I would think the "feel" has quite a bit to do with the length of the equipment you are running. Passenger cars (especially the usual prototypical 80 ft cars), and some modern freight that in the 60ft to 80+ft range won't feel right in restricted area. But you mentioned RS3's and SW's in the early '50's, where freight is usually between 35 ft and 50ft, which should "feel" better in smaller space.
Ultimately, the "feel" is in the eye of the beholder, so you'll need to build it first to see it yourself, IMO.
