Nice job. I like the way you made the rounded corners on the roads and track beds just like the original! Attached is a photo of my replica D-165 (1956) that I built. It is replica of the "Dealer Catalog Version" as the actual D-165 produced was rather different, but I didn't know that at the time I built this layout! The grass is Lionel 919, and like Andrew, I mixed up all of about 9 bags of the stuff in order to get a uniform color. The grassy areas were screened onto the boards, and I had to add an extender to the latex paint I used so that the paint would remain tacky long enough to sprinkle on the grass. The mountain is made from special felt that was custom made for me that is similar to the wool felt in the Lionel 920 display sets. It was soaked in hot "fish glue" and draped over a wire screen and wood frame. It was then painted with casein theater paints mixed with the fish glue just like the original dealer displays. Even the wiring is cloth covered wire where it is exposed. I always liked these display layouts and remember very well seeing them in stores when I was a youngster in NYC. Keep up the good work - you've made a great start!
