I'm still thinking on the added surface area. The worry is as stated, it'll be a big expanse that's hard to reach.
FWIW, I was considering a long single loop that actually had two reverse loops, both in the expanded area. One would be elevated and go over the first one, so you'd have two complete loops around the table and just make the loop and go down the other way. The entry and exit from each of these loops would be on opposite sides of the layout. Reversing trains would be simple in that case, just two pairs of switches between the two tracks gets it done, one pair for each direction. I'd also like to have a separate loop around that can be switched in and out to either be a separate run or contiguous with the main double loop.
Bob, my idea for the liftgate control is two relays with a simple logic interlock to avoid them ever being energized at once. The control switches will be low voltage, and I'll just lift the guts of the liftgate control and plug them into my modified control. I won't change the wiring at all to the liftgate so it can be returned to stock if desired. The only 120 volts will be inside the liftgate control box. I want dual control that are a single switch that always works, and of course I can add a disable switch if I feel the need.
