I've posted elsewhere about my large Gargraves layout I donated and built (see Strasburgmuseum.org for pictures) but also have a moderate tubular track layout at home on the only available space, my laundry room/workshop floor. Its a lot of leftovers but some new stuff I got, built around Lionel's Burlington 7 car ABA set (I added sound). So the layout is the CB&Q, American Royal route Chicago to KC (I found a copy of the original brochure on eBay).
The Layout is 22x 7', double track with two long crossovers, 8 sidings, and a long terminal track. I wanted a simple but enjoyable method of operation and came up with an index card (corrupt waybill) system. One file lists the six cities on the passenger and freight routes, Chicago to KC (westbound) and back again. It always begins at the Chicago/KC terminal. The freight program goes to St. Louis. Each usable freight car has 8 cards shuffled into the second file.
You draw the first passenger card which directs the American Royal to the next stop which is Aurora. All the passenger stops are on the long outer rail straighaways, which change over a 45 degree crossover. Then the first freight destination is drawn, followed by a freight car card (run by a Hudson, also with a sound car). If the car is on the train, it drops it off, if the car is on the siding, the car is picked up, otherwise the stop is skipped. There is a two siding yard at Galesburg, so two cards are drawn, and three cards for the main yard at Chicago/St. Louis. A diesel switcher operates there. Freight cars are initially scattered around. Of course the Burlington train has priority so the freight train has to adjust.
After all trains have completed their runs from and to Chicago, the freight cards are reshuffled. Great thing is you can stop anywhere for the session and easily pick up where you stopped. Not regulation, so what? Easy and fun.
