I'm afraid this is it for the Southside Spur layout project. I've essentially killed it before I could really get started. It took me a long while to discover, but I realized N scale just doesn't work for me. I posted once about working on a side project Atlantic Coast Line GP7 in HO, and this is what undid my interest in N scale. I was able to do more real "modeling" in one GP7 than in 9 years of N scale. The larger size allowed me to play around with detail parts, painting, and even a Loksound installation, without needing years of expertise, which I certainly don't have. I am now a firm believer that no locomotive should be without sound, and this is much easier to do in HO. N scale in comparison felt like collecting little toys instead of real models. Now, I have a total of six Atlantic Coast Line units, 4 of which already have Loksound. I've sold the entirety of my N scale collection. I think for the future I'll be focusing on the same area, but this time with Atlantic Coast Line in 1952. This means long passenger trains with purple E-units AND freight operations AND switching. I feel the era and scale change has much more to offer me in terms of enjoyment. I plan to leave this blog up forever. To see my progress as a modeler in the years to come. Be on the lookout for another article in Model Railroader this year. You may see a glimpse of some of my future modeling aspirations...
