Hello all-
I'm getting back into the hobby after a few years and looking to build my second permanent layout. I'm currently living in a small apartment and 6" x 48" is about the most real estate I have available, so I've decided to construct an N scale micro layout to operate on.
My previous layout was a childhood-built HO 4x8 tail chaser, and I've not designed a switching layout before. Through some research plus trial and error, I sketched up this Kato Unitrack track plan serving 3 industries. Basically, the layout would be "staged" on the interchange track by an imaginary train from off the layout with 3-4 cars, which would be switched by a local switcher, swapping out various cars for empties at the 3 industries with 1-3 car spots each. Not every car would be switched during an operating session.
Does this feel too ambitious for the space provided? I feel like I could definitely just go with a simple (and fun) Inglenook in this space, but I'm hoping for something with a little more operational interest/prototypical fidelity. Any feedback on the track plan would be appreciated from those who have built and operated on switching layouts before, especially if I've made any glaring errors.
I'm getting back into the hobby after a few years and looking to build my second permanent layout. I'm currently living in a small apartment and 6" x 48" is about the most real estate I have available, so I've decided to construct an N scale micro layout to operate on.
My previous layout was a childhood-built HO 4x8 tail chaser, and I've not designed a switching layout before. Through some research plus trial and error, I sketched up this Kato Unitrack track plan serving 3 industries. Basically, the layout would be "staged" on the interchange track by an imaginary train from off the layout with 3-4 cars, which would be switched by a local switcher, swapping out various cars for empties at the 3 industries with 1-3 car spots each. Not every car would be switched during an operating session.
Does this feel too ambitious for the space provided? I feel like I could definitely just go with a simple (and fun) Inglenook in this space, but I'm hoping for something with a little more operational interest/prototypical fidelity. Any feedback on the track plan would be appreciated from those who have built and operated on switching layouts before, especially if I've made any glaring errors.