Hal Lindgren built houses for 40 years in the St. Croix Valley, and when he retired in 2018, his wife told him he needed a hobby that didn't involve her having to look at sawdust in the kitchen. Model railroading seemed like a natural fit-he's built four layouts since then, two for himself and two for friends who got tired of staring at unfinished benchwork. Hal writes about the practical side of layout construction: sturdy benchwork, proper joinery, and the kind of planning that prevents you from having to tear everything apart six months later. He models the Soo Line in HO, mostly because that's what ran through his hometown growing up, but he'll admit that he enjoys building layouts more than actually operating them. His workshop in Hudson, Wisconsin, is considerably cleaner than his wife expected.