Modeling Cliches to Avoid when Building your Layout

[nachoman]

I think that most of the opinions voiced here are legitimate, but we should not loose sight of the ends 99% of RR modelers are trying to accomplish....Namely, to entertain ourselves...

Bingo. It all goes back to the goal in which you want to accomplish, or who your audience is. If your audience is you and you alone, there is nobody else you have to answer to. If you have kids, friends, or family you want to impress, perhaps your goal is different. Then you chose the details and methods to accomplish that goal.

At the same time, we should always strive to do better. If I don't try to do better with the next steam loco I detail, there really isn't much point in detailing the next one. I can either care that I have an industry with no means for the workers to get there, or I can recognize it and try to do better next time.

But in the end, as long as we are satisfying our individual goals - nothing more is needed.