Well thank you for all the helpfull responses After about two years on hold the ball is scrunched up and rolling.
The permit for the resturant has been denied. 
More too come…
That is coming along nicely. I like the effect created by the many telegraph/telephone poles. Trees look good, too.
So far, looks good, except I would recommend either chain link or tall board fences along the backyards of the residences. These should be mounted right behind the (low) retaining walls.
That looks great! can I ask how you did that road?
[#ditto] Also fences between the properties. And, since those are BACK yards, I would expect to see barbecue gear, swing and/or slide sets, maybe one fancy garden, a small vegetable patch (in a different yard) and, inevitably, one unlicensed junk yard… The detailing possibilities are endless.
I like the way you’ve separated the different zones, but question the 18-wheeler on the gravel. In my experience, big rigs and residential alleys are a most unlikely mix.
So far, well done.
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
So far so good! Keep up the good work…[tup]
As a suggestion all back yards doesn’t have grills recalling some folk uses the small portable grills that can be wheeled into the garage or back porch…You may want to add 2 or 3 though.
A dog house or two would be nice as well as some bird houses and/or bird water stands…
Actually, the way it looks to me, that ‘residental alley’ is acting like an access road - if he puts some privacy fencing (the chainlink or board fences I and others mentioned) along the residences backyards, the scene (backyards/access road) would look like dozens if not hundreds of places in urban/suburban areas of New Jersey/NY/Penna - big trucks (maybe not as often tractor trailers, more likely cement mixers, gravel haulers, lumber flatbeds, vans, etc) using the access road to reach heavy industry, and the residents themselves isolated from that scene by using the fences to ‘hide’ it from their view.
As for backyard details - crank up MSN Live local, point toward Northern or Central Jersey, or Brooklyn or Queens (NYC) or South Shore Nassau County NY, or North/Northeast Philadelphia, hit Bird’s Eye view and let the prototype spark your imagination - actually with a little searching you may find a prototype scene quite similar to what you’re trying to recreate on the layout…
I did this sunday, i had everything i needed to use for what i have done so far, as i have been building up my supplies for about two years, so when sunday night rolled on and i had come as far as i could in one day of building(waiting for glue, plaster and paint to dry) i had wanted to take pictures and post them double time,
In my vanity i wanted to get some mental strokes before i went to bed [dinner]Goood-booooy.
I tried to respond to individual quotes but i couldn’t figure it out so i will try answer each one
Backyard details are still coming-but i admit i never thought about the BBQ
Fence’s are drying and will be placed next
Originally was just a gravel road, but i like the term access road better,and as a fuel driver i am familar with the backdoor roads only thing i have to watch out for is kids and potholes, and i weigh about 160k lbs so im not really going that fast
Question was asked on how i did the roads, not sure which one, first one is just ballast, sand and silica sand for filler, the cement raod is woodland scenic plaster cloth cut into road sections, painted with aged concrete and several weathering colours
Here is an inspirational shot courtesy of the Midwest Mod-U-Trak layout on display this past weekend at the Prototype Modelers Meet, Naperville, IL.
geez i would get bounced from being mayor if i cut down everyone’s backyard to that size, good job though, nice place to visit but wouldn’t want to live there
Cleanest alley i have seen too.
any idea how the road was formed?