Plan #2

My first reaction was to say that I like the first plan better, because it looks more like a single industry, visually separate from the lower horizontal track.  After considering the plans for a bit, though, I don't like the way the tracks fan out.  It doesn't leave any room for structures.  In my opinion, they either need to be spread wide, as in plan #2, or parallel (plan #1, but pull the center track up against the upper one).

Agree with Ken

Unless both of those spurs serve a single industry that lacks large structures and could support more of a free-flowing spur arrangement - and a scrap yard is the only thing that comes to mind that would fit that bill - I think #2 is the better choice.  It has a more realistic feel, and I like the fact that the center track parallels the lower one rather than the upper.  Since the industry immediately to the right has two parallel spurs, doing the same with this one - running the center track parallel with the upper one - might look odd.

Hmmm...   I see a few issues

Hmmm...   I see a few issues here.

You have a couple of S curves in there that might play havoc with you backing trains into those left hand spurs (red notation) If you could eliminate the slight bend before that last turnout you'd be a lot better off, I think.

That figures into the next comment, as well (green notation) It's an S on the bottom, and awkward geometry at best going into the upper one. Eliminate that first bend, and swap the LH turnout for a RH, and make a single, slightly sharper bend coming out of it.

Finally... you mentioned this is a shelf layout, which probably means it's near eye level? I hope you're not planning anything taller than high grass for that blue area, otherwise you'll never see... much less reach... anything back on that top track! There are some times when we have to sacrifice prototype design considerations to reality... this might be one of them!

What is th eturn table for?

If you are modeling an engine terminal during the steam era, you would want the turntable in place.  If it is industrial switching, there would not be a turntable.

I see no S curves....

Or if I do they are very shallow ..... The area that you circled in blue is pretty much meant to be flat land.  Unfortunately I'm not really good enough with planning software to put the industries in place to show you what I envision.

As for the TT, I don't know how that enters the discussion as it's on the other side from where the spurs we are talking about are but the layout is steam  era or possibly as late as transition era , I haven't completely decide.

Michael

Heres a rough idea....

....Of  what I have in mind for the placement of industries/buildings. Please excuse the crudeness of it, as I said, I'm not that adept with track planning software. The rectangle that is over the diagonal tracks in the back is meant to represent a mine tipple.

Michael 

Realism?

To phase two.....

Are you talking about the spur that curves off the front of the bench work?  If so that's actually intended to go to phase two of the layout....

Also , to explain something, a lot of this plan is based on stuff I have on hand.  I'm not in a position to invest a lot of money in new turnouts. I'm recycling parts from my past layout.

Michael

Not the curve

Crude drawing

This is what I was trying to say.  

"Crude drawing" ?

 The drawing looks pretty fine but it's still the same number of switches isn't it?  On a tight layout like this I think the longer spur might be more useful as a place to spot a few cars while switching?  I might even move the switch that goes to the industry at the top left, putting it more to the right coming off the passing track then running it more parrallel to the backdrop up to about where you wrote "inglenook?" ,this would give more car switching flexibility plus the track  would be closer to the aisle and easier to work with the building snuggled up into the top left corner. ? ....DaveB  

And if you wanted to use the 'on-hand' switches ...

Place the right-hand switch where the left-hand one currently is, and then add the left-hand one after it.

Short spurs

Dave O.... I see what  you're saying but if I arrange the turnouts like that then it seems to me the spurs get awfully short which I believe is what DaveB is saying as well.   DaveB....I'llgive some thought to your suggestion of bringing that track closer to the aisle. The only thing is that I don't really see the need to be reaching back there anyway.... My thought is that  most cars would be being pushed into the sidings on this end and in that case I'd stop and throw the turnout for that route and set the couplers in the " delayed" position and push the car back there and then back away.  I may be wrong but I just don't see a lot of   moves where I would have to uncouple  back there with a pick.

Michael

turntable

When I look at that turntable I'm reminded of small southern Ontario/Bruce Peninsula towns where there was indeed a turntable, usually Armstrong powered, but no engine terminal. 

David