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I hope this is the right place to post this sort of question. If not, forgive me and please direct me to the correct place.

Below is a proposed layout on which I would really appreciate comments.

The layout is set in the mountains, and represents a small local line that ties in with the mains. The primary industry is goal and light manufacturing. Time period is ~1950 (steam - diesel transition). I'm trying to get a good balance of operations along with some mountainous scenery. My 11 yr. old likes tunnels and mountains, and so do I.

The layout starts with a basic level oval on a 4x8 base -- this is the mainline / connector route. There is a long siding at the bottom where groups of cars will wait for the mainline train and / or cars removed from the mainline will be put to keep the main clear.

Each end of the oval is covered by a mountain. There is a gap in the mountains at the upper center

The mess inside the oval is the short line. There are places for quite a few industry type places that will have to be served by cars coming off / going on to the mains. The central tracks are deliberately convoluted to look like tracks that were laid down after the shops were built, not the other way around.

On the inner right is a tight, steep curve that climbs along the side of the right mountain, across a long bridge over the mountain gap, and onto the side of the left mountain. At the end of that track will be some sort of coal loading facility.

Empty hopper cars will be pushed up one or maybe two at a time by a small engine -- docksider, saddle tank switcher, or the like, filled, then brought back down to be switched intro trains awaiting the mains.

The mainline will have limited passenger service -- it will be mostly freight. Some stuff coming in to the manufacturing shops, coal and manufactured goods going out. Most of the time, the main line will be a 2-6-0 or 2-6-2 -ish size engine, with maybe a slightly larger one for the passenger trains.

It looks like the forum software scales images down, so it may be easier to see what I'm talking about on the original image at: http://www.linuxfoundary.com/images/das_track1.jpg

I hope that all makes sense. Like I said, any and all advice appreciated. I'd hate to get part way into & discover that I messed up something obvious which makes the operating difficult or impossible.

thanks very much,
dave.

Newbie question - how does this layout look?