Hi Bill
There is no perfect layout but one that suits your needs / requirements

On the positive side
- nice a accessible layout
- 2 reversing loops

On the negative side
- one level approach (simpler to make and easy access to "train issues"
- no loco depot
- not many siding, mashalling yards, etc

As I said it all depends on your priorities (how old is your son?)
I just love train depots especially steam
I found that staking most reversing loops on the same place (2 levels or more) allows tou having more space for landscape, industrial areas,
Also, when I started with analogue operation I was not much into shunting, decoupling, assembling trains.

It is perfectly true that accessibility is important and from that perspective, your layout is a winner.
Here is a video to explain my "strange ideas", using Märklin C track, digital a,d computer-control with Rocrail (100% automatic operation


Where I differ:
- 3 levels (quite some time under the layout)
- a liking for Faller Car System
- a liking for automatic operation (you have to test virtually your layout for convenience for any king of maneuvers (shunting)

Here is a Faller Car operation

Pardon me for being so intrusive. I was just trying to pass some ideas
Cheers
Jean

Thanks for the feedback -- it is much appreciated and glad to see no one thinks it is very far off. We have ~4 feet around the outside. That seemed like the minimum to have in order to not make it feel too cramped.

My son is 6 right now so trying to balance having something that will keep him entertained now and making sure that he will be happy in the future. I've definitely thought a lot about multiple levels but decided for now to keep it to one. I was thinking one compromise might be to do a second level on just half of the layout. But, not sure how I would incorporate that into this fundamental design.

I actually sent a slightly older version of the plan-- my current design has a larger yard in the lower right. But still probably not large enough. Given my son's interest in stations I decided to prioritize that and that made things harder to fit in. I do think a turntable and depot would be nice as well but have to figure out the location for that as well. Right now my son particularly loves modern trains so that one may wait a bit.

Hi Bill,
It is an admirable plan for the uses you intend.
For a 6 year old the simpler the better.
The beautiful thing about C track is it is easily changed (particularly if not pinned down).
I think you will find that anticipates when your son and friends have to progress to greater things.
The best of luck and fun for all.

Kimball

Hi,

great work. You could move the top middle crossing futher down to create a run around / siding that is long enough to hold a complete train:



-Eino