A "Run and Switch" Design

Several decades ago, I was contacted by a customer in the Chicago area who wanted a fairly large layout that would allow for both casual train running and industrial switching. The basic theme was somewhere in the Rust Belt during the 1950's.

Shown above is the design we came up with. It's essentially just a large double-track loop with industries along the perimeter and a large yard on the top. It measured 32' x 11'. We set the minimum radius at 36 inches to accommodate large power and passenger traffic.

A Milwaukee Road unit works one of the industrial zones. A local watering hole is on the right.

Industries on the layout were on the large side. Historic photos of Chicago and Cleveland gave me a general sense of the look we wanted.

A look down one of the "track canyons" typical of the region.