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If you build a switching layout as suggested by others, you could run it around at least two of the walls and run it as a point to point, with a possible short, hidden staging area so that the train has somewhere to go : " beyond the layout ". You'll most likely get bored if you just run your trains around in circles. The British have been using what they call a "fiddle yard" for years, which are removable 'trays' with tracks on them that are used to collect and disperse rolling stock and even complete (short) trains. You would need a means to temporarily support these 'trays' when using them, but that should be easy to design. (if you decide to explore this idea, email me and I'll draw up some simple plans for attaching the "fiddle yards") I believe MR has had at least one article re: "fiddle yards" , but it was years ago. Another benefit of this approach is that you have a convenient way to store some of your rolling stock, when it's not on the layout. Just shove them under your bed stored in the 'trays' ,and make the 'trays' stackable. A couple of other ideas come to mind. You could use a wye in a corner of the room at the end of the shelf layout, and especially in the corner between the long shelves that go down adjacent walls in the room.. Use the wye to turn an engine and a caboose, leaving the rest of the train on an adjacent sidings to be reconnected after the engine is turned and the caboose moved to the opposite end of the consist. Ditto w/ a short passenger train. The leg of the wye that sticks out into the room and in the way of other activities (like your dancing !) is sorta like what a three-legged man would look like, and how one of his legs would always be in the way. Suggest that you make that 'third leg' removable or hinged downward when not running trains. Also, John Allen's "Time Saver" switching puzzle lends itself for incorporation in a shelf type layout, and it ads both realistic and challenging operational possibilities. If you're not familiar with the "Time Saver", let us know and we'll point you in the right direction to read up on it. It could be worked into a typical agricultural / industrial setting w/ a grain mill, farm and feed supplier, packing plant, even livestock pen(s),oil / fuel dealer, or oil -field tooling supply house (as an example how you can adapt most any switching layout to most any locale and era, and in this case, Oklahoma. There was an interesting urban layout that I'll search for - it was in one of Kalmbach's how to do it books from half a century ago - and it certainly could be adapted to an Oklahoma setting, just one a bit more conjested than the last one I described. It had a partially hidden fairly steep short section of track that started out on a lower level near one end of the point to point layout and ducked under a rail girder bridge(or sub a trestle), and behind the lower level of the layout emerging behind and above that lower level at the opposit end of the layout. It was in essence, a switch back in the streets, which added more trackage than was possible if it had all been on one level, as well as it created an operational complexity, slowing down the trains, implying a longer run. If I can locate it, I'll get a copy to you. Lastly, you should consider modeling an era when 36 - 40 foot freight cars were the norm, as well as short commuter coaches, or even just a gas electric for an entire passenger train. If you use short steam engines, esp tank engines, you can forget about needing to turn them unless you want to. Also, the GE 44 Tonner, box cabs, and other short switchers needn't be turned unless you wanted to. Just provide a run arounf track for them at each end ot the layout. If you decide to model a more modern railroad in the future, you can downgrade your older, shorter equipment to MOW status, and you could have a tourist line to use your old prototype diesels, steam and passenger cars. Run short trains of short equipment on steeper grades in conjested areas and your layout will seem bigger than it is. If you don't always have the same rolling stock in sight, your layout will imply that it is actually a working enterprise and not just a display. That's another area where the "fiddle yard" proves so useful. I wouldn't necessarily 'pigeon-hole' yourself into a particular prototype railroad at this early juncture, for you can always integrate this switching layout into a larger layout in the future. If you can get a copy of Linn Westcott's book about John Allen and his G & D layout, you'll get much inspiration and ideas for your layout, and you'll see how he integrated a small approx 4 x 7 foot layout into one of the most complete and wonderfully developed model railroads ever. BILL.
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