North End of Wausau Yard

I have finally decided the key positons for some switches on the north (timetable west) end of the Wausau yard. Like many situations in layout design, I had several competing goals:

1) maximize the length of yard tracks
2) maintain the minimum radii necessary to make the curve through the wall into the staging yard AND the curve that will eventually continue west around the wall (next stage of benchwork)
3) whenever possible, I've decided to try to use whole lengths of flex-track (fewer cuts, rail joiners, electrical contact issues)

This is what I came up with. On the top switch, the straight branch will continue west (left) around the layout. The right diverging branch ill connect with the switch that can be seen coming out of the tunnel and trains will be able to go into the staging yard. In Phase I, this will be part of the main line's loop. Later, this will be a bypass for trains going directly from Wausau yard to the staging yard instead of going around the whole layout. The middle switch will be where the north end of the yard begins, and as you can see Track 1 will have to be shortened to align with the yard ladder (a compromise, but it will end up only a few inches shorter). The straight route of the bottom switch will represent the old C&NW main, which is now a switching district and will be on a peninsula in the layout.

I also wanted to get a few cars out onto the layout to remind myself why I'm doing all this work. So I got out a few centerbeam lumber cars and put them on the "Kelly spur" out of the way.

This weekend I hope to connect these switches with the tunnel and complete Track 1 and a few other yard tracks through the yard. Then I'll know how many Peco switches to order to finish both yards!