I guess I'm in there between 7 and 8. My main interset is my freelance line, which I try to keep faithful to North Jersey industrial areas. Freelanced scenes done beliveably mixed with reproductions of actual scenes out of context. Even my modeling of my prototype NYC is nowhere near a rivet counting quality. I am not attempting to model a specific portion of a line with towns n sequence. Rather, my approach is one where accurately modeled equipment (someday down the road after the layout is done) will pass thru actual scenes which will be in no particular order. Well, they will of course be in some particular order, the order in which they fit my trackplan! In real life you would never see the big name passenger trains on the West Shore, but on my layout they will pass over the wood trestle at Bear Mountain, on the wrong side of the river! But the scene will be as close to accurate as I can make it. Also, the station at Sputen Dyvil will be a scene done as close to real as possible. No room for a wye there though. And four tracks along the Hudson where there should be six. But I feel I will be able to portray the NYC feeling well. As far as era goes, while I have some out of era equipment, when I eventually conduct operating sessions when scenery is complete, I will stick to a period of around 1950. I can run the other stuff when no one is looking. 1950 is pretty flexible for me however, locos from 1952 or so are ok by me, and autos from as late as 1957 are close enough, at least for now.
Gary
