Aw, c'mon, Tyson...
Let's not be too hard on the boy...
I've run into so many model RR's like Mike over the years...they just take evrything too seriously.
Sometimes I get the feeling that a lot of them lose sight of the fact that the word "model" comes before "railroad".
Whether we're blessed with talents like those of Shamus, & Pete, or we're just starting out with a loop of track, & a train set, we're all striving for the same thing in the end...we're trying to approximate some reality...some vision that we have in our head, & regardless of our level of talent, &/or skill, if we can look at what we've done, & say, "hey, I like that", & if we can show it to other people, & they say, "that's great!", or even, "that's great, but have you thought of trying...", then maybe we can boost the spirits of a fellow human being, & help them forget about that mortgage payment for a few hours, or that upcoming visit to the doctor, or any of the countless other stresses that daily life imposes on all of us.
This hobby (& this forum) is a retreat, & a sanctuary for me, & I don't want to see anyone driven away from it.
So if you're still there Mike R, please stick around, & I'm sure that there are things that you can offer that we can all learn from...but remember that street runs both ways!