How long has it been, are you happy about it?

[sailormatlac]

The club layout (Hedley-Junction) started back in February 2006 as a harbour layout based on Quebec City in the late 1950s. It then moved to another hosue basement, evolved and became a messy labyrinth. The newer parts were rebuilt as a yard, then the original parts were renewed as the Murray Bay subdivision. Then the yard was once again modified several time until a last rebuilt two years ago. But nothing survive of the original structure. I still consider it to be the same layout since we never changed the prototype but only changed our focus on which part of the line to model. The only thing that remained was the staging area known as Hedley-Junction. Also, the era went from 1957 to the 1960s, then the 1970s, early 80s and finally settled in the mid-1980s...

The project as a whole was a crazy process... When I look back at it, almost 80% of efforts, money and resources poured into the project was misguided. But you never learn from your good actions, only from your mistakes. If it was to be done again, I would reduce the scope a little bit. There's still a few things I'm not satisfied with, but generally speaking, I like the prototype, the concept and the industries. The fact operation occur on a regular basis means to me it is a success.

Meanwhile, I started a lots of small layouts since then. Many dozens planned, maybe a dozen partially built. Most were failure, but I've learned a lot and it made the club layout better in the end. I wouldn't have gone that far if I didn't have the freedom to experiment.

Matt