Operations in a small space...YES you can! No room for a layout? YES you do...Theme? YES. Purpose? YES. Involvement/Participation and fun for you? Absolutely!

Small and simple and nice.

My very small layout (78" x 48") has a similar theme, with the exception that it incorporates 4 "factories" and is laid out using the same basics as yours. My layout uses a small switcher for each side and a "main" train for the loop. Switchers move cars from the loop train to and from their respective factories. 

TM,

Do you have a drawing of the layout that you can post?

No layout pics or drawings at this time. All track is down. I'll see if I can get some pics later in the week.

I organized the layout a little and took a couple pics. The layout is 48" by 76". At this time I only have 2 of the 4 "factories" (Lionel coaling station and Woodland Scenics' Morrison Door Factory) and each is located in its correct location. I am waiting for Woodland Scenics' H&H Feed Mill and a Gulf tank "farm" by Model Structures Inc. Some shown buildings will not be used in the final layout, e.g., Ameri-Towne Homestead Furniture Factory will be replaced by the H&H Feed Mill moved slightly to align with the spur that has the NC&StL #710 and the black Clinchfield covered hopper. The tank "farm" will be the lower left spur, currently showing some small buildings.

The Lionel L&N Alco S-2 is one of the switchers for accessing the Coaling Station and the Gulf tank farm. I will be buying an Atlas NC&StL VO1000 for accessing the Morrison Door Factory and the H&H Feed Mill. There is a Lionel L&N GP7 pulling the loop train. There is a spur that rests Lionel L&N heavy Mikado. In the Mikado's foreground is a "dead" spur with three caboose, one Atlas L&N bay window, a Malcolm L&N Big Woody, and a Malcolm NC&StL caboose.

The loop is O36 curves and about 5" straights to fill the 48" wideth. All switches are O48, except the switch to the coaling station.

TM,

Your layout is proof positive that you can do switching in a limited amount of space....thanks for sharing the pics..when looking at layout designs I never understood why they had sidings....and in planning a layout those were the first things I would leave out....now I can find enough space for my sidings.....Will post a SCARM version of my layout soon....thanks again for sharing....