"Testing 1,2,3... Testing... I think I'm on-the-line!"

Good morning. In a hobby filled with accomplished blogs and bloggers, it is only fitting that one by a technologically-challenged MWMABM (married white middle-aged balding male) debut on this specific day of the year. No fooling!

Fortunately as we move forward, any self-deprecation will probably be offset by the re-telling of the miscalculations and unfortunate events that resulted in the iconic Old Main Line's ultimate irrelevance. And in a purely accidental, but convenient excuse to replicate the prototype, the many foibles and mishaps of building this layout will be embarrassingly detailed in full disclosure.

The developers of the 19th century textile mill complex at Daniels, MD sought to harness the full power of the Patapsco River by situating  it inside a very tight elbow of the modest river. It seemed like a good idea at the time. But we'll see that this wasn't the first, or biggest, miscalculation made on the OML.

 

Begun in November 2012, the layout's progress has been stalled by two major design changes that necessitated unexpected construction delays. In real life, contractors refer to such as change orders, and they can be very costly. In my case the dollar cost was minimal, but the time cost was not.

The realization was this: I needed to change my mantra from "Get it right the first time," to "Just get it right before it's too late!" Although each decision represented one step back for two steps forward, the ultimate net result should be an improved layout.

We'll play catch-up on the last 2-1/2 years for awhile before we arrive at present-day status. Tomorrow we'll look at the generous basement space that was available for a layout and a contentious ruling by the household's Senior VP of Real Estate Distribution and Utilization. See you then.

-30-

 

  BONUS:  RHETORICAL  QUESTION  OF  THE  DAY...  

 

The introduction of this blog is a positive development because:
A) It fills a real need in a hobby devoid of opinions and preferences.
B) It distracts the author from career and family responsibilities.
C) It justifies the author's degrees in journalism and architecture.
D) None of the above.