I entitled this with a question mark. Certainly you may or may not disagree.
In our case, our family did follow this advice:
Suggestion:
A key feature in planning – at least among others - is where is a newly planned garden rr going to be viewed from? My experience with some 40 garden rrs associated with the SoCalif. Garden RR Assoc, is simply IF the main view point – where the chairs are, the patio is, the food is served, the umbrella table is located, etc. – does NOT require the viewers to move their head to see all of the railroad from that vantage point, boredom CAN be the response. In short, if the viewers can NOT see all of the railroad without turning to look, then there is action. Watching a train go around in one sight line appears (I do say appears) to cause short term interest. IF the viewers have to capture the view with a series of views, it appears to engender greater interest. This conclusion is from visiting experiences and watching people who do attend the open houses. Those railroads requiring people to walk around to see all, or to change their viewpoints while sitting, stay longer, ask more questions, and appear to favor that visit over others.
Conlusion:
Determine IF there is an agreed vantage point that MOST people will locate themselves. The already-in-place-I don’t -want - to change - it patio where traditionally everyone sits may be THE place the railroad is seen – no matter what the train enthusiast says. Whatever, don’t have the train in a corner of the yard and complain that no one wants to watch while they have their lunch in the patio at the other end of the yard. Hmmmmmmmmm.
OK, that’s the offering.
Wendell