Progress continued on Wednesday with solid momentum. I removed all the rail from the Genaro Trestle to the Mountain Division return switch, clearing the way for the next phase of grading and alignment. As often happens when working on the railroad, the creative imagination starts to run ahead of the shovel and the pry bar.

While clearing ballast from the Shirley Covered Bridge toward the Mountain Division switch, a new idea emerged clearly in my mind: a station siding. I could suddenly see the station nestled neatly between the turntable and the new trestle, creating a charming little scene that feels like it has always belonged there. From that point, the siding would extend roughly 200 feet—beginning just before the station and running back up toward the Mountain Division. In my mind, the small country-style station is already complete, with windows, a door, lighting, and a passenger bench beneath an extended roof. I can see exactly where the siding will diverge from the mainline and where it will rejoin. The picture is fully formed long before a single tie is spiked.

As I worked, I happened to be listening to a friend, a fine detailed woodworker and artist. He spoke about the inner vision of the artist—how they see the finished work in the mind before it ever becomes reality. I couldn’t help but relate. We Live Steamers are artists in our own way. Our canvas is the land; our medium is rail, ballast, wood, stone, and steel. The track, the bridges, the scenery—this is our artwork.

So the railroad continues to evolve, as railroads always do. A project is never truly finished; it simply opens the door to the next idea.

For those of you planning or dreaming about your own line and not sure where to begin, let your imagination run freely. And as Walt Disney once said: “Don’t think outside the box—throw the box away.”

There are a few pictures in the gallery below.

More updates to come as the vision continues to become reality.