The following are excerpts from a 15 page layout proposal I have been developing since the offer my fiance and I placed was accepted on a new home a few weeks back.  Although I will not begin construction for at least a year or two, I am looking for some much-needed criticism on my initial thoughts and ideas.  Although not noted within the proposal, I will have an area approximately 24' x 12' at my disposal; however, these are not final dimensions.  The proposal covers the entire railroad as imagined to date.

Attached below, its what I have for a small gravel company.  It has the main track in where the cars will be loaded(top track), and below where the full cars wait for pickup.  The Gravel company has its own switcher that moves cars around.  I am wondering, with the little room available in this area, if I could enhance it, or just leave it the way it is.  Any ideas are welcomed...

Benchwork start to go up in the next two weeks...

Since I have limited experience operating on a double deck railroad, and I am in the process of planning one (see http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/blog/16735), what have you noticed about the upper decks width in relation to the lower deck.

I assume (and we all know what that does), the upper deck is generally narrower than the lower especially if there is a detailed area of the lower deck. But have you seen or operated on one where upper and lower are the same width?

Hello and thanks for looking. I hope to document my layout as it goes form paper and my thoughts to real wood and track. I will be updating as I progress and welcome your comments.