past year was how little I actually posted here on the blog:

That's way less than half of my usual number of posts for the year, but for good reason. I started a new position at the end of 2020 which has required a lot more of my time - and taken time from the layout. And an axiom of blogging is that if you don't do it you can't write about it.

So in 2022 I hope to do more on the layout - and more posts should follow.

Speaking of doing more on the layout, while 2021 wasn't quite as productive as 2020, I did get a few things done...

The north end of Wethersfield got some additional layers of scenery, including a few trees - some more ground texture - and even some photo backdrop.  Well, at least a start. The lack of a backdrop in Wethersfield has been a persistent frustration for years. Literally. Hopefully 2022 will see this finally get done.

Here are a some closer views of the additional work in this area (thanks again to Jim Dufour for the the tips & guidance).

As you can (hopefully) see, while a base layer of static grass certainly is better than nothing, the more variety & texture you add, the better it looks.

Here's the current state of Ballantine's Beer Distributors - but I included this photo mostly to show more of the photo backdrop in progress, including a colorized historic photo that I'm using to finally address how to deal with Jordan Lane going into the backdrop. While I've blogged before about this technique, I'm hoping to have a more in-depth article on the process in one of the modeling magazines soon. Stay tuned!

Here's how the Fernwood Street/Lumber Yard area looked at the beginning on 2021 . . .

. . . and how it looks today. Just a few added details, but you can really see what a difference a backdrop makes - even if it's only just mocked up.

I've learned that one of the biggest sources of anxiety and reticence in doing the Wethersfield backdrop is that I know way too much about how it ought to look - and I find it difficult, if not impossible to recreate that. But one way I've discovered to get over that anxiety is to do a backdrop in an area has no such baggage and is just freelanced.

This is a transition area at the end of the peninsula between the Goff Brook scene and Rocky Hill. "All" I wanted to achieve here was a generic New England farm scene in autumn & to provide some "resting"/open space for the operators as they go from one aisle to another. I'm pretty psyched how it came out (I've since blended out the white border at the top) and it was actually pretty fun to do too. It's amazing how much fun you can have when you're not putting so much pressure on yourself...

This is what you see as you step back and pan left. Huge thanks to Bill for showing me a tool in PhotoShop that allowed me to "pull" the treeline down to match the hillside. Not knowing how to do that kept this part of the backdrop from getting done for months.  You can make out the additional mockup in the distance.

Here's how Rocky Hill looked a year ago . . .

. . . and how it looks today. Yet another example of the "instant scenery" and improvement that a backdrop provides.

The most significant improvement on the layout since last year though has to be the Dividend section of Rocky Hill. Here's how it looked at the beginning of 2021 . . .

I'd flattened the terrain a bit and had started to create a scenic block/hill/cut at the far (left) end of the scene.

And this is how it looks today - backdrop and start of scenery done.

If I need any extra motivation to continue doing photo backdrops, this scene provides it.

Other than a bit of photo-backdropping and more static grass, the major new scenic skill I acquired this past year was doing a rock cut. Here's the start of it as the south end of Dividend - creating a scenic divide from Cromwell (to the left).

And here it is as it sits today. Lots of scenery left to do here, but I'm really happy with how it came out.

Taking a break from "pure scenery" (land forms, vegetation, and such), I've also started to try and do something better with Middletown. Here's the north end of the yard last year . . .

And how it looks today . . .

In keeping closer to the prototype, I did some terra-forming in the corner in anticipation for starting a transition from town to country. The north end of Middletown yard in the late 1940s was really on the outskirts of town and the scenery will now reflect that. I also found a good place for the imagineered structure I built and was going to use for Stanley Chemical before I got Bill Maguire's structures in East Berlin.

Moving south into the town proper, I'm finding it a bit difficult to figure out the right amount of structures. Here's how things were mocked up last year...

But the more I look at the prototype, the more I realize that so many of the buildings are going to be on the backdrop - so fewer 3D buildings are needed . . .

Still really unsure where this will all land. Maybe installing a photo backdrop here first will help :^)

Unfortunately, there hasn't been any significant progress on the rest of the layout during the past year. But one thing I *did* do - after much persistent prodding by my friend Dean - was to at least paint the foam board . . .

After resisting his prodding for months - if not years - I finally got around to it. Took less than 2 hours of easy work with a roller and is probably the best bang for the time I can imagine.

Comparing last year's photos to the same scenes this year has really given me a kick in the pants to have more progress to show this time next year. But if that's going to happen, I have to remember two important things:

1. ANY progress, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, is still progress. Large accomplishments are the sum of many small ones. So always do SOMEthing on the layout when you can.
2. Don't make the perfect the enemy of the good. Trying to create the "perfect" backdrop in Wethersfield has prevented further progress there for years. While I know I won't be able to settle for just any ol' generic backdrop there, I can probably do a better job of finding the right balance between the impossible and the presentable.

I've made a bunch of layout-related New Year's Resolutions in past years, but I think for 2022 if I can just internalize these two deceptively simple but powerful thoughts I'll make more progress in the coming months than I have in a long time - and will be sure to report it here. Hopefully you'll enjoy continuing to follow along - and will have your OWN progress to share.

In the meantime, here's wishing you and yours a healthy, happy - and productive - New Year!

2020 Accomplishments/2021 Goals

With the new position at work, I'm afraid there isn't nearly as much time for layout work and blogging as I'd like. I'm certainly not complaining, just explaining why it seems I can't get around to posting until Sunday evenings. BUT! The good news is that I have been able to make some progress (albeit slow) on the layout and I'm hoping to get the blog caught up to it soon. If I have a New Year's Resolution for The Valley Local blog, it's to be able to post shortly after working on the layout - that way it's always up to date. Fingers crossed...

Speaking of resolutions though, here it is 10 days into the New Year and I haven't shared any firm plans on what I hope to accomplish in 2021. I did do a little retrospective last week that showed where the layout was at the end of 2019 and were it is/was at the end of 2020 . . . but it's often good to have a checklist at hand to keep you focused. Kinda like I did last year year before last . . .

So, I'll go over what I'd hoped to accomplish going into 2020 & see how I did. Whatever's left will make up my resolutions/punch list for 2021 . . .

Finish Wethersfield

How I did: Got all the major structures done and installed, roads/grade crossings done, as well as basic scenery done. Wethersfield was my major scenic accomplishment of 2020.

What's left: The blasted photo backdrop. I still haven't decided how to go about it. Once I do, and get it done, "all" that's left is details, chain link fences around the lumber co., lumber piles, details around houses, trees, details around the station, etc.

Finish East Berlin

How I did: Poured the river, weathered the road & station. Along with a killer backdrop (if I don't say so myself), I'll call East Berlin definitely at a level of "done-ness."

What's left: Need to build a concrete loading dock, work on the transition between the backdrop and foreground on the right wall, and add all the fun details that bring a scene to life. I don't mind admitting East Berlin is one of my favorite parts of the layout - and with just one turnout, is surprisingly fun to operate all by itself.

Finish Dividend

How I did: With Dave Messer's buildings, I got a huge head start in 2020, but then got distracted with Wethersfield. By the end of the year though, I'd started roughing in the new scenic contours.

What's left: I'm actually working in Dividend now. I have to color the rocks in the cut, do basic scenery & ground cover, add the structures, and build the "tank farm" at the south end of the complex. Also have to do a photo backdrop here, but - believe it or not - unlike Wethersfield, I didn't obsess over it and it's already 90% done. I only have to add another image, stitch it together, and get it printed.

Finish Saybrook

How I did: Big Fat Goose Egg. I think all I accomplished here in 2020 was to lay down a few samples of ballast.

What's left: Route 1 overpass at the left/east end, signal bridge at the right/west end, photo backdrop (although part of it is already done), and - of course - ballasting the track.

East Haddam

How I did: Actually, this is more a report of how Dave Messer did. Unfortunately, he passed before completing them, but he made huge progress on the structures.  I haven't done anything else here but place the structures.

What's left: I need to finish the structures - and am very much looking forward to "collaborating" with Dave once again, through the notes he left on how to go about it. The photo backdrop that needs to be done here is going to be particularly challenging since the scene looks east, with the Connecticut River behind the scene, on the backdrop. Once I figure that out, all that's left is "just" scenery (although I have a small cottage to build and place up on the hill, to represent the Camp Bethel cottages).

J-1 Class 2-8-2 #3022

How I did: Another big fat goose egg. This project has been on my bench for years. Fortunately, I have a trusted friend that's working on another J-1 for me, so once I can finish the tender and detailing, I can send it off to him for finishing.

What's left: Have to finish the cut-down tender, including detailing, move the whistle to its proper location, and fabricate an "over smokebox" handrail. I'll likely leave the painting and weathering to another.

Class DEY-3 & DEY-5 Diesels

How I did: This is getting repetitive, but another zero here.

What's left: Mike Redden over at New England Model Works makes the proper cabs, and I have the parts on-hand to do the two Alco S-2s (New Haven Class DEY-5) I need for the Shore Line locals, as well as the S-1 (DEY-3) needed for the Valley local. Painting shouldn't be too tough since in my era they're still in the solid Pullman Green livery. I do need proper decals though . . . Fortunately, I think somebody may be working on those . . . soon.

Operating Sessions

How I did: Not surprisingly, I hosted just ONE operating session all year - and that was during the Springfield show. I did, however, do a few solo operating sessions which were a lot of fun, though a bit lonely.

What's left: Just looking forward to whenever things open back up this year so I can start hosting sessions again.

And THAT more than just about anything else will motivate me to get as much done on the layout as possible as soon as possible. I'd really like to have some significant progress to show my operators to welcome them back to The Valley Line.

With a lot of discipline, and a little luck, I'll have a lot more "How I did"s and fewer goose eggs to report this time next year. Thankfully, despite the crazy schedule lately, I'm well on my way. Hope you'll continue to follow along!

Layout Tour: Looking Back - Looking Forward

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

I'd planned a bunch of posts for you the past bunch of days, but the day job had other plans. I even missed this week's Wordless Wednesday. Ugh!

But I couldn't let the first day of 2021 (doesn't that sound SO much better than 2020?!) go by without doing a little looking back over the last year layout-wise (because you're probably not here to look back over 2020 for much else...). 

One huge "COVID-consolation" (as rare as they were) was being forced/able to spend a bit more time at home and, for us hobbyists, that tended to translate to more time at the layout and at the workbench. We'll take the layout first - checking out where I was at the end of 2019 and comparing it to where I am a year later. So here's a little tour starting from East Berlin, heading south on the Valley Line to Old Saybrook, over to "New London" and even up through "Somerset" & "Mill Hollow" on the Airline. . .

After loads of progress during 2019, the only difference in East Berlin in 2020 was the addition of a few details, including period-appropriate crossbucks (you can always click on the image for a larger view).

The most significant changes this year happened in Wethersfield. I'd done the "Hartford" skyline behind the Rt. 15 overpass during 2019, but I finally started filling in some scenery here at the north (right) end of the scene. . .

Here's how the same area looks as of today - all grassed in (static grass really does wonders!), and Jordan Lane is all improved with some resurfacing and a grade crossing. There's even a Ballantine's sign over there on the left/south end of the warehouse. 


Moving south in Wethersfield... I'd really obsessed WAY too long about how to do the Fernwood Street scene with John Wallace's house, as well as the area down toward the station. . .

But after a LOT of trial-and-error (and a number of different shades & lengths of static grass and dirt on the lumber yard lot), here's how it looks as of today.

Another view, just cuz I like how this came out. Although it looks a little, um, too "perfect," it should improve even more with some additional details and some more scenic textures.

Another end-of-2019 view, looking southwest.

. . . and looking northeast - you can see Gra-Rock in the distance, with Valley Coal in the left foreground.

As you can see, I kept the static grass applicator very busy this year - even adding some grass between the rails on the ROW.

And here's Valley Coal as it is today, complete with still-mocked-up backdrop photos. The Wethersfield backdrop continues to elude me - and has for years now, literally. :^(

View looking northwest. . . Compare this to the same view last year and you'll see the improvement.

The Goff Brook area - one of the earlier areas to be done - hasn't changed much over the past year. But it's still a great place to pause & take in the scene.

One improvement though has been the completion of my first craftsman structure kit back in April - used here as a barn behind the house at Goff Brook.

Rocky Hill hasn't really changed at all. I think this was the actual first "completed" scene on the layout (thanks to BillS) . . .

. . . and with it looking so great, why change it?

Just south of Rocky Hill, is the Dividend section of town, which hosts the largest industry on the line - Hartford Rayon. Here's how the scene looked at the end of 2019. I'd flattened the area under the big structures, but the hillside was still in place on the other side of the tracks.

Oft-times in layout building, you have to take two steps back to make three steps of progress. Here's how Dividend looks today, since it's the area I'm working on at the moment. I've removed most of the hillside on the far side of the tracks - to flatten it for a house scene - and am starting to rebuild the hill as a scenic divide between Dividend and Cromwell (complete with rock-lined cut, eventually...). I also did a major rework of the track arrangement here back this past summer.

Speaking of Cromwell, here's how it looked at the end of 2019 . . .

. . . And here it is as of today. I've angled the town & buildings a bit more for some additional "distance" from Dividend - and I'm working on the hill & cut.

From here on south, things are pretty much the same as they were this time last year, unfortunately. Here are the marshlands south of Cromwell and north of Middletown.

Panning left, you see the north end of Middletown proper, with the Dividend structures placed here temporarily to keep them out of harms' way.

Continuing to pan left/south, we see the throat of Middletown yard.

And here's a nice overview of Middletown, looking south past the diamond towards the meat packing plant.

Speaking of which, here it is. - one of MANY structures built and donated by Bill Maguire.

Continuing south from Middletown, we enter the scenic high bridge at Shailerville - another scene courtesy BillS (I'm SO going to miss his help now that he has his own layout to build!)

Looking south from there, you can see East Haddam on the left and Deep River on the right.

The East Haddam scene has improved a bit since this time last year, with the addition of some prototype structures built by Dave Messer.

Anybody familiar with the area will recognize these buildings. Sadly, Dave passed earlier this year before he could complete them.

Turning to the right, we see Deep River as it was last year.

Not much difference this year, although the fascia around the lace factory in the distance has been tied back in. And more of Bill Maguire's structures - previously at East Haddam - have moved over here.

Continuing south from Deep River towards Essex, this will be the area around Old Deep River Road in the Centerbrook section of Essex.

Essex proper, looking southwest.

Northeast view.

Finally all the way down the Valley Branch to Old Saybrook, looking south. The orientation here is that East is to the left - and that's where we're going next to see one of the biggest improvements to the layout this past year . . .

Namely, the "boxing in" of the New London/East End staging yard.

Came out pretty nice, wasn't TOO much work, and really improved things by cutting way down on dust.

Moving over to the Airline, nothing's changed in the last year. As a matter of fact, I have the same reference photos here now as I did then...

The town of "Somerset" - with west end staging in the "staging box" hanging off the front of the module.

Somerset, looking southwest.

Continuing "north" from Cedar Hill Yard in New Haven to Middletown, we see the town of "Mill Hollow"

And here's an overall view. If you're interested in operating the Airline local through these towns, be sure to click here.

I've mentioned before how I sometimes think New Years' "resolutions" can be counter-productive, so I won't be making any here. However, to the extent that listing the past year's accomplishments can provide some much-needed motivation to spur on further progress, I may go back over 2020 and see what all I can jot down.

But I'm frankly in no great hurry to revisit 2020 - at least not quite yet. In the meantime, I'm happy to just revel in what I'm blessed enough to have today - and hope you've also enjoyed this little walk around the basement.

Here's also hoping you and yours have a wonderful, safe, happy and healthy New Year!