It had been a while. Work, the golf season, two three week long trips (together!) and FAR too many business trips for Himself meant life got in the way. Throw in some cabin fever due to a few flakes that started at the end of November ’10 which kept Himself stuck ‘working from home’ far too often (since our road is not plowed) and you have the perfect conditions for getting stuck back in.
Our six and a half year-old nephew visited in September ’10 and played with the layout nearly every day once Uncle showed him how to work it. No trees, houses, people — no problem. The trains worked so that’s all that mattered.
On the day he and his parents arrived my nephew sat on the bottom step of the stairs in his pjs, having had his supper and bath, waiting for Himself to get home from work. (Auntie didn’t know how to work the points yet – I still don’t!). My sister, her husband and this future train layout builder had arrived that morning and jet lag was setting in but there was no way that kid was going to bed until Uncle let him play with the trains.
The work shown in this post took place during the 2010 Christmas break. Before we began, there was a little repair to do on a point on the upper level (I’m not pointing any fingers). Luckily that task turned out to be more minor than we thought.
Bits of firmly pressed floral styrofoam dipped first in glue then in sparkly black sand turned the empty coal cars (Harburn Hobbies) into something special. Some people party on New Year’s Eve. This is what an old married 18 ½ years couple do at Hogmany.
Of course, we were drinking a very fine Barossa shiraz at the time. Then a Marlborough pinot if I am not mistaken. At some point we decided we better stop — building, not drinking. One shouldn’t drink and work on one’s layout at the same time. I suspect that could only lead to much grief.
