The Big One - Lego City Layout

I have collected a wide range of Lego sets over the years, but my greatest passion has always been trains.  I have always loved the idea of train sets ever since I was a kid, and have dabbled in HO and later, Lionel train sets.  The problem is, honestly I am not very good at it.  I have lots of ideas of complex, detailed and realistic displays, but lack the time, patience and skill sets to make it happen.  Five years ago, I built a large L shaped HO train set in my tuck under garage.  Since then it has languished, never getting past mostly completed track and some buildings.  A couple years ago, I finally broke down and realized that I would never be able to finish it, so I pulled up all the track and put the trains and buildings in storage.  But what to do with all that bench work?  And with my ever growing collection of Lego's?  I decided to combine the two and attempt to build a Lego Train display based loosely off a classic Lionel type layout (detailed and functional but having a surreal "TV Land" feel to it).  And so my first initial haphazard attempt was born: