JJRR is a freelance layout that is situated on a planet smaller than earth but with a denser core than earth. the size/core density is to compensate for gravity and make near instant stops possible with the gravity effects of the freelance planet of my layout.
In my freelance world, earthlings discovered this planet and work with the Annunaki and a fictitious species of aliens called the Chevramfords to colonize and develop the planet. All locos, rs, building supplies, and everything else was shipped from earth.
There are streets in towns and cities, but in order to get around from locale to locale it is either hiking for days or taking the train. Driving is still really cool (albeit not among crazy city slickers) so there are dirt roads out of the cities and towns to little encampments and tourist features not accessible by train.
On my little 4 x 12 layout table I have put 1 city; Gold City, one town; Moose Springs, and two hamlets; Little horn and Farmington. I've put the small town in the center of the layout, with an inner loop as it's track and siding. Now, with the city of Gold City, I have just modeled the very most outer edge of the entire city. There are scratch built city tall buildings to suggest lots of tall buildings, and the passenger platform is longer than in Moose Springs. There is a siding at Moose Springs that I use as a passenger loading track / yard / passing siding, depending on what my needs are, and I've done the same at Gold City.
The major industry on my layout is passenger service due to lack of highways between cities and towns. ( let me just step aside here to say I love highway driving, and I hope that highways stay drivable longer than streets due to hover cars. I'm just trying to bring back passenger service as a main commute method.).