Coming Together
29 AUGUST 2010
It's been a long, often twisting road. It began in the fall of 2006—with a false start. It was rebooted the following July. And so this version has been in the works for over three years.
At times I've felt as if I may have been making one big mistake after another. To be truthful, it may not have been a series of big mistakes, but there have certainly been countless little ones along the way. Consider that half or more of the structures were built twice.
At times the layout has sat idle for unsettlingly long periods. Sometimes this was because I was busy pursuing other modeling interests—including a now-postponed Zn3 layout. And then there's T Gauge, which makes an enjoyable alternative to Z when I need something different to do.
Lately, however, the James River Branch has been enjoying a healthy spurt of progress—in particular, some very dusty old city buildings are finally getting wrapped up. And this evening, after I placed the nearly-finished corner bar on the layout, I took stock in my accomplishments and realized that my little dream was taking shape. I've finished just enough of the town to get a real sense of its final form.
I must admit I was pleased. It's not the world's finest modeling, or the world's greatest layout, but it's quite satisfying to see, especially now that the ever-changing town of Naughtright is at last settling down and coming together.
This is just the sort of thing I needed to see, and at the right time. It will spur me on that much more enthusiastically. Even though I won't own the layout forever—it will be sold when it's done—it's the journey, not the destination, so parting with the James River Branch will not be as difficult as some might imagine.