Need help with small yard design...

Did you intend to attach a photo or some other file?

@DoubleDAZ posted:

Dud you intend to attach a photo or some other file?

It's there now sir.  Thanks for your response.

Excuse the crude MS paint markup, but I would go with something like this. Move all the crossovers out to Alligator Point or Huntsville  Add a 3rd track for arrivals/departures. Extend one end for the yard lead so you can make up/break down trains without tying up the main, and a small 2-3 track engine terminal on the other end. Some curved switches might help fit some extra tracks in.

You beat me to it, my laptop was tied up. I would move the switch at Alligator Point to the top so there’s a longer lead from/to that side of the yard and trains won’t foul the inner loop.

The original drawing has a larger space in the Huntsville corner, I would consider a yard in that area to the edge of the layout, leaving your two towns as is. Consider the yards usage, as an interchange point, or flat classification yard, but from your design I see the Huntsville area as a place where trains are broken up to be sent to the other two towns, and freight from those two back to Huntsville, to be made up into a train to take out on the road to an imaginary distant point.  A small engine facility, at least fuel and sand for the arriving and departing freights.  Leave the double track at Huntsville, add a third track on the outside to access the yard and clear the main, maybe use a curved turnout at the top or place the curve of a turnout in the main line curve and come off the straight section onto that third track for the yard.  You can get fancy with a double slip in the center track at Huntsville to the outer yard track and a turnout from the inner to the double slip and improve track access from both directions.

You should add a run-around track so a switcher can make and breakdown a train regardless of the direction which it entered the yard.  It will allow the engine to eventually get out of the way.

Jan