I have nothing but admiration for John Allen's work and have both Linn Westcott's book about the G&D as well as a DVD of movie clips that had survived the fire. However the two layouts that influenced me the most were Allen McClelland's V&O and George Selios' Franklin and South Manchester. I tried to emulate Allen's concept of operations on a linear layout that created the feeling of going somehwhere rather than a bowl of spaghetti with the railroad passing through the same scenes multiple times. I love George's magnficient urban settings and tried to capture that on a much smaller scale.
Many years ago I saw pictures of John Allen's layout and thought all American model layouts were the same.
As for being a favourite and layouts to look up to I think most of us have ones we like best. Hoping one day to achieve something like it.
I was told some time back never to copy an idea or scene. It doesn't (seem to) work. Adapt the idea, yes. Adapt it to your situation. Make it your own idea.
David
To the world you are someone. To someone you are the world
I cannot afford the luxury of a negative thought
I admire, as a matter of principle, people who carve out respected reputations. I can appreciate the mastery evident in such layouts. However, they don't appeal to me. I find them bleak, crowded, caricatures, and generally busy. Some of that must be my own history with the rails, those largely being in non-urban settings. Initially, it was the vast yard at INCO in Sudbury, but only driving by quickly on the way to market. I was three. Later, from five to thirteen, it was at altitude in the Andes Mountains. Tunnels, tall bridges, switchbacks, a smaller horsehoe went right around our house in Casapalca,... Later, when I returned to Canada in Grade 10, it was the expanses of the Thompson River Valley in Ashcroft/Kamloops, and down through the Fraser Canyon where I saw trains.
But, again, I do acknowledge the appeal of these tight layouts, with their good work, for those who grew up in similar settings. Must be really rewarding to generate something approximating those layouts.
John hooked me on HO scale from his article in the 1951 Model Railroad Handbook at the age of 14. Now after 70 years I’m still hooked. I have built three layouts basically on the John Allen Twice Around concept including my present and final layout.John was and always will be my Model Railroad Mentor.Mel My Model Railroad http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/ Bakersfield, California Turned 84 in July, aging is definitely not for wimps.
Model
s0_024_teaby_unk59.jpg (3072×2048) (gdlines.org)
Prototype
https://i.pinimg.com/736x/ae/d0/24/aed02475b68b64426527b2b3bbbb6201--common-carrier-electric-locomotive.jpg
John's muse was obviously the Bingham & Garfield in Bingham Canyon, Utah