Thank you for all the great comments guys, both the regulars and a few lesser heard from folks. Welcome aboard to the newcomers! 
This "train" departs right around 11:59 PM central time on the last day of the month, and usually runs on time.
Those who have been following this topic for a while may have figured this out by now, though I have never stated my practice before, but here's what I do: I try to address everyone who comments, directly in a giant reply, which could take up to 48 hours to do. I'm a big fan of the like button, so when you see one from me on this topic, it means two things. First that I appreciate the fact that you took time to post, and second that I have replied, and you should check back.
This may go on for a few days, but usually by the end of the first week of the month the conversation had died down. When that happens, I don't usually look in here, unless I see the topic on the front page, but that is hit and miss, and I may miss a late post for a week or two. I often let the topic go to sleep, until the next update, but will simply put a like on the post, so you'll know that I read it.
I'm always happy to answer questions, so ask away. Even though my replies have a name associated with each person, I encourage everyone to read them all. Lots of interesting tidbits can be found in them. Unfortunately, it is a lot more work to include the individual questions or comments when I do replies, so you may have to refer back to that person's post to get the context. I do reply in posting order.
Whenever possible, I try to address people by their first name. There are even a good handful that I have learned over the years, who don't give any outward indication. I do this forum wide. I think it makes cyberspace a little more friendly. So, if you you have it in your signature, or I can figure it out from your screen name, I'll use it. You guys are welcome to call me Elliot, that's why it's in my signature.
During the middle of the month, you can find my progress posts over on "What did you do on your layout today?" This topic and that one started within a day of each other. This topic is a boiled down version of what I post over there.
All that said, let's get reply round one rolling.
Wayne - Thanks, I've always been a fan of flowing curves. Corners can be painful belly catchers. I still want to do something to deal with the car card boxes, a necessary evil, but a real hazard. I'm thinking about smoothing over them with some Masonite or even plastic sheet. I could cut wood blocks on the band saw, and mass produce them, then just install them on either side of the boxes. I like that idea, simple and effective. Sounds lie a plan! 
BTW, doing curved edges on a layout is pretty easy, just use a flexible material, and provide supports to hang it anywhere you want.
NYC 428 - Thanks, the thought process for this creation, seems to be a set of skills that I was born with. I see well in three dimensions, and can be creative. It goes back to my earliest memories when I was creating layouts with push trains and wooden blocks on the floor (age 2 or 3). At 5 I got my first electric train. At around 7, I got off the floor, and onto an old ping pong table. from there it was just more, more, more, track, real estate and accessories. This is what happens after 55 years. I still have the push trains packed away in a box. 
My only problem is, I'm starting to run out of energy.
Mike - Thanks, I'm trying not to kill myself or Patrick. Saturday we get the payoff for all this work, with the layout tour, and both He and my son will get to share in the fun. Even if a lot of people don't show up, it's still worth it. Beside, you guys keep showing up here, which is the next best thing.
Frank - Thanks, though I may not be quite as organized IRL as I appear here on the forum. I don't show you things like my workbench, because that would ruin your impression. Those skirts show that I do have things to hide, literally. It's through the miracle of editing that I put on the best face here. Now that I've given that disclaimer, some things are very well organized. One of them is layout progress. I use a spreadsheet to track all the projects, and have the layout divided into 22 sections. I then assign a rough percentage of completion to each as we work. That I can get a rough idea of the work remaining. This month, we got skirts from about 10%, up to over 60%. Next month, we should be at 100% and move on to some old projects that got dropped along the way. BTW, we took the brackets that held the wire rack down last week, in favor of skirts. It had served its purpose, holding the spools left over from enterTRAINment for the last 8 years. Most are nearly empty anyway. Sign of progress!
Bob - Thanks, ever since I did my knee, I've slowed way down. Patrick has become my catalyst. He shows up and I feel guilty if I'm not working on something. I do need a lot more breaks than I used to. I put the air distribution system in for tools, and have used it mainly for the airbrush, though I have used it for a brad nailer and a finish nailer, on occasion. Way better than dragging the hose and compressor around the layout. I just park the compressor in the other room and close the door. Then I run the hose over to the inlet, a lot quieter.
John - Thanks, there isn't as much landscaping (scenery) to do as you might think. There's so much track, and the scenes follow it for the most part, that the biggest job is really ballast. I have most of the rail painted, and ready for ballast, but there are a few sections left to paint. Once the ballast is done on an upper scene, I can finish each one off with greenery and structures. then a valance completes the scene. The idea is to work top down, to minimize damage to finished areas.
Art - Thanks. I would have done the ceiling black too, but it would have been more expensive, and I drew the line on that one for cost/benefit. When I used to build architectural models back in the back n the early 80's, unless the customer requested a special color, the edges of models were done in black. It always made them look sharp. After that, anything else looked weird. I did it at enterTRAINment, and I'm doing it now.
George - Thanks. I was told it was a Lionel 213 when I bought it. No, they won't fit through the way it is, not even close. I saw a photo of Dave Minarik's layout just the other day. You can see it here. He did a really nice job modifying it to allow tall cars through and added nice detail as well. I saved the pic to my computer so I could enlarge and study it.
Don - Thanks. I bought it because the price seemed right. Most of the parts are there, but it would need even more work to make it functional. I don't need it functional, I'm perfectly happy with it being a static model. When I get around to working on it, of course I'll post about it here.
RTR 12 - Thanks, my son and I are going to the Twins game tomorrow, then we'll run trains when we get home. We're going to try out the new camera caboose, and put it up on one of my 55" monitors. Hope it works, there are some known problems with those, regarding fuzzy picture. That should impress the guys if it works. Fingers crossed.
I spent a January and February in Rochester, MN, and that's the last time I was ever there, cured me of wanting to go!
At least the weather is nicer.
It looks great, I wonder how many years it'll take to do all the landscaping! 
