Reply to "Show Us Your Track Plan"

I have posted variations of this before, but here's the latest version of my forthcoming Postwar layout:

Some basic facts:

1. This will be on the third floor of our house.  The entry stairs are on the right, that gray box in the middle is a chimney.
2. The light green/black track is the table level.  The navy blue on a teal background is an elevated level.  The Orange Track on the right is another elevated level above the teal level.
3. The passenger station area at the top is a mini-homage to the Lionel Showroom layout with all those 156 passenger stations.
4. I couldn't figure out how to draw circles reliably in RR-Track, but I will be taking out a jigsaw and making most of the table edges curve in concert with the O72 curves just inside.  I'm still inspired by the late TCA President Al Ruocchio's layout with that gorgeous wainscoting and brass rails.  I can only hope to make something half as nice.
5. Some good points about the layout, IMHO, are:
6. • It's a good size at 36x20.  It will be the biggest I will have ever built by a long shot.
   • Since 99% of all derailments occur at a switch, all switches but 1-2 are reachable by hand from a nearby front table edge.  The exceptions are reachable by the backside of the table or a popup.
   • All accessories that have something that needs to be replaced (e.g., 352 Icing Station) can be operated/reloaded from a nearby table edge.
   • Not shown is a below-table-level subway that will be at eye-level to young children through the sides of the table.
7. I made the decision a while ago to have "one of each" of the Lionel postwar accessories on the layout. 
   
   "One of each" excludes obvious dupes where the accessories pretty much do the same thing (e.g., 38/138 water tower, 282/182 gantry crane, etc.).  I also excluded most of the stupid military and space items (e.g., the cardboard submarine base).  I had a pretty good start in my boyhood collection, so picking up the accessories I didn't have has been pretty easy and enjoyable.
8. To be fair, I intentionally omitted the following from my "one of each" list:
9. • 97 coal elevator (I think the 397 and 497 are both better)
   • The 375 turntable (which I think is kind of plastic-y looking ... plus it doesn't work)
   • 460 Piggyback unloader (I'm tempted on this one, but it's relatively large for something with such minimal play value)
   • Many of the passenger stations and small bridges (these just don't move me)
   • Any of the stupid 60's accessories involving shooting things

It has proven to be a challenge to find time to work on it, but I'm ever hopeful.  It will be nice to retire some day and really make some progress...

Steven J. Serenska