Grand Opening!

I am happy to announce the opening of "L" Stop Liquor and Food, open 24 hours for your convenience, selling all sorts of food and booze. Plus, of course, lottery tickets.

I am just happy to have finished up one of the new buildings. The track and structure have been put back in place. 

The other buildings are still being worked on. To the left, will be the Dill Pickle Delicatessen (the sign is just temporary at this point) and the Plymouth Hotel for transients (both lifted from the Blues Brothers, or Van Buren and Plymouth Court). To the right, I haven't decided on what business to put in. I may to a record store to pay homage to the old Wax Trax store on North Lincoln Ave.

Still, the CTA is happy to have leased the storefront under the tracks. The business owners don't seem to mind the rumbling of the trains overhead. So far, none of the bottles have fallen off of the shelf.

Also, I've started home renovations (fixing the cathedral ceiling) and fixing drywall. But, I must make time for modeling, keeps things fun.

Several new videos ... and possible death blow to progress?

I've still been working on my new building:

Also, I've recently uploaded a couple of video to Youtube:

First ... some views of the progress made so far:

Second ... I've decided to finish some of the areas that didn't have scenery yet. So, I made a time lapse video of me taking down the structures. It illustrates how the track and structure is modular in construction.

And, as mentioned in the title, progress on the layout may be temporarily suspended for hopefully not too long of a time. I am embarking on some major home renovations, of which I get to do all the labor. Plans include:

• New kitchen (cabinets, counter tops and backsplash)
• New recessed lighting in kitchen (none there now), which means new wiring and switches
• Installing hardwood floors throughout the first floor of my house (approx 800 square feet)
• Repairing vaulted ceiling in living room (every joint cracked since I just had a new roof put on and the roofers did a LOT of pounding) and repairing some water damage (which necessitated the new roof). Drywall taping 18 feet in the air is less than fun.
• Lots and lots of painting

I hope to still be able to work when I can on the layout.