Sources of inspiration

Inspiration in this hobby can come from many different places. Pictures seem to me to be used by most modelers. The perfect scale model of the Baldwin 2-8-0 that was completed on March 21st 1891 that was modeled completely down to the very last detail. From the correct number of rivets on the smokebox to the exact color and number of white polka dots on the fire mans handkerchief. Hey to some people that is inspiring and I can not fault anyone who considers this their way of doing this hobby. To me that is too much work I WANNA RUN SOME TRAINS!
But we must remember that if all you do is lay out a circle of track and send the wheels flying you are missing a real opportunity to get into a real fun hobby and that circle is going to get real boring real soon. Just like when you had that bicycle with training wheels you were already thinking of the two wheeler, unless you were like me... Screw the two wheeler I wanna motorcycle.
The sad part is that most people only get as far as dream phase, that next phase is damn scary especially if you like to read model railroading magazines or websites like burnsland.com or railroad-line.com (both full of excellent modeling) you see stuff in there that will blown the wind out of the sails for most of us.
So where do they get their inspiration? Where do I get mine? Hey it's YOUR railroad what do YOU like? For me the inspiration is feelings and emotions that I have got over the years. Disneyland was a lot of my inspiration for the feelings I get. It was my first experience with the smell and taste of the railroad. Notice I said Disneyland not just Disneyland Railroad. There have been many locations park wide that have left a feeling with me. Many of them long gone but remembered fondly. That is my inspiration for the scenes that I want to convey on the PG&YV, Oh and pictures do help. Also seeing as I work for the 1 foot equals 1 foot scale railroad I have managed to experience some exciting locations up close and personal like the Feather River canyon where I was stuck off track on a curve between two tunnels at least 300 feet above the river that looked like it belonged on a model, in 100 degree weather in direct sun for most of the day with no hope of rescue "Cause we Need to get this Curve laid Come Hell or High Water!" ok maybe that day wasn't the best then, BUT the emotion that I have attached to it are burned deep into the Grey Matter and I don't need any pictures at all to accurately model that location if I was so inclined to model it but that ain't happening this week.
So what inspires me may or may not inspire you. But what you like is all that matters, just get out there and build Something! You may just surprise yourself, I know I surprised myself.