Ash,
Three loops of track with no switches may seem adequate at this point in your involvement with tinplate trains, but despite their beauty, I think you will tire of watching your prizes just circling round and round. I visited Jim C. a few years ago, and his layout was truly inspiring. Trains had a variety of paths thru the network of track, and the placement the buildings and accessories brought the trains to life.
The urge to just "get some trains running" is strong, but in the long term you will probably have more fun if you create a slice of life rather than just a "test track". Since Ross Custom Switches made their excellent standard gauge switches available (after consultation with the SGMA), there is no reason to avoid adding a bit of complexity to your layout.
My advice is to take a bit of time to study the efforts of others, and think about what makes them engaging.
Kirk Lindvig, USA Track LLC
