Just saw the short blurb on the next project layout. Can't wait to get my January issue to start reading it. That made me start thinking about suggestions for a future project layout in respect to those done before. Last year the Beer Line was a hit. Interesting 1940s concept with a really intriguing reconfigerable plan. Before that the Troy Branch shelf layout with staging to a moden small industrial area. Thinking back on some memorable project layouts include the KR&D with its cars in/out ferry. All these were in HO. In N there was the Clinchfield with the load in/out powerplant & mine and designed to transport and introducing styrofoam scenary to the masses.
With all that in mind, I'd like to suggest another direction for the next, next project (keeping in mind these have several years lead time between concept to publication), do a O or perhaps S scale themed layout. Perhaps a On30 representation of the Maine 2 footers, or a northwest logging railroad. Feature hand laid track and turnouts and scratch built structures, even scratch build a couple of unique pieces of rolling stock. Do more indepth articles (for example look at the depth in the John Armstrong "Harsdcrabble" article linked on the MR page) on the building (the Cody's office interview mentions many things will be on the blog because they don't fit within the magazine space -- perhaps they should??) Maybe even consider a double decker design or an Iain Rice style plan.
I'm not bringing this up as criticism of the current layout (can't wait to see it) or because I want to see "my scale" (in fact, my RR is HO somewhat similar to the Troy Branch in concept) but because they are different from what I normally do. Rather I'm thinking this could explore something different we could learn from (such as the Beer Line last year -- how many of us Google map'd the area looking for the history??) and introduce a lot of new modelers to new skills and concepts.