Thanks for the kind words, ima. It was a difficult decision because I have put a lot of work into the layout (although it is nowhere near the "complete" stage), and others have been so supportive. I'm especially thankful to Tyson for the rolling stock that he donated to the railroad. He did a fantastic job on those hoppers and the combine is my favorite piece of rolling stock!
I intend to document the progress on the new layout, too. Even though I'll probably be doing much of the same sort of thing with the new one, I'm certain there will be new challenges to overcome and new ideas to implement. I've really enjoyed watching the progress on Charlie's, Gavin's, Shamus', Mark's, Jesper's (handlaid, wow!), Biggles' and other's layouts. They've all given me ideas and inspiration.
And you're right: construction is almost as fun as running trains...sometimes even more fun!