Sector plate or transfer table

I like more the second option. BTW. Why do you want to put a sector plate or transfer table?

Sector Plate

To me, with your size of pike, I prefer the runaround than the sector plate. Having the runaround will be more cost effective and you will have more pleasure of operation because you will literally will have to operate the engine around the train, instead of moving a sector manually.

The sector plate would be

I like more the second option. BTW. Why do you want to put a sector plate or transfer table?

The sector plate would be used as a way to save space and in both designs they are used in tandem with the interchange.  In both designs the modeled portion of the interchange would essentially be half of the real thing.  I would use the sector plate to pull a train head first into the interchange (track 1 or 2) and then run around the train on the main to return.  In both instances (interchange 1 to main and interchange 2 to main) it could be done  n the least space using a sector plate or table.

To me, with your size of

To me, with your size of pike, I prefer the runaround than the sector plate. Having the runaround will be more cost effective and you will have more pleasure of operation because you will literally will have to operate the engine around the train, instead of moving a sector manually.

I'm not sure which design you're hinting at as both of my new options would use a sector plate.  In my first "old" idea, the runaround immediately adjacent to the interchange wold most likely not happen in the real world as a runaround is already built into the interchange.

The idea with the interchange at the top would result in utilizing a sector plate less as it would only be used when running head first into the interchange and then running around the train to head back to the main switching area.  If I wanted to avoid using one altogether I could just run the train head first nto staging and turn it manually.  If i used the idea with the interchange on the left side of the layout the sector plate would be used more as I would use it to run around the train to switch facing point industries in the main switching area as well.

" If coming from staging with

      I've seen lots of interchange tracks where the cut of cars are just shoved in so I wouldn't worry about that aspect. I'd keep the passing siding near the industries so spurs could be placed and worked in both directions. On a small layout it gets boring always shoving the same direction. I don't see the need for a sector plate or traverser or a multi track staging yard,  trains could just run from staging to on-scene, do the work and then head back to staging, so a main line and passing siding should be plenty of track for the staging.In between sessions the trains could be re-staged by hand. I'd build it something like the last plan with the 90 degree spur at the bottom then move the interchange track up to the top left corner and make it run off towards the corner of the backdrop and hide the end to represent a line going somewhere else. I'd turn the  drop down staging into a main and passing track and make the track labeled interchange into a team track.I'd add some basic scenery to the drop down staging just so everything looks more finished when operating.With a small area making as much as possible "on scene" gives more bang for the buck.......DaveB

Sector plates

Personally, I like your first plan the most.  I've never been a fan of sector plates or transfer tables when they can be avoided, as I think they take the operator out of the prototype illusion we're trying to create.  Others may feel differently, but that's an important factor for me.

To eliminate the sector plate

To eliminate the sector plate idea I could put a crossover on one of the tracks on the drop down staging.  A train could come from the left head first into Interchange 1, run around on the main, and then pick up cars on interchange 2.  If INT 1 was always use for outbounds and INT 2 for inbounds I wouldn't need a crossover on INT 2.

I'm liking the drop down plate on the interchange.  Essentially it gives me "free" space.  All the activity of swapping cars (coupling, uncoupling, throwing switches, etc) will occur on the layout and the drop down will just be used for holding cars as the train length increases.  Ideally I would like to hold at least 6 cars (avg 60 ft) so I need 50+ inches per interchange track between the drop down and layout.

" Ideally I would like to

     If the drop down section is permanently attached to the lay out it can only be as long as the layout height so the taller the benchwork the better. Unless you plan to interchange lots of cars one track should be fine.The train would pull the incoming cars then push in the outgoing cars, they don't need to run around if there's a passing siding somewhere near.  If the two tracks are representing two different railroads then they make more sense but should probably be located in two different areas in that case. If you want the train to arrive from the left you'll have to stage it on scene before starting the clock or perhaps make that lower folding section a staging track for that end of the line? Do you have a operating scenario of where the trains come from, what the on scene segment represents, where the trains go ,and what the interchanges represent? The layout track plan is easier to design if the background story is defined.......DaveB

I only have about 40 inches

I only have about 40 inches before hitting a closet door on the drop down so I'm good there.  

I don't quite get your reasoning on a one track interchange.  By adding that "they don't need to run around if there's a passing siding somewhere near" suggests you need to run around.  If I had enough length (6 cars lengths on a double ended siding + 6 car lengths on a tail) I guess I could do a single track interchange, but just don't have the space.  One of the reasons I went with two tracks is to allow for outbound cars to sit while kicking and sorting inbound cars on the remaining two tracks.

As far as setting the stage, the designs with a single track staging cassette at the top and the interchange on the left is probably best as you enter from off the layout, go swap cars at the interchange, switch industries and return to off the layout.  What I don't like on that design is the interchange so close to where the industries are that it would be more likely that empties are pushed back in to the interchange rather than being taken down the line.  With the interchange at the top I would either start mid layout with outbounds and head to the interchange or come from off the layout "staging" running light on the main and pick up cars at the interchange.  

Overall, I'm trying to replicate a turn down a short line or industrial track.  The 90 degree curve would be used to separate the scene some such that you are traveling a few miles between the two points, switching a town, running around the train and going back to where you started.  This scenario best plays out when representing a short line as the interchange is the connection to the rest of the world and your start/finish.  It falls apart a little when modeling a branch line / running track of a class one as it would be more likely that a local would come on scene with a block of cars rather than picking them up somewhere on the line.

 "This scenario best plays

In that case I think your last drawing is about right.  You could specify that the "big" road leaves the cars on the long track that doesn't have the run around (just continue it to the end of the layout and pretend it goes to their yard) .your crew could pull the cars and sort them on the other two tracks then shove the outgoing cars onto that same interchange track where the "big" road can pick them up between operating sessions. That shorter track below the yard could be used as a team track or if not occupied by team car as a sorting or overflow track if there's too many interchange cars to fit on the long interchange track. I think the run to the lower end and working the industries and then running around and back home would be an interesting operating session. When the crew gets back to base they could use the one run around track to get their loco on the left end of the cars for sorting the outbound cars and shoving them onto the interchange then call it a day.....DaveB