Yesterday was a great day for model railroading. Our club had 3 guys open their homes and allow us to see their layouts. First I'd like to say thanks to those guys who shared their sanctuary to all of us. Second, I wish I could go on layout tours about every other week-end. Seeing what other guys (or gals) have done is an incredible stimulation. I walk away both encouraged that mine ain't that bad and that I got a lot to learn. How can that be, you might ask.
Well, several of the fellows had dead spots where trains stopped cold every time. My layout don't do that but about twice and well, you get the picture. Some of these guys have places where the locomotive rocks around on straight or curved open track telling me they have a kink or two in their layouts too. And some of the best looking layouts have some sections just like mine that are bare track and need a year or two more work. Then there are the guys whose layout looks fantastic but it turns out to be all code 100, no just how can that be!
Now that I don't feel so bad about my layout, now I am really incented to learn how to build better structures and paint stuff better. The scenery and structures are blended so smoothly. These guys are not model railroaders, they are artists! Wow, their work is breath taking. The detail, the flow, the unity of their work is majestic. I've learned so much, but I've retained so little, there is so much more to learn.
I love layout tours! What about you?
Joe Daddy