Yard switches vs Main switches and min curve sizes

Eight years or more to predict how much room you will have to build a layout is pushing it. Model railroading is supposed to be an enjoyable hobby, so enjoy it now by building a layout best suited for your space, which might include O-72 turnouts with O-36 cruves. If you are very certain you will be building a larger layout later, consider building a modular layout which will be incorporated into the larger layout.

You seem to be building a medium to small layout. You should be finished in less than 8 years. Build it to enjoy and run. Use the turnouts that work in your track plan. In 8 years, sell the old track and turnouts and use the money to buy bigger turnouts. If lightly used, they will sell. If they are well used, you had your fun and don't worry about them.

use the largest radius curvesand switches that will fit in your layout area. all trains ,from the 027 size to the 3-rail scale trains of today will look and run better. i went from lionel 022 and072 switches to gargraves,now have atlas 7.5's onthe main,#5's in the yards.took me about 40 years to make the change,so dont rush it.-jim

It would depend on your available space and budget.  My layout has 060 and 048 curves on my outer loops. I also have several 036 switches.  The biggest problem is I am limited on what equipment I can run.  So it would depend where you want to go in the future.  I would defiantly reuse as much as you can as long at it in in good operating condition. Even new pieces can give you trouble.  Jon

Our layout that we will be building this fall is 18'x6.5' which allows us 064 and 054 ross curve double track.  This is about as wide as we can go with the space given.  We are going for a fun themed layout for my dad and this grandsons, but wanted wide enough turns to not restrict us on future purchases.  Bigboys and scale autoracks are out of the question, but im sure we will be able to run 90% of available equipment and have it look good doing so.

and people wonder why i like toy train boards,,,lol what i could put on a board that size with O27

Do the FasTrack switches have a "life" to them?  Is it possible that they will be unusable after 8 or so years?

Are there any freight cars that won't navigate O36 track?

Mike H:

My Imperial RailKing Big Boy will operate just fine on your layout. A Scale one? No.

But the Imperial looks real nice on curves that size.

Admittedly, if all your other equipment is scale is may look odd in comparison. The tender is short by several inches for one thing.