garethashenden wrote:Are either of these worth pursuing? Should I do something else? Should the two running lines be connected somehow? Would the best thing to do be starting over with a better overall plan? The things I want out of the layout have changed since I started it.
Fundamentally only you can answer these questions. Presumably, if it comes to starting again, much of what you have done in terms of buildings, etc. can be salvaged and reused? One thought that occurred to me is that the arch at the back which provided notional access to the yard would have to be fenced off from the main line, as would any doors giving access, whilst ground floor windows would probably be given bars for security. The new plans imply a move from a wharf which may or may not be railway owned, but where all movement is low speed, to a main line railway, on railway owned property, with relatively much higher speeds and where larger clearances and better visibility would be expected.
So far as the diagrams are concerned, the second is more likely, as the loop is too small to be much use and the part of the train not involved in shunting can just be left on the main. Catch points for the yard would probably still be a good idea, and would be mandatory for a line with a passenger service. I don't have any means of judging distance on the plans, but I would suggest that you may need to consider clearances between the track and structures at the back.