section of the layout is about 17 feet of single-track main-
line running through the countryside. I played around a lot
with this section, considering all kinds of possibilities rang-
ing from a large water-powered mill complex to a small town,
to a large “destination industry” like a paper mill or plywood
plant. I arranged, and rearranged structures and track so
many different ways I lost track.
In the end, the answer became clear – simpler is better –
“Less is more,” as some of my friends are fond of saying. But
6. Initial plans called for adding a road (represented by
the gray cardstock), a country store, and a stub-ended
siding with a small freight house and station. Not only
would this scene have drawn undue attention to the end
of the backdrop, it was still just a little too “busy.”
6
