A possible new project

[DKS]

FWIW, here's what I'd do. First, I flipped the layout 180 degrees to place lowest area (the coal trestle) in the foreground. I rearranged the industrial sidings to serve the largest buildings, which are mostly flats along the back. I also flattened the street on the left (less interesting, but less awkward), and located the urban structures along the right, crowded around the elevated tracks. I replaced the triangular building with a team track, and replaced the gasometer with an industrial water tower.



The layout size is 16 x 60. Switches are Fast Tracks #6.

I kinda threw it together, so it probably has some issues.
 

[GaryHinshaw]

Great to see you getting back in the game, Erik.  I look forward to seeing where you take it.    Here are my comments on the plan:

- It has a lot of turnouts per square foot.  If your goal is to try hand-laying turnouts, this will fill the bill.  FWIW, I love the look and performance of hand-laid turnouts as well, but I don't enjoy making them.  You could test your interest in this task on a plan with far fewer turnouts.

- This would be a frustrating layout to operate, especially if you have no staging.  The tail tracks are all quite short, and there are roughly equal numbers of trailing point and facing point spurs which will require frequent runaround moves.  And what do you do with the cars that you switch out?

So, I see this as a plan that would take a lot of work to build (to your standards) and would probably not hold your interest long term.  I'd pick something much simpler to get back in the game.  You might also think where you'd like to go in the longer term and see if you can come up with a plan that would take you a step in that direction. 

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Have you been reading my hero's work?

http://shelflayouts.com/model-railroad-design-blog-2/

I think it'd be worth grabbing some of these and doing some reading:
http://shelflayouts.com/bookstore/

[bdennis]

FWIW, here's what I'd do. First, I flipped the layout 180 degrees to place lowest area (the coal trestle) in the foreground. I rearranged the industrial sidings to serve the largest buildings, which are mostly flats along the back. I also flattened the street on the left (less interesting, but less awkward), and located the urban structures along the right, crowded around the elevated tracks. I replaced the triangular building with a team track, and replaced the gasometer with an industrial water tower.



The layout size is 16 x 60. Switches are Fast Tracks #6.

I kinda threw it together, so it probably has some issues.

Bam.. DKS is back.. Love ya work..

[tom mann]

Turnout Salesman’s dream.

I would drop that crossover in the front. It would simplify things visually without taking away too much from the operational possibilities.

[Erik W]

David,  Thanks for the tweaking of the track plan!!  I appreciate the effort.  I also like how you flipped the front/back.  And Gary, Ed, and Tom thanks for the thoughts.  There's definitely a lot to consider!

Erik

[chuck geiger]

DKS is a pimp.