Vermont Rails Train Show, Essex Jct.., VT, 03/16/2013: Adirondack RR and VGRS layouts

Janna and I went to the Vermont Rails Train Show at the Champlain Valley Fairgrounds in Essex Junction, VT, yesterday. Woo hoo! We enjoyed ourselves immensely. I took 273 pictures in the hopes of getting at least 25% of them to develop acceptably.
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Vermont Rails Train Show, 03/16/2013: Lewis Buchspics' layout, Janna's ads and various tinplate

Lewis Buchspics set up the layout below at about 3 feet off the ground so that kids could easily view it. Since most layouts were at least 4, if not 5, feet off the ground, kids flocked to this one, attracted as well by the copious flashing lights, sound effects, fake smoke and motorized set pieces.

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Vermont Rails Train Show, 03/16/2013: Barb Pitfido's Lego layout

As far as I was concerned, the crowning jewel of the Vermont Rails Train show was, naturally, Barb Pitfido's Lego layout. I enjoyed her work immensely when I first saw it at the Dollars for Scholars Train Show last year, and yesterday was no exception. We recognized each other on sight :p, and she pointed out to me the humorous details of her layout this time around.
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[Isabel] Forrest in the forest

I did a quick mockup of my spring/summer forest set. I used a moss table runner for the ground. The backdrop is North American Wildlife 2011 Forest Green cotton print by Elizabeth's Studio [no really!]. The trees are my aforementioned sticks.

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Some thoughts:

• I really need to make weighted bases for my sticks. They keep falling over, whether I set them on my level desk or the uneven moss. The weighted bases will provide more support for the sticks and allow people to sit at the base of the trees without pushing the trees over. The bases will also add depth and variation to the currently flat ground.
• I also need some ground cover, not a lot, but enough to make the ground look less relentlessly GREEN.
• I have a functional foreground and a functional background, but I lack a functional midground. I need some undergrowth to provide depth to the scene and break up the line where the moss meets the backdrop.