Ever find a new position from which to watch your layout?

That's a solid 6 year project.  I'll bet you enjoy that little BEEP run.  Lots of project space and lots of rail running.  Very interesting.  Very nice job.  I'll get down there one of these days.  Would really enjoy seeing it first hand.....

Are those models of frigates in the background or a mural?

I tried Kama Sutra, but it was hard to control the quilling whistles.

Models.  For about 25 years, while I raised three boys and put them through college, my hobby was scratch building 1:87 models of British sailing warships - even turning the cannon barrels myself.  It was a good and cheap hobby for a time when no amount of money seemed enough to meet all the demands.  Model ships are great, but unlike model trains they just sit there on a shelf!  when colleege was paid for I went back to model trains.  I made 14 ships in 25 years, and the two in the train room won't fit in my study downstairs, where the rest of them are.  The one to the right is HMS Hotspur, from the Hornblower novel.  The leftmost is HMS Resolution, which sank in a storm around 1700, immortalized in the great  painting by van de Velde the Elder.

Lee as a matter of fact I did just do that this summer. I have a large mountain/ unfinished area about 8 feet in diameter that I was checking out under the layout to locate my new power and control center. I stood up on a crate and could see the entire display!! both sides and every switch. OGR could do an entire photo shoot of the whole basement RR from one two foot square platform. 

clem

A LOT OF PEOPLE LIKE TO CLIMB UP ON A LADDER TO TAKE SOME SHOTS. But I want to get out over the top of the layout to shoot some shots gown on the layout like aerial shots. I have a plan that would allow me to put a platform up over the layout to get those top down shots and also the LONG VIEW elevated shots. Have not done it yet but have a plan of how I would do it.

Yes.  It is a good thing to do and you will find it enjoyable.

.....

Dennis

It might be easier to do what a friend of mine did several years ago.  He suspended just his digital camera instead of himself over the layout with a kind of crane he made for that purpose with some 1 x 3 wood.  He set it on out focus and used a remote camera trigger to take the photos and took about 100 while varying height and angle slightly, of which probably two dozen were good and a half dozen truly superb. 

This is really neat Lee and thanks for the unusual view of your layout. Catching glimpses of the moving vehicles around the layout adds a tremendous amount of interest!

Didn't see the boat?   Oh, it's almost January - Never mind!

I remember you mentioning your boats awhile back. One of our members used to build boats with his dad years ago and has a couple of them at his home. Truly amazing works of art!

Any chance of slipping some good photos in sometime?