Comments/suggestions wanted. Taking advantage of some "free" time over the holidays, I have roughed in the area that I planned for an Intermodal Yard on my layout. I have several trailer units that I have custom built with various Canadian transport companies. I take a photo of the prototype, then crop out everything except the trailer side.

Hi all,

Merry Christmas to everyone and many wishes for a happy and healthy upcoming new year.

Quick question. On my layout (and the actual prototype) I got a team track, and near the team track (a few blocks away tops), a large construction site (the building site of the I-210 freeway north Pasadena in the late 60s). Would it make sense for some heavy machinery/materials for the construction of the highway, to be brought in on flat-cars using the said team track? Or was it all done using trucks? (I got a couple of GSC 53'6" cars to use...).

Photo Backdrops seem to more accessible lately and with Google street view the ability to create signature scenes looks very practical and affordable. 
 

Neil Schofield, Scott Thornton, Joe Atkinson, Bill Brillinger, and Jim Six (among others) have all demonstrated that this is achievable and results in stunningly realistic and seamless transitions from the foreground scenery. 
 

I recently moved to a new house and while I wait to take out some walls to fit my current layout I've been dreaming about my retirement railroad.

The prototype I eventually hope to model is the CN Kingston Subdivision. It's a double track mainline with two yards along the line, that while relatively small by railroad standards, are large by model standards if every track is included.