Multi-lap scenery, an open discussion

[Triplex]

Hide in plain sight: make the scene look like four tracks are needed ( yard, for example)

Four routes can be hidden as two double track routes.

Those are exactly what I was talking about. What I was saying is, I have never accepted those methods, even though they look more reasonable.

Also, just saying that on paper makes it sound like each line is only one track all the time. A single-track line has passing tracks. Four routes through a scene would more likely be six tracks, and that's why I find that extreme. I notice that most plans with more than two routes in a scene look short on passing tracks. The G&D is the most famous example.

I suppose that's my problem. I've seen photos of many layouts that manage 3+ routes without looking ridiculous to my eye, but most of those layouts (or parts thereof) are mainly "out in the country" mainline.

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An elevated line and station, even running above houses. This actually looks scenically convincing, because it's not far off reality... for Japan.

As an aside, Japanese layouts frequently push multi-lapping far beyond anything we'd consider reasonable (5 times around double-track mainline, anyone?) They look more like Lionel setups.

or have trackage that is used by more than one "route", hiding the points where multiple routes converge.

And that is what I absolutely never do. I allow visual spaghetti, but not schematic spaghetti.

Maybe I sound antagonistic. I guess I'm just frustrated because I often see plans that fit something in some space, I like them, and it takes me a long time to realize those plans are doing what they can by making compromises I don't want to make. And then I have to up my estimates for how much space it takes to do something. Simplest example, and one I did realize early on: If a plan says it's designed for 20-car trains, there's a good chance it's meaning a mix of 40' and 50' cars, and four 5-unit stack cars, for example, will be too long for it.