What track are you using? Controls are conventional (needs blocks) or a command set up?
Level- If you add turnouts, and divide the dog bone into two power blocks, with each block able to be switched to the inner loop power controller, you could move trains between tracks, and reverse direction on them "no hands". 4 turnouts & 2 toggle switches are all you would need.
Remember- The smallest loop of a dog bone, or crossing(x) is your train length limiter.
Level Elevation- On the dog bone could give two villages, mountain(s) and a bridge along the back. Adding dimension to a flat world is more fun.
A trolley? No matter what, yes, yes, and yes. I love them.
As a kid, my Grandfather set his up straight, and along the front edge so kids could easily work the bump and go by a hand across the track. But visually I wanted to see it travel between towns (Hint, hint).
For visual, I would do another elevated line, open track(no wood under) on trestles with a timed stop at a walk down trolley station near your lower, inner loop "town" and bump stops at the other two 'towns" on the ends. A trolley is light and wont need extra support. The open rails wont be as bad of a visual block either, but will be one. So playing with that idea later, may be a better idea.
Or
Flat about the same thing, across the front edge, and/or crossing tracks with a stop and wait set up, where the trolley stops and waits for any trains. That can be done with block control, and/or simple Lionel under track contactors.
A siding? Why not?
Especially if kids may run this it allows some switching/delivering, but a parked engine is cool too. Again, some block control would let you do this in conventional, or command on that track.
Look no hands!
