N Scale Shelf Layout Concept - Feedback Appreciated

[Rossford Yard]

Agree with building cantilever bench work.  I have had storage cabinets below layouts, and wiring was no picnic.  And cantilevers leave more room for air mattresses for guests.  I have put over flow guests in my train rooms on air mattresses a few times over the years.  Most don't seem to care, and air mattresses are better than they were.  Recommend it only for the younger set, though.

Not to mention, you really won't miss the extra depth in most cases.  Trend is 12-18" bench work, with photos on back drop over 24-30" with more buildings and actual scenery.  Probably only have to trim yard by a few tracks.

[johnjpeebles]

Yeah, I've got a pretty solid plan for the benchwork (until the joiner tells me it's not, heh).  The plan there is at 18" depth which seems plenty in N Scale.  The last module I built had a width of 12 inches so it feels like plenty of space.  Perhaps 24 in a few spots.

OK, I think I'm going to go back to the drawing board on the industrial port side and see what it looks like without a yard, and pay attention to the module dividers.  Ideally, I'm going to shoot to have nothing bigger than a 4 foot by 18 inch / 24 inch module which I think makes sense.
 

[johnjpeebles]

OK, here's the latest iteration without a yard at the port.  After the passenger terminal (platform), trains will go underneath urban landscape and exit in a mountain area with a spur for a mine.  I've got room off the bottom side for a staging cassette, same with the top right.  I've also got room to expand along the walls to the bottom right of this plan, so there's plenty of room for future expansion.

Thoughts?

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[Philip H]

not a big fan of the curved yard throat you have next to the "station" only because curved turnouts that run smoothly are not easy to find.  Unless I  missed something and you are rolling your own.  Could move some of that track work "down" closer to the stream . . .

[johnjpeebles]

I'm going to hand lay with FastTracks fixtures, so should be OK on the turnout performance.

[johnjpeebles]

Questions for the jury:

1. Do we think the siding (right most) by the passenger station is necessary?
2. Should I lose the second (from the right) spur by the port to let that area breathe more?
3. Do we think the entire port area is too close to the backdrop?

[Philip H]

No, no, no.