While uploading videos of my crossing gates, I had forgotten that I posted a video of my layout to Youtube some time ago.
So for fun I posted the link to the just built big brown flat layout of several years ago:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7UkgAxEXyU&list=HL1364853069
The wife and I then engaged the help of a local layout designer who proceeded to show how we could add details, mountains, hills, carve right of ways and add ballast, tell a story of why layout exists. So two years later here are the results. Certainly not up to OGR magazine standards (bet Rich and/or Allan cringe if they see this posting at all), but "good enough" for us.
I am modeling the ficticious 1950-60s era midwest division of eastern based Pittsburgh& West Virginia. It and the Wabash was absorbed by N&W in 1964, thus I justify adding N&W equipment to the roster and how P&WV rolling stock might end up clear out in Iowa. A transportation map search showed the N&W crossed a creek in the small town of Imogene Iowa on old Wabash tracks which also crossed IA highway 184. Thus a justification for the midwest division being. Imogene however, never had trolley service, but that never stops artistic license!
And when camera rolls by the freight cars, notice the preponderence of Heinz cars, which I collected in honor of my dad who worked for HJ Heinz Pittsburgh for 40+ years.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uT4FMg6LLIs&feature=youtu.be
