The Track Plan

I've been busy and not had too much time to work on things but now that I have decided what features I want on the pike, I have been able to finalize the track plan. It is obvious from the drawing that I am neither an artist nor a draftsman, but hopefully you can get an idea of what I am planning. The dimensions of the allocated space are 15' x 9.5' with the width of 36". As mentioned before, due to the space restrictions, the loops will only have a radius of 16". This will restrict me to using small motive power and short rolling stock. That is fairly easy to do within the era I am modeling. I will however be unable to use passenger equipment and some of the larger, more modern steam power, but certain compromises had to be made. The remaining curves will be about 30" radius for better appearance and operation.
The shorter leg of the "L" will be a more scenic area with a river crossed by a 150' Warren Truss Bridge and a 40ft Deck Girder. A road will pass under the deck girder leading into the town which will be located along the longer side of the "L". I hope to add a roadside picnic area so motorist can enjoy the view during lunch. Most of the loop will be concealed in a tunnel so the sharp curves there want be so obvious.
The town will have a passing track and several spurs leading to some small business's. These will include a small lumberyard, a coal dealer, an oil distributor, a small furniture factory and possibly a farm supply and mill. There will also be a few small downtown buildings, a church a few houses, and a gas station. On the road leading into town will be a small tourist trap reminiscent of the roadside souvenir stands that were popping up in the area as tourism was growing in the mountains. Now that the plan is complete, I do the last few finishing touches on the support and benchwork and begin putting down the foam base that the trackwork will be mounted on.