Thanks for the suggestions. The more I looked at the plan, the more I agree that the layout was "unbalanced" with where the tracks ran. My big problem in trying to solve that is actually the space I have. I don't want to put a diamond in an industrial track (INRD has diamonds, but not in customer service track). That leaves two options. Switchback, which has some perrils with the space to make it not look like a speghetti bowl, or to come from the other side of the layout and eat storage space for the primary industry (power plant) coal trains. After thinking about it and talking with txronharris, here is what I've come up with. It moves the power plant down to the left side, puts the diamond back on the left with a removeable fiddle yard, retains the small industry yard, and moves around the other industries with room for an additional destination (the bakery) added. It also gives me almost a 14" radius on the right side of the layout which will be nice because that is the "money" end (the one most visible and the first thing people will see when they approach the layout). As a bonus, the power plant now has two 6'+ long tracks for loads and empties. Long coal drags, here I come! All opinions are welcome.
