I grew up with my dad’s model railroad. It was classic. Tracks on a flat table, loops within loops. Neat but predictable. But when I was ten, I discovered John Allen, and everything changed.

John Allen didn’t build flat. He built drama. His Gorre and Daphetid was a mountain railroad, with sheer cliffs, bridges, tunnels, and scenery that soared from the floor to the ceiling. It wasn’t just a layout. It felt like a real world.

That hit me hard. His use of vertical space made everything more realistic. More alive. The mountains gave the bridges and tunnels a purpose. The trains weren’t just circling, they were traveling.

So when I started my latest layout, I knew I had to build my own canyon. A full-height canyon, floor to ceiling. I call it the Great Canyon. Just like John Allen’s final masterpiece, mine has a walk-in riverbed and towering cliffs.

At the canyon’s end, my main line climbs across three levels. A waterfall crashes down, inspired by Burney Falls in Northern California. It’s narrow, but packed with detail. Building it takes time. It especially needs trees, hundreds of them. Each one adds depth. Texture. Life.

Right now, I’m deep in tree-making mode. It’s slow, but I love it. And when I show people the canyon? They stop. Eyes wide. They’ve never seen anything like it. Scenery that climbs from the ground to the rafters. And that’s the goal.

Drama. Always.