As I redo the layout, I'm also reorganizing my equipment and supplies. 

First off, I am creating separate tool boxes for my track, electrical, and general purpose tools . Each box is a different color, and each tool is color coded to that box. I found this box at Home Depot the other day for my track tools and supplies. There's a divided tray, I used to organize my track nails, replacement ties, rail joiners, ect.:

My next "bright loco" project looks to be CNJ's Coast Guard RS3s, bright red body with white "racing stripe" herald.
http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/tr_cnj1543a.jpg
Atlas did run of them, and they show up occasionally on Ebay and quickly go for much more then my budget.  Herald King makes the decals for the standard Coast Guard scheme. 

12 years after I started building Penn Lake 7, I finally figured out why the plan didn't quite work.  The long side of the benchwork was 6 inches shorter then the plan called for.  DOH!  In 12 years I never thought to remeasure the benchwork.

The lesson kids...measure three, four or more times.

Nick

As I'm tearing down the old layout, I'm uncovering all this stuff.  It looks like a hobby shop threw up in my train room.  I found about 30 DPM/Walthers/Smalltown USA buildings for my never built city, that I had started to assemble but never finished, in addition to several boxes of books, and some scenery stuff.

Nick

Updates:

I finally took the plunge and started tearing down Penn Lake 7. 

First to go were the peninsulas .  I forgot how much room there was in the center with out them.

Been playing with some ideas for control panels for Penn Lake version 8. The panels represent towers controlling each interlocking or group of linked interlockings.  I haven't decided yet whether to group all the panels together as shown here or split them up, with each panel near its tower.

I've started a new adventure, using Artist's Acrylics for my weathering:

I much prefer the consistency and workably of artist's acrylics compared to craft paints. I'm still experimenting with technique, but here are some early results:

Aging some Accurail Reading hoppers.

Top: factory stock paint
Bottom: herald faded with black paint, lettering chalked and some rusty streaks with pastels.

Nick

In addition to my rolling stock projects, I'm working on kitbashing an anthracite breaker from some Walthers New River Mining kits.  Like many later breakers, mine will be loads in (mine run coal) and loads out (sized, processed coal).

Photos to follow, when it looks like something more then a pile of parts.

Nick