A couple of suggestions

1. I would remove the "Other RR" Main from the front. The ability to actually retrieve cars from the interchange will be very difficult with the short tracks after the switch. If you really have your heart set on an interchange you could add a switch to the nearest yard track near the ladder and have the interchange track go to the right off the layout from there. 

1A. The track labeled "Interchange" I would extend that up the right side to provide you a switching lead for the yard.

2. I would remove the industry from the "abandoned spur" track. It will be a source of constant frustration when trying to switch the other industries. You could add a switch just below the street serving that industry if you really want it.

3. I would remove the double tracks from the industry in lower left and upper right. This will allow you to make larger industries. 

4. You may want to add a short track for engine service. The track you have labeled  "Main" at the lower left could serve this purpose.

5. Really think about how your tracks will be used. Are all of them necessary? You have a lot of switches in a small space. Can you add another staging track?

Just some quick thoughts. I hope it helps.

Chris

@ ChrisH

I fully agree with ChrisH's first comment.

Such a long interchange track you can only access one car at a time would be a great source of frustration. I would either move the switch to be just after the corner (in front of the blue building) or remove it entirely.

I had a similar idea on my layout and I am so glad I abandoned the track - it is now almost unused as a Rip/Storage track

Robert
CEO and Track Cleaner
Kayton and Tecoma Rly
 

Response

I hadn't even thought about the shortness of the interchange. I like the idea of extending that track as a lead though. 

As far as the "Other RR" goes - Good idea. If I take that off I can squeeze it into a 32" space instead of 36". I also do have a lot of switches in this plan (as mentioned) - If I remove the interchange and some of the extra tracks, that will eliminate 4 switches (at minimum). What if I added a switch on yard track 3 and then put the engine service facility there (in place of where the "other RR" is?). I do think I can add another staging track - it would be a squeeze but it should be doable. I'll try it when I'm at school tomorrow (I don't have the track planning software on my home computer).

I do want a 3-track yard (at minimum) with a 15-car capacity. I do like the idea of removing that industry from the abandoned spur - that will be a pain to switch. I'll see if I can come up with another way to incorporate that. 

Thanks for all the feedback! I'll post an updated plan tomorrow.  

IMHO...

...I would make the industry on the Abandoned spur look like it once had a loading dock which ahd been removed and the door bricked in. at the end of that spur I would put in am industry that can be happy with the curved siding such as an oil terminal or junk yard, this would still allow the track to be used as a lead to the back industries.

Get rid of the "other main" just a waste of track and space.

I agree with Chris on the interchange track into a yard lead.

The two tracks at the industry could be 2 different loading/unloading points such as covered hoppers on one track and tank cars on the other, maybe a large bakery recieving Grain and corn oil?

Bakery

I do like the idea of a bakery. In the town where I went to college, there was an old Mrs. Baird's bakery that was serviced by the Southern Switching Company. I wonder if I can pull up some photos from that on railpictures or rrpicturearchives... I've also always wanted a fuel oil dealership or a scrapyard - maybe a scrapyard with a motor oil disposal side business? 

Yard exit

To get from the yard to the industries, an operator will need to make 3 moves and appear to occupy the main for a while.  Consider moving the crossover to the lower right industry (especially if it will no longer be receiving cars.  This will allow the trains from the yard to cross directly over the main into the industrial area.

Changes to trackplan

Hey all,

Thanks so much for all the feedback. I've incorporated y'alls suggestions into two variations on the plan.

Variation 1:

Here, I've removed the interchange, and extended the yard lead all the way back to staging to give a bit more flexibility when sending trains in from staging. I have re-designated the track labeled "main" as an engine service track, and removed a few switches in the industrial area. I also moved the switch for the industrial area forward. 

Variation 2:

Here, I have removed the engine service track at the bottom and re-located it to the bottom right of the yard, and added a second loco servicing track. Everything else is the same. 

Thoughts? 

Re:A couple of suggestions

I think both of those are a lot better. I think #2 feels a bit roomier with the engine track moved, but I think I would only have one engine service track.

You are going to have a wicked "S" curve getting to the back industries. You could insert a straight section between the two switches, or, what I think would be better, have the switch off the main go directly to the back industries and have a switch to the front industry off that track. I would move it away from the main line a bit more than you have it and move the industry closer to the road and probably make it longer.

Not sure if you really need the former abandoned spur track or you could add a switch to that and have something like a lumberyard or junkyard with the siding in the middle of the space. 

I do like the yard lead going back to the staging. That could also be your interchange track.

Chris

More Like This?

Thanks! Is this kind of what you were thinking of?

Var 1: Changed the industrial district trackwork a little bit:

Var 2: Moved the old "Abandoned Spur" up above the first industry turnout:

I find myself liking this one better. I may eliminate the curving portion of the "abandoned spur" and leave the straights as a lumberyard (as suggested). Also, with all the extra industrial area room added by this plan, I think I can possibly have two industries on it - perhaps a warehousing company and a scrapyard or team track of some sort?

Re: More Like This?

I think you nailed it with #2. 

Good Luck. Let us know how the build goes.

Chris

The only thing I would

The only thing I would consider is the capacity in the yard tracks. This could be increased greatly by moving the turnouts to the yard tracks to the right so they begin just behind the crossover on the bottom right of the plan. Doing so will keep the same number of turn outs and move your engine service track to the right edge of the layout. Your increase in capacity will be significant and on smaller layouts there is always a very strong chance that rolling stock will out grow the layout sooner rather than later.

Good thought. I'm worried

Good thought. I'm worried about leaving enough length on that yard lead though (to the point that the lead is the same length as my longest yard track. However, I do need at least two more car spots in the yard to fit all the cars that would be going to industries (I count roughly 19 spots max on the industry tracks vs 17 spots in the yard. Maybe I should split the difference? On the other hand, I don't want to sell myself short on space for more rolling stock down the road... Hmmmm... 

Thanks

Thanks, and thanks for all the feedback! I really appreciate it. 

Two more pennies

Your plan strongly reminds me of Model Railroader Magazine's Red Oak project layout (Jan. 2015 issue). That was a transition era CB&Q in N-scale, and measured 3' by 6'8". You might want to look that up as it just might be the wheel you are trying to (re)invent.

Otherwise, my suggestions are to consider ditching the yard in favor of more industrial space. Your local could originate behind the scenes, take the siding on the main stage to allow a train or two to pass, then work the industries, mindful to clear the mainline when through trains are do. Running that central *branch* through the backdrop could turn it into a real branchline - perhaps connecting to that Other Railroad you wanted to interchange with, thus giving you a longer / larger task for your local, or an excuse to have two locals, each leaving staging from opposite directions.

And, a few short but steep grades could allow you to put the mainline and branchline staging on different levels stacked above one another.

Lastly, the nice thing about brainstorming ideas is that you can argue that with just a tiny bit of more room, you can add X, Y, or Z to the layout, which would allow you to get even more enjoyment out of the layout for the switching continuous running you your wife loves.

Red Oak

AJ,

Now that I look at it, I do see strains of both Red Oak and the Carolina Central in the plan. Believe it or not, I actually started out with the very last plan on this page:

http://www.thortrains.net/nscale/nminis1.html

I'll play around with the plan a little on Monday. Having the branch go all the way back to staging could be fun - I'd just need to figure out how to uncomplicate the wiring. I'm not sure what to do with the yard. I like the operating scenario you suggested. My main motivation for the yard was to have a freight pull in from staging, set out a string of cars, and then return to staging, while a switch crew builds a train for a transfer run to the industrial area (etc etc). Still, if the yard is gone I can add an industry on that front end... Decisions, decisions... 

Yard Replacement Ideas...

In place of the yard, you could have a freight house and / or team tracks, which would still allow you to "yard" some cars for another train.

You could also put in something that allows to lots of switching, including in-plant switching, maybe with its own locomotive. A brewery, food factory (think breakfast cereals), or appliance factory, come to mind. The 1950s brought about the invention of the "TV dinner," and a plant making that could be interesting too.

TV Dinner Plant

Reply....

Glad I could be of inspiration!