There's one thing you need to be cognizant of that pertains to 'switches'. Some bigger engines 'may' derail when going through switches due to their overhang/swing. The same applies when you get to the curves if you have two parallel tracks as locks and/or cars could 'sideswipe' one another; that's why you have to allow for a reasonable space when laying your tracks side by side. There are some great books for beginners out there by Lionel and others that contain this type of useful information which may be of interest to you. That's how I (and I'll bet many others on this forum) picked up a lot of basic/general knowledge when entering this wonderful hobby.
Good Luck!
