Unbuilding the Department of Docks; Springfield

It's the day after the big train show in Springfield and I couldn't be happier, for several reasons.

I, as are many in the business of model railroading, am always concerned about its future and prosperity. Many believe the hobby is dying. With decreasing numbers in magazine subscriptions for example and dwindling hobby shops, that could appear to be the case. Additionally the economy is shaky to say the least and prices are increasing everywhere. With that in mind, it was with a watchfull eye that we attended Springfield. Fortunately turnout for the show was exceptional and there seemed to be little, if any hesitation on the behalf of product hungry modelers. And with the addition of a fourth building to the Springfield experience, the outlook looks promising. That said, we couldn't keep our new Bikini Car Wash kit on the table! I'd like to chalk it up to good kit design, but I think everyone was too caught up in staring at those partially clad Prieser figures. I think at one point we had to wipe some drool of the diorama! Come on guys, they're less than an inch tall...

Anyhow, it was a fantastic show and good to see so many of the modelers who build our kits. It's great speaking with everyone, getting lots of input and feedback as well.

Speaking of kits, another reason I'm glad the show's over, other than having some time to take a break, is that we can undo our Department of Docks diorama. I've been waiting for this all year. Since the kit will most likely be sold out by the time we do our next show (CSS in November), we no longer need the pilot model diorama as a selling tool. So, we can install it on our layout. I've already removed the main building, surgically cutting under the walls until it broke free. Fortunately I only applied glue in just a few spots, just for this occassion. The reason for this unbuilding is that I was unable to just drop in the diorama. There just didn't seem to be the right spot and I didn't want to compromise on forcing it. And, I'd like to make some improvments and additions to the scene. In the pics above you can see the removal and relocation of the main building. I haven't yet settled on final placement; that'll take a few hours of just staring at it and moving it around, like a dog looking for a place to sit. I'll keep you posted.