Was wondering if you all would take a look over this layout design. I modified it from an old plan called East Glasstop. It has 3-reverse loops and on my program designer, AnyRail, it looks good, but wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something. Thanks!
Having seen this basic layout in the past, I believe that the tricky part is getting the elevations to an acceptable incline (2 to 3%).
I only see two reverse loops. The lower loop is partly double track but it could be handled in DC by one direction/polarity switch I think. (I'm not sure about DCC because you might conceivably have two trains at once under independent control in opposite directions on the two tracks of the double track...) If you have the length, you could alleviate the steep grade problem by adding more straight track on the left end of the layout. And one trick I always do-- maybe overdo- is to avoid the S-curve going into the yard. Instead of entering the yard with a right-hand switch from the straight portion of the bottom of the layout, I would come off the mainline with a left-hand switch as part of the left-end curve at the bottom. Curved side of switch would go to mainline, straight side to yard.
