Wells' Seven Unbearable Truths of Model Railroading...   Wells' First Law - "Model railroading is either fun on purpose, or it can only happen by accident!" Why leave something so important to chance? Actually, almost anything could be substituted for model railroading, and the law would still hold true. For instance, "Going to work is either fun on purpose, or it can only happen by accident!" (...but why would anybody want to substitute going to work for model railroading!?) Indeed, the law would still be inalienable if you omitted FUN altogether. For example, "Model railroading is either on purpose, or it can only happen by accident!" (...but why would anybody deliberately omit fun!?) It is probably best stated as a warning: "Model railroading is either fun on purpose, or it MAY NOT happen by accident!" Luckily, in every instance, it is all up to you!   Wells' Second Law -"It will always be just as easy to do it all right, as it always will be hard, just to do it all wrong!!" At first, this truth seems to defy the old adage that it is easier to do something right the first time (it doesn't). However, when it comes to model railroading, right or wrong, nothing is ever easy (...and rarely the FIRST time!). At best, its at least AS hard to do it right the first time. Now if its fun when you're done, it IS much easier to justify all that time and hard work!   Wells' Third Law - "Of money, time, and imagination, you never have enough of more than two, at any given moment!!!" I hold this truth to be self evident.   Wells' Fourth Law - "That which can go wrong,... will!!!!" Many people mistakenly attribute this quotation to some fellow named Murphy, but it was me. (I'm sure I'm RIGHT about this one!)   Wells' Fifth Law - "Layouts don't have to start out 'Once upon a time...' in order to tell a story. But it helps!!!!!" "When at first you dream, it is but a fairy tale". If it is your wish to live happily ever after with your railway, it only makes sense to imagine it as a fairy tale... that will come true.   Wells' Sixth Law - ?????? This one might be bearable, let me get back to you on it...   Wells' Seventh Law - "No one ever builds a railroad alone!!!!!!!" About this law, I am completely serious. We all need (and must therefore share) positive reinforcement, inspiration and outright direct assistance in order to ever "finish" our pikes.   Each one... teach one, Jim