I think a lot of it has to do with the way the mind works. When we view our trains from above we see everything. We know where the train came from. We know where it is going. When we look at them from eye level we see what is in front of us. The mind fills in the unknowns. When looked at from above the mind sees that the train ran into a tunnel, rounded a curve, exited the tunnel and passed in front of us. When viewed from eye level our imaginations tells us that the train traveled a great distance and suddenly appeared before us only to depart and continue its journey into the unknown. I believe that is why children are fascinated by train layouts. They cannot see the entire layout so their minds fill in the blanks.
Tom
