Progress, 2013 Edition

For the last couple of years, I've been writing down a list of my big project plan, and then checking at the end of the year how I did. (See 2012 or 2011 for the past lists.) I've used these lists both so I can see my progress and so I can keep a list of bigger projects to start when I'm feeling ambitious. I've been slow to reflect on last year's progress, but let's take a look now, shall we?

• Host for 2012 Prorail in San Jose. Done. Also had operating sessions as part of the 2012 and 2013 Layout Design and Operations meet, my favorite local model railroad event, and for a couple other events.
• Finish the buildings and scenery at the south end of Campbell. (Station area, Hyde cannery, Sunsweet). I built the model of the Sunsweet building, but did no work on either the Hyde Cannery or the larger scene. I did add tht
• Mock up and redo the Abinante and Nola scene), terrain, and add Los Gatos Creek. Started, but no photos shown, and still plenty to be done.
• Back-date the layout to 1928, and replace the West San Jose depot scene with the building supply warehouse that existed before Diridon station. No work, and unsure exactly which year I want to model now.
• Buildings and scenery at Del Monte cannery. No work, but I did find that great panorama photo of the Del Monte plant in 1934, looking very Dickensian and unlike anything I expected.
• Extend lower staging another foot so 11-12 car trains will fit comfortably. No work, and still awfully necessary.
• Mine or oil pumping at Alma. The Moody Gulch scene went in and a few folks have even switched boxcars up there, but it's a challenging place when the only runaround is off in Alma, and is on a steep grade.
• Redo track around Glenwood that gets more than its fair share of derailments. No work, though I did rip up and replace similarly misbehaving switches in Los Gatos and on the spur leading to Plant 51. Maybe this year.
• Redo switches at the west end of Campbell. Done, though I don't really remember when I did this.
• Improve the rough scenery on the Santa Cruz staging, and cover gaps in the benchwork. No work.
• Ballast everywhere to help keep track from moving. Done along the San Jose to Campbell curve, but plenty more still to do.
• More trees for Wrights, and perhaps carve out space for the prototype water tank. No work.
• Reprogram some flaws in the ABS signals. Don't remember, but I'll bet I haven't.
• Patch holes and gaps in the scenery and fascia. Done for Prorail.

Whew.. that was a lot for the last year and a half, and I forgot that half that work was done so recently. I guess this means the list really did help me.

2013 Resolutions (six months too late)

So time to do the same thing for the remainder of 2013. What's my remaining to-do list?

• Complete the half the Campbell scene. Build the Hyde Cannery buildings, and add scenery around the station. For bonus points, include the abandoned tracks for the Interurban line on the far side of the station.
• Add scenery at Moody Gulch.
• Complete the San Carlos Street scene, with a complete overpass, creek bed, and new building for the Higgins-Hyde packing house.
• Lengthen the lower staging so we can store longer trains.
• Complete the Virden Packing cannery, and add a spur to serve it. There's no room for the prototypical spur, but there's room off the WP interchange track.

That's a fair list of work for the next six months. Check back in January to hear how I did!