Looking at this plan again don't understand the S curve in the mainline. 99% of the RRs in this country would not have laid tracks like that. They prefer to have the tracks go straight thru even if they had to move huge amounts of dirt & rocks. Take a look at any number of aerial photos, USGS topo maps, etc. that show RR tracks. Besides that S curve could lead to derailments if the track work & rolling stock aren't all perfect.
I don't know........I like the latest incarnation myself. I wouldn't be surprised if there is an example of such an arrangement on an obscure branch line, or even in urban trackage.I right-clicked on his plan to save, and it has the title of cencal traction, so that might explain the twisty main line. However, in the spirit of offering suggestions, here's mine: That straightens the line out a bit. The other, possible better option is to have the main in the front of the benchwork and use a staging yard of sorts on one end or another.
I can think of 2 such S curves here in Arizona on the former Southern Pacific, both of them to avoid buildings.
Plus the former RDGW (now UP) line thru Glenwood Canyon. It pretty much follows the natural flow of the Colorado River as it runs thru the deep cut of the canyon. That, plus the same line from Helper over Soldier Summit.
JMO, but why not use the curve on the right as an interchange? Run your "main" straight across the bottom. That way there'll be somewhere for cars to go/come from. You could add staging or cassette perhaps and hide the last portion of the curve where it would cross the main if it bothers you or put a 90 degree crossing there. Short of modeling a marooned short line or a car float, captive cars / locos seem unrealistic to me.
H. I am planning an 8' long layout too. But it will be catty cornered or look triangular from top view except that the initial 4'x 8' x 1/2" ply/ subroadbed front edge will be the 8 feet of length (Same as you. Follow?). If you could somehow find a way to do this as opposed to an 8' long rectangular real estate idea you now are working with, you still won't gain or lose any total amount of trackage, because you're merely replacing distance lost with width gained, into the mixture. But this alone I'd say has just as viable a RR real estate 'shape' as any MRR shape. With this, you add lots of depth, in turn offering a very different RR type/shape/trackage, where lots more trackage can run N/S (allowing more industry, tight, 90 Deg. curves into N/S loading dock/team tracks and a myriad of other spur ideas such as a single coal dealer track elevating to maybe 6' for hoppers to release coal into the bins below. Yada yada yada.. Just tossin' out some food for thought. Lots of happy MRRing, none the less... ...M ATTENTION ! I wrote all the above out today not realising the OP had started it near a year ago !! But I still will hit the 'enter' button now, as I think it still is a worthwhile post for others planning a road right now or in the future. Please see my OP from Sat. 9/16 at 4:13 PM "Need Ideas ..............". I too could use some others' viewpoints on this. It's not begun yet...If you do, please enter it there, not here.. I can't help but wonder though: Is the moniker "FiveFlat" a musical reference ? Is it 5 flats/ key of Db ? Is it a G7b5 reference/G7 triad with either a flatted 5th, a #4 or #11 ? (I'm a musician and know all this goobly gop, is why I ask ).. Thanks
