This MOC is a blast from the past:http://www.flickr.com/photos/brian_williams/sets/72157633093116564/ . The year was 1999 when I joined GMLTC to exhibit at the NMRA National Train Show in Minneapolis, Minnesota. To my knowledge this was the first time a Lego layout exhibited with the NMRA National Train Show - and it was a HUGE hit. My contribution to honor the occasion was to build the William Crooks: the first locomotive to operate in Minnesota and two prototypical cars of the Saint Paul and Pacific Railroad.
Now remember this model is a tad old... and it hasn't been upgraded through the years. It retains a basic slope boiler and studs on the roofs. However, the custom stickers still hold-up with the best today as they were made on an Alps. The technique to allow the cylinders to clear the pony truck is still quite unusual. And of course there is the pure nostalgia factor !
- Brian Williams