More detail about the plan...

Here’s an overview of my current design parameters:

Scale:  HO

Era:  Transition

Location: Basement

Benchwork : Shelf style layout - 8 inches to 16 inches in depth (Phase 1)

Phased construction

• Phase 1: 23 feet by 8 feet switching focused (medium sized town)
• Phase 2: Add staging yard in mechanical room
• Phase 3: Add full loop around basement
• Long Term:  Add 2nd level down (Dense urban setting)

Height: 57 inches

Track Requirements:

• Peco code 83 track
• 30 inch mainline minimum radius
• No mainline grade (Phase 1)
• Mainline: #7 minimum mainline, #8 preferred
• Branch #6 minimum

Technology - focus on the Internet of Trains

• Decoders: Shift to only Railcom and sound enabled decoders (ESU) but will deal with Broadway Limited for now 
• Control Station:  Digikeijs DR5000-ADJ Control Station 
• Occupancy Detection:  Digikeijs DR5088RC (and Railcom detection)
• Switch Control: Walthers Layout Control System

Planned Industries:

• Grain Elevator
• Coal yard
• Team track
• Cannery
• Oil company
• Lumber yard?
• Brick works?

Inspiration: Midwest Railroads

• Big Four
• Monon
• Milwaukee Road
• Escanaba and Lake Superior (Wells/Escanaba)
• Chicago & Northwestern
• Indiana Railroad

-Mike R.

An overview of the room and long term space

Beyond the Phase 1 track plan above, I've got space to expand.  Here's an overview of the entire space that I can work with over time.

Thanks

-Mike R. 

Tower

Suggestions for minor changes.

The tower would most likely be where the shed is now, transition era it might have been an "armstrong" tower and locating it where the shed is would greatly simplify the operation and give a better view.

The water tower might be on the opposite site of the main, that would make it simpler to access for a train on the main.  Or up near the points of the company 1 switch, more accessible.

Other than that, looks interesting just as it is.

Love it

I like the first phase. If there was anything to add it would be reverse loop in the mechanic room with some staging. Staging behind the TV would be awesome as well. Trains would run out, switch the town and continue on or return. That train could also go to the return loop and return later in the day. Some storage for freight cars would allow a fiddle yard to be effective if you have a few operators. 

I second the opinions thus far...

Mr. Husman's comments are spot on, and wouldn't it be fun to model the linkages (operating or not) for the interlocking!  The location of the water tower in either of his suggested locations makes sense.  Remember, a passenger train would remain on the main at the station - there's another post on that somewhere in this forum.  Up by the points to the switch for Company 1 makes sense so the locomotive can take water while one of the rear cars would be loading at the platform.

I second Neil's suggestion of a return loop in the mechanical room if you have the space.  It provides an "out and back" type of operation, or a staging loop.  Could also feed both legs that you have going off scene from the layout - perhaps one as a branch and the other the main.  The branch might work like John Armstrong's "reverted loop" design, though this might take some thought.

Cannery's are big operations.  I would consider melding Company 2 and Company 3 in to the Cannery as a complex.  One of the tracks could be for incoming produce, and the other for the outbound warehouse.  A good opportunity for multiple spots for a large industry.  (Not that you aren't using multiple spots elsewhere.)

I like the plan.  Simple, yet likely to provide hours of operating interest.

Mechanical Access??

Overall your plan looks pretty good for what you want it to do.

You don't say what purpose the 2 mechanical access areas serve.  If they are for things like electrical boxes, sump pumps, etc.  they may not meet code requirements. 

The 18" space is pretty tight.  If you actually need to get back there, then decreasing the width of the space is probably not a good idea.  You could widen the shelf in the family space a few inches, run the track along the back and disguise it with trees, false building fronts, etc.

Paul

I really like the design, but

I really like the design, but I would suggest finding ways to minimize the number of turnouts needed to serve all the industries. You don't have a lot of space on the shelves so it's important to use them to their maximum potential.  What that means is different for everyone, but I tend to like areas for scenery rather than track.  Scenery in this case is well modeled grass, bushes, fences, power poles and such.  Industries that only require space for a couple of cars can be combined onto the same track just like the spur on the upper-right corner of the room.  Industries that need several car spots would have their own spur. This makes switching more interesting and prototypically accurate.  In every rail town I've lived, there was an industrial spur that served multiple industries one one or two tracks.

In that same vein, I'd only have one runaround for the switching district.  The runaround on the North (upper) wall is well placed and makes sense for a train coming from or going to the interchange track.  The curved runaround on the East (right) wall is wasted space that could either be a spur for more industries or could be used to model something interesting and eye-catching.

That mechanical access interchange is a great idea and, provided you can hide the hole in the wall, would be a fantastic way to get cars on and off the layout.  Perhaps you could have some shelves for car storage above the track in the mechanical access room.

Good luck with the layout, the plan looks like a real winner!  Having a track go around the whole room one day would be cool too since you could then run full trains on a narrow shelf dedicated to scenery.

See No Issues

I don’t see any issues with the design.

Simple - Prototypical railroads like simple and complicated “switching puzzles” are not realistic. 

Prototypical - No crazy track designs 

Good Spacing - Industry to space ratio is good.  Several industries to switch without the overall appearance of the layout being unrealistically crowded.

Runarounds - Kept at a minimum and “blends” into the track plan vs. ‘unrealistically” standing out.  

Nice curve radius - Were all limited due to layout restrictions and eating up layout space but you have opted for a good balance.  

Design allows for expansion

Overall I think you have a good plan that will be fun to operate.  “Guessing you may be a student of Lance Mindheim” ?

Joe