Coal Siding

I'm no expert on any subject here, but I just ran a train in my mind to the coal structures and I would hate to be switching that industry.  It is a facing point turnout, so I would have to dump all my cars on the siding, pull the cars and use the runaround that goes all the way back to the engine service area, set out the required car, all while possible fouling the main line.

I don't have a good perspective on how many cars will be switched or how long the trains will be so I may be way off.  

I feel like the runaround is too long, and an additional track to work the coal area would make the job easier.

spurs at right angles

The first thing I notice here are the ends of spurs at right angles to the main. You don't see this very often in the real world and it always sticks out to me when I see it on a model railroad.

I would encourage you to avoid this arrangement if possible.

The other issue is going to be switching the cars behind these industries. You will have no access in case of derailments or coupler problems, not to mention trying to keep the track clean.

This might be a nice location to put some industries where the cars are delivered inside, but without going behind the buildings to get there. Removable roofs will allow access to the interior if needed.

track arrangement

I would look at something along these lines...

I'm no expert on any subject

Thanks for your comment/advice.

It's a coal distribution from train to truck delivery business.  The 'coal train' is a local 4-5 hopper train which will come down from the coal mine(s) on the upper level of the layout so it's actually a trailing point turnout for the coal delivery spur. My (ignorant) view on how this would work is the local coal delivery train can either stay on the mainline if there's no traffic and back into the spur or if there's mainline traffic it can proceed into the siding, wait, and then back into the spur.  On the way back to the mine with empties it could head across the mainline into the siding and then uncouple, crossover to the mainline and run around to couple on the 'front'.  I will add a crossover from the siding to the mainline closer to the coal spur to support this.

Three different

Three different variations:

The first one moves the service spurs forward and orients the buildings/structures so the back faces the spur/aisle. Also keeps the road and has (front) flats on the backdrop.  The issues I have with this is that there isn't much space at all for the structures between the service spurs and the road.  Also, my artistic vision has the fronts of the structures facing the aisles in the area.

I also added a crossover between the mainline and siding to allow a shorter running around distance when servicing the coal delivery business spur.

The second one moves the service spurs forward and orients the buildings/structures so the back faces the spur/aisle and also keeps the road. Again, my artistic vision has the fronts of the structures facing the aisles in the area.  One of my pet peeves with some layouts is the lack of roads to service industries/businesses so I think roads are important, however having the road squished up against the backdrop is not overly appealing. 

I also added a crossover between the mainline and siding to allow a shorter running around distance when servicing the coal delivery business spur.

The third one is close to the original but I reversed the right service spur so both spurs are facing each other. And I shortened the service spurs to keep their ends farther away from the mainline on the corners. This design appeals to me artistically because it puts the fronts of the structures facing the aisle but as noted it makes access to the service spurs behind the structures more challenging.

I also added a crossover between the mainline and siding to allow a shorter running around distance when servicing the coal delivery business spur.

1 or 2

I like the first two revisions so if I am operating I can see the cars and the numbers. I also like the crossover for the added flexibility while switching.

Length

Why make the industry tracks so long?  I would make several industry tracks of shorter length.

Also why have such a long siding?  It is more or less double track.

The setting?

   I get contradictory impressions from the design. Is this an industrial park, are the buildings on a street grid? If so why does the track curve at the bottom( curves imply something like a mountain or canyon keeping them from going straight)? The size of buildings and length of spurs suggests lots of rail traffic so I'd move the loading doors to the aisle side. The roads could still be on the aisle side with the tracks running along their edge, with trucks sharing the loading doors at some places and gaps in the buildings for truck access in other places. I don't see any problem with the coal facility getting 5 cars or so per day,  I'd just stop on the main and switch it then run around at the passing track and head back to the mine. I'd make that passing siding only as long as your maximum train length and  not worry about a crossover as a loco would only need to run a mile or less to run around.....DaveB