I noticed Gary had been MIA so I sent him a private email. Here is his reply:.
Thanks for the email. Everything is going well. Have been intensely working on the layout - adding 11 staging tracks. I have a big operating session coming up on March 18 and am trying to get ready for that.
Good to hear from you, hope everything is going well for you. Give my best to everyone else.
Gary
Hi Charlie,
Thanks for the update on Gary. Hope we get to see the results of his work...!
Andrew
Yeah, thanks for the update, Gary is our most prolific member and one wonders what's up when he isn't around. Glad to see he is just busy on his layout though.
We need a web cam in his layout building in the backyard
Hey guys!
Appreciate the thoughts. I apologize for absence from Big Blue. The past several weeks have been very busy in the train room, 12 hour days out there on weekends and several hours each evening. Most of this time was spent adding an 11 track staging yard. My original plan for staging was going to be "fiddling" during the op sessions, with cars being added and removed as others ran the trains. But a few weeks ago, a train friend was over and we were discussing the situation. He convinced me that I really needed to add staging, so we explored various ways to accomplish it - and came up with an idea that was good. And it is now implemented and ready to be used. Finished it today as a matter of fact!
Another project has been getting the paperwork ready for the big ops session on March 18. Most of it is in order, just need to finalize and print the switchlists for instructions for each crew/train. We'll have 3 crews of 2 people each, plus me as dispatcher. 2 of the crews will be AT&G crews running local freights and switching for local customers. The other crew will run all the BNSF and UP trains. In all, we'll have 18 trains in the session.
My backdrop clinic at the train show was a big hit - well attended and I got many compliments afterward. I still need to get it uploaded for Big Blue. Andrew, I haven't forgotten that you were going to help me.
Although I am modeling the modern era, I haven't really liked intermodal stuff. But at the train show, I ran across a guy who was getting rid of some: 4 sets of 5 unit well cars and 2 single cars, plus enough containers to fill up the whole thing with double stacks. He was asking $125 for the whole she-bang. I couldn't turn down that deal considering that the containers alone would cost at least $200 new. Plus he threw in a fancy car carrier box to put it all in too. So now I have an 18 foot long intermodal train to run during the ops session... the local crews better get out of the way! I gotta admit, the intermodal stuff looks really good.
Also got several new BN and BNSF locos with sound for the through-trains.
Reinhard, your buildings arrived, but I haven't had a chance to see how I can fit them into the layout yet. Will get to that soon. I extend my deepest thanks for your consideration!
And yes, I know, I need to post photos!
Thanks for posting the update, Gary. I've thoroughly enjoyed vicariously building your new layout.
Tom
And yes, we would like to see more pictures!
Thanks for updating us....Ya done good. I'm looking forward to the pictures.
Charlie