Trainfun posted:Whenever guests come over to see the layout a guy named Murphy is the fireman.....
After you work out the kinks (in your knees, back, etc.) you will be able to have a few laughs about how this so often seems to happen. You may feel a bit embarrassed but your guests are no doubt in awe of your amazing layout and they will remember the highlights not the little engine that couldn't ...Even static the layout is a work of art!
Thanks for your perspective, Trainfun,
...and as Trumptrain, Ed Walsh, Serenska, JackieJr, Tony V, and Becky, Tom, & Gabe Morgan said about my opening comments to this thread giving them a good laugh, I enjoy your perspective, folks. It was laughing at myself that motivated me to begin this conversation. I guess everybody could see I was being ironic in my "complaining."
Once I realized I was being silly (and a bit too tired) getting even a little agitated about operating a seemingly reluctant layout and sharing it with guests (for numerous times since 1995's inauguration), I decided to come here to the OGR forum to share my "woes" so I could see if anybody else had such ordeals requiring patience and could feel my "pain."
Like EngineerJoe said, I really did theorize that it might have been "just me" that didn't quite "get it" about running a miniature railroad right.
A real irony is that constructing and crafting Moon Township into its several expansions and versions (See OGR Runs 163; 168; 221; 285), gave me much satisfaction and reward and relaxation. Having the layout, of course, affords me the same benefits, but it's that Murphy's Law that has become nettlesome, at times, well, at a lot of times, almost dependably (uh oh, here I go into another near-rant...I better stop with that sort of yapping...).
Yet, as Hudson J1e/Phil mentioned, I am, of course, very, very glad to have the layout and the friends who come to see its happiness. I keep the woes to myself, well, except for this tome broadcast to the world-wide-web.
Apparently, I am in very good company, though!
P.S. Thanks for the inquiry, JackieJr, but,no, I am not even thinking of dismantling the layout - that thought never crossed my mind. My wife and I have far too much fun with it, even considering the at-times naughty engines and rolling-stock, toward which my wife's attitude is, and I quote, "Whocares! Have fun. There's plenty of other stuff to look at and enjoy." (Of course, I never let her see me mounting the layout to dust or fish for errant trains.)
And when somebody as nice and experienced as Ed Boyle 
has such nice things to say about our layout, and being in our home, even doing so so kindly on this forum, what is there to complain about, really.
Life is very, very good, and the layout, like children, as the Morgans said, behaves most of the time. I'm blessed to have it and blessed to have become acquainted with so many of you through our hobby. It is a Merry Christmas.
P.P.S. Now, I've assigned myself the task of going down to the train-room to see what's wrong with that stopped diesel and to put in place the ten engines optimum to run for the next bunch of guests.
