I'm in the process of updating my clinic which I give at NMRA functions, "Engineering the Right of Way," and came up with these comparison photos that I thought would be of interest to forum participants. The goal of the clinic is to show how the application of civil engineering principles to your layout can enhance realism. They include the construction of cuts and fills, cinder subroadbed, shoulders on fills, and era appropriate ballasting practices.
The image on the left is a prototype photo while that on the right is of my layout. Though the prototype image is of the Horseshoe Curve, and that to the right is the section of my layout portraying PRR's Middle Division along the Juniata River near Port Royal roughly 100 miles east of Horseshoe Curve, I think you can see how I applied those engineering practices to make my layout look like the prototype. Also note the signal bridge, relay case, and the line poles which add to the railroad flavor.
Thanks for letting me share these images with you, and Happy Easter and Happy Passover to everybody!
