Hard to believe it's more than 2 weeks since the last update, and this month is almost gone already. There's been real tracklaying at Chris A's new outdoor railroad, remote operations and dispatching for Bob R's NCL, virtual meetings of the JRD and OpSig, sightseeing and local history in the beautiful autumn weather, and family activities. When a cousin the same age as you suddenly passes away, it's very sobering. During the current pandemic the family gathering was a surreal reality check.
Ah, but the AL&E has made progress despite all the distractions. New industry has appeared, and the "old" ones are now returning to their rightful places along the railroad. The car card boxes are reappearing in preparation for bringing the rolling stock fleet back to life. The Florence Yardmaster's "desk" has now been prepared for the influx of traffic expected to develop shortly. Electrical drawings have been updated and after almost 20 years are accurate and might allow someone else to come in and understand how the system goes together! I'll put some up somewhere here on the website and see if they generate any comments.
Although we're essentially operational now, it remains to be seen when it will be safe to have a "crowd" in the train room. Probably we'll try to start with only a very few at first. Open to ideas
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