Feedback re shunting layout?

[RobertInOntario]

I hope to FINALLY start adding scenery to this layout! Yes, I'm pretty slow here but I did explain myself in the "Too Many Projects" thread!

I haven't gotten any further in adding motors to the sidings -- I don't think I will for simplicity. I did remove that back piece of track and plan to add scenery and building there.

I found an excellent article in an old British magazine (the Dec. 2009 Hornby Magazine) that describes a layout very similar to this one and how to operate it. So that has inspired me to start using this layout again. I was almost second-guessing my track plan, as the layout in this article describes a more traditional Inglenook -- however, I've discovered that I can operate my layout as per the article. You set up 8 freight cars & have one card for each. Four cars are placed on each of the two front sidings. Then you draw 5 cards and place them in left-to-right order. Then you switch the 5 cars onto the back siding in that order. However, my siding are long enough that I can place 9 cars onto the front sidings (instead of 8).

Now, I'm almost bitten by the shunting / small shelf layout bug -- I spent a good hour the other night switching cars around.

I'll try to post some updated pics in the near future. The layout is so small it should take me long!

I like "tail-chaser" layouts so much that this is a bit of a change for me! Has anyone else experimented with such shunting layouts or have comments?

Thanks,