I have subscribed to CTT since the January 2003 issue, and will always remember the sight of Mr. Pete Vollmer’s “practice” layout featured in the May 2004 issue (yes, I still have a dog-eared copy of it). I also read with interest the feature on his new layout, as published in CTT about four years ago. I remember there being talk in the final paragraph or so of that article about Mr. Vollmer getting out of O scale and into On30. I also recall reading a forum posting (O Gauge Railroading) which seemed to suggest that Vollmer’s beautiful O gauge layout was indeed being succeeded with an On30 display.
Now, here in the May 2015 issue of CTT are a series of amazing photographs in which postwar Lionel trains meander through the scenery described in the 2011 CTT article. It almost seems as though the “Postwar-yet-Hi-Rail” approach taken with the “practice” layout we saw in 2004 has been reincarnated. Beautiful work, Mr. Vollmer!