I should have said that this layout is meant to represent only part of a hypothetical town in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Southwest Virginia where I grew up. I can think of numerous examples from which I have drawn inspiration for this design: Galax, Clifton Forge, Covington, etc. During the transitional Era, they definitely had track side Water Towers for refilling tenders and lots of Coal traffic. Many also had industries for timber, agricultural, crushed stone, lime, and cement products. Some also had manufacturing that used these raw materials to make building and consumer products. But these points are an aside to the point of my request for suggestions about the track plan, and only mentioned to give the layout context for the proposed terrain.
The ultimate goal for making this layout is to maximize the play value, not so much recreating a truly prototypical single town. I have no questions about what industries (buildings and accessories) to include.
The types of suggestions I am primarily seeking would be for maybe reducing the steeper subterranean grades and still taking full advantage of the available space and track I already have in such as way as to maximize the train running options and enjoyment of building and operating the layout.
More trains on the tracks simultaneously, some hidden from view at times.
