The above referenced issue was one of the better issues I have read lately. Usually I find one or two things of interest to me. This one had five!
1) Sad to see. The obit for Mr. Manlick (Page 11). I used some of his DM Custom Decals generic data sheets when I first started with my freelanced railroad. (More years ago than I really care to admit.)
2) The article on wyes (Page 22). I have a planned expansion (if I ever get a big enough place of my own to put it) that I may end up using that article to revise a turning wye for a third option for that plan. (I already have two and have been looking for an idea that combines the track length of the first with the compact size of the second.)
3) Not that I would change my layout theme, but the UP Butte Line article (pages 44-50) was quite interesting, being a Montana person myself. (Eastern rather than Western but still interesting none the less. The tourist railroad on the layout also uses a silver version of the UP lettering on the steam engines and the open air seating caboose. [Microscale bargain bin purchase many years ago.])
4) The very next article on the switch tower also drew my interest in another way. One of the historic buildings on our Main Street was a drug store for many years. (Of course many of the buildings and structures on Main Street are historic and I have kitbashed 5 representations of those buildings for my layout.) I have wanted to model something similar for my layout and have looked at available commercial buildings without sucess. I also hadn't come up with a good way to even start a scratchbuild project. This article helps me with that problem.
5) Mr. Koester's statement about "Model railroaders ... would quickly gain a reputation as being quirky shoppers." As I have said a few different times, many of the shops around town know I am a model railroader. When I go looking for somewhat unusual things, I get asked if it is for my model railroad.