The pleasure is ours!

 Thank you for sharing your progress with us!  It's fun to see what you are up to!

Geof

Lyndonville Sub in N scale

Always a joy

to see pictures of your layout. It also inspires me to get out to my layout and keep slugging away at it!

Truly a model . . .

I can't believe it's...

Already been five years!! Thanks for sharing with us!  It's been motivating me with mine.

Much enjoyed...

James,  I have enjoyed the experience of "being there" with you as you have progressed through the years!  A very big thank you for allowing us to follow along.  I have learned a lot from your build and operation.  And look forward to future updates!

Always of interest

James, it might be 5 years, but it has been fascinating to watch as you progress, and I've learned ideas from what you have achieved!

Here's to the next five years!

Wonderful

The IAIS Grimes Line is one of those model railroads that really give me the sense of "being there".  Well done.  Masterful craftsmanship.  Thanks for sharing.  

Thank you...

for sharing you layout with us. Time flies! Great layout.       John

Thanks for the jounrey James

It has been great to watch this layout grow and develop into a real working railroad model. Please continue to keep us up to date and here is to at least another 5 years!!

Fantastic layout…

…James!

Any plans for the future? or, are you just going to enjoy detailing and operating?

Looking Ahead

First off... thank you all for your kind comments. It's been fun to share the journey.

Staying put for now. I have no desire (today) to abandon the layout. We'll see what happens tomorrow

James

5 years?!!!

It's been 5 years?  Wow time flies by fast.  LOL!!!  I've enjoyed your journey.  You and I are a lot alike you know.  Thanks for sharing your AWESOME railroad.  

Tom

Awesome railroad is right

Square Footage

246 square feet. Railroad sits in a 12' x 18' 8" space with a 7' by 3' 3" space for the Fleur Yard extension. 
James

Amazing

Only five years?! Great work!

Okay, it's on the very small end of medium

That puts you just over my definition of small: 200 square feet max. But your layout is definitely on the very small end of medium, so it's a great example of a smallish layout and how much fun it can be.

Congratulations on a job well done!

Beautiful work James.

   I really like the trees and the color of grass. Are you operating the layout regularly now that it's near completion? I think that's the key to a layout holding one's interest after the scenery is completed. Building specific cars to suit the location is also a good way to keep the interest level high.....DaveB 

Room Size vs. Layout Footprint

246 square feet. Railroad sits in a 12' x 18' 8" space with a 7' by 3' 3" space for the Fleur Yard extension. 
James

That may be the room size, but looking at the actual layout footprint  http://www.iaisrailfans.org/gallery/plans/grimesplan , I seriously doubt the actual benchwork footprint gets to 100 sq. ft. even when adding in Fleur Yard.Your layout room is defined at least as much by what's not there (bowl o' spaghetti and supporting infrastructure for same) as by what is.

It's a cool layout.

Mike

Op Sessions

The layout doesn't lend itself to regular, scheduled op sessions since it only needs one person to run and only has work for two people at max. However I've been operating since day 1 and have been fortunate to have numerous guest operators visit over the years. That practice will continue.

James

Congratulations!

Congratulations on the anniversary James.  That's a great accomplishment!  You've accomplished a lot in that time.

Mission successful

I'm a bit late to the party James, but congratulations on creating such a beautiful looking railroad.

I hope the next five years provide you with many opportunities to share more of your great work.

Rob Clark

Congrats James! Finished (or

Congrats James!

Finished (or almost finished) layouts are rare indeed. I always think of your layout when I see the local working Swanson and CE&I.

Art

James, you captured

The Iowa country side just west of DM.  I past this area often in my youth, on the war to Winterset.  Of course, most of what you have modeled was farm land in those days.  But your scenes really are classic of that area.  Great work.

Larry, formerly of Ankeny

Model what you see

Again, thank you all for the kind comments.

If there was a key reason my layout could be considered "successful", I'd point to the fact that I live within sight of my prototype. It makes creating a world in miniature much more straightforward when your research can be done on your daily commute.

James