Normally I am not a fan of ovals. However, the compact Canyon City RR track plan by the late George Bastert caught my attention, because offers many features of general interest (at least for me). In my C track translation it measures 110 x 190 cm.

The single level construction is rather simple. Having all turnouts accessible from the front, the layout can be "surrounded" by three walls. Train meets are possible, the highway overpass allows to hide an entire train, thus making a train run seem to be long(er). There are both siding capacity and switching potential. Stub tracks disappearing "in the distance" under the overpass plus the placement of mirrors add scenic depth and simulate a connection to a greater world.

I like the versatile routing potential of plan no. 66 in 101 Track Plans by Model Railroader Books. The original plan proposes a river maze and hills in the middle. The stub terminal could have any size, and it could bend around the upper curve or go straight on a shelf. The corpus measures 250 x 140 cm.

Curved turnouts allow for condensing to +200 cm x +120 cm , while keeping easements and extend ramp as well as return loop lengths. Ruling grade is 3% now.

In New England garage spaces aren't so great at -5C and below. Fortunately basements are common.

I also like the 6th plan in the Atlas book. I am thinking of doing a C interpretation of that. I won't build it as I've got Immensee to finish. I've drawn track plans since I was a kid, especially when I was bored in school. Drawing nice smooth intertwined lines was soothing.

The grades are definitely steep on the branch and from Chelsea to Woodville Tower but I don't think that long trains were typical on home layouts back in '56 when this was first published. Good reason to run a helper up to Albion. Though I assume the traffic would be empties up and loads down.

They want to ruin it. There'll be no more train watching!!!