Southern Pacific Switching Layout

[FCIN]

Ed, It's a great idea, I just prefer to keep track plans simple. I would just leave it at one track for two reasons. Railroads would usually prefer to add one turnout and to just add a wrinkle into the switching game.

Like I said, if you put a highway overpass on the left end and some tanks to the right of the plant, that should do. I love the interlocking tower. That would go beautifully under the overpass for some great photo ops.

Mike;
I too like simpler track arrangements and actually prefer a situation where you have a single siding with multiple car spots where cars must be placed in specific locations on that track. Even two different industries on the same track is quite prototypical and adds another wrinkle to the operations. I worked many such situations on the prototype back in the "Good Old Days". Can make for some very interesting switching and rather time consuming at that. I have three such industries on my ISL right now and it takes a surprising amount of time to switch each one of them. Pull this one, spot that one, re-spot another one, etc.

Since Justin's plan appears to be a mirror image of Jack Hill's layout and basing the industry on the plant at Biglerville, PA, to me, it would be just a bit more prototypical to try and get a similar track arrangement to the prototype. The choice is of course entirely his, not to mention fewer turnouts equal less expense. I do think he should at least change the turnout for the container plant to a right hand and make that track as long as he possibly can, just so there are ample car spot locations. Could even have a left hand turnout at the end of the curve in order to make the track longer and still have plenty of room to work the facility.

I like the idea of having the highway overpass on the end of the layout too. Helps to disguise that end of the layout and is something that I'm incorporating in to my own ISL. Makes a nice separation between the main layout and the staging track area.

The abandoned interlocking tower could be the railroad offices if Justin wants to operate the layout as a separate company too and it would look good semi-hidden under the overpass. I'd also include a dummy signal still standing guard over the now removed crossing.