Large HO layout - please comment

Okay, here's the latest plan after quite some time of reconsidering/reworking. Prep work on the room is done and I'm ready to start benchwork. Any comments before I do that are most welcome.

Pertinent facts:

Room size: Approx. 20x30', grid is 1' squares.

1. Minimum mainline radius - 30"
2. Era - Late 40's
3. Line - PRR
4. Locale - Central Pennsylvania "protolance" river valley... Think if PRR ran a line up the Susquehanna river from Enola northward...
5. Terrain (not shown on plan). The idea is a line running up a river valley a la the NYC's Hudson branch. The front 1' or so of the benchwork is therefore flat and level, sloping from there up to the wall as rolling hills. The central peninsula is a taller hill with access underneath to loadsin-emptiesout, reversing/hiding loop, etc.
6. Benchwork. Around-the-walls with a peninsula. Height will be about 50" (I'm still playing with the exact number, but quite high. I'm 6'1" and plan to build it roughly chest-high to me.
7. Grades: None. I prefer to add verticality with terrain. In the future a logging/mining line (perhaps narrow-gauge) will occupy the higher terrain.
8. Room. Walls are shown in Red. The area where the tracks seem to go "through the walls" is a void space under the stairs - just open studs that are accessible from the staging area. Two entrances: one at lower left goes into hidden staging area. Primary entrance is at lower right. Yes it's a "nod under," but at the benchwork height I plan, I'm okay with that... Rather nod under than hassle with a lift-bridge or similar.
9. Other Known issues. There are some long "reaches" in places, up to 36". Most of these have no track at the "back," but a few do. I've reconciled myself to this, though 36" reach is not undoable for me (long monkey-knuckles-scrape-the-ground arms, as my wife calls 'em)

That's all I can think of... Feel free to ask ?'s...
 
For what it's worth, here's how the logging line would come into play... I'd model the "apple farm" after the Mott's apple farm near my home in Adams County, PA... There's this amazing line running up through the hills to there - some of the steepest grades I've ever personally seen.
 

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ReefBlueCoupe

New Member
I'd like to see a couple of engine escapes on some of those longer spurs in your yards, but other than that the layout looks awesome and fun.
 

Ralph

Remember...it's for fun!
Impressive and ambitious...you've got me a bit envious actually! Are you placing a back drop or scene divider in the pennisula for that loads in/empties out industry?
Ralph
 
Thanks for the feedback guys.

ReefBlue - Yes, agreed on that. I also need a couple more crossovers on the mainline too, I think.

Ralph - Yes, scenery will divide it rather than a backdrop. One of the reasons I selected a "river valley" scenario is that it justifies the steepish sides/cliffs/cuts I'll have to use extensively to get the height I want for hills in the widths available. But with that peninsula about 6' wide, I think I'll be able to have a 'ridgeline' division without it looking like some sort of Martian landscape... But I'll tell you right now, that if whoever makes SuperTrees is a public company, we should all consider buying stock, 'cuz I'm gonna need a whole lot of 'em.
 
Okay, after feedback here and elsewhere, and a re-review of my givens and druthers (and an admission that I wanted to have a union station to merit multiple roadnames), here's the latest latest design. I'm posting here plus links to bigger/clearer versions.

As before, the first image is the 'main' level, the second image shows the logging line, that starts at "main" elevation at the top of the layout, and climbs up into the hills.

I've tried to use color to clarify better:

Red lines = walls
green lines = edge of benchwork
Blue track = mainline
Red track = yards & related
pink track = hidden under scenery
brown track = sidings
green track (on second image) = logging/mining line

I still haven't added loco escapes to all the yards, but other than that, it's pretty much WYSIWYG.

Link to bigger version of main level: http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c158/kristianj/LAYOUT12.jpg

Link to bigger version of logging line:
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c158/kristianj/LAYOUT12a.jpg
 

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