Hi both, I'm sorry I've typed my reply twice, and both times it's been eaten by the PC. So,
I've always found something to get the juices flowing but they've rarely stuck with it. Operationally it seems a British layout needs to slot into pre-1930's and definitely no later than the 1950's - i.e. wagon-load traffic, branchlines with shorter trains, varying liveries with running rights. Unfitted trains running at 10mph and vacuum fitted expresses at 40mph would further extend the 'run' I have. The only caveat is that I need somewhere to run something other than short tank locomotives. I don't need realistic homes for my Mallard, but I'll be god damned if I'm going to keep everything miniscule all the time.
Before I write them off entirely, can anyone can suggest reading material for operationally-interesting freight operations run by diesels (even if they were green with no yellow ends)? I grew up around the sounds of Class 37's, 33's and 73's from Hither Green MPD but the block working of shuttling whole trains just bores me to tears, as do EMUs. Any thoughts around that would be interesting (just pretend not being a sustainable option, unfortunately!)
Location-wise I'm not altogether bothered, though I grew up in suburban south-east London I've travelled a fair bit and really enjoyed Edinburgh, Manchester and all around rural York, the West Country and South Wales. There are flashes which inspire: grotty LMS Tanks with crimson coaches on brick viaducts, lustrous Apple-green LNER Pacifics being fussed over by an attendant shunter, or some slightly more stretched example of a Deltic and an 08 doing the same.
So to clarify, if I go with EM I should look at roughly 30" radius curves? While a reversing loop could work, It would take up more than half of the width of my space (even if the lobe was the other side of the joist).
I think 4mm might be the best shout, sketching up the space when I have to factor in the roof tilt too, brings my available footage down significantly - to say nothing of challenges of reversing loops (or train turntables kindly mentioned).
Speaking of joists you're quite right, but that is a project for another year - this particular layout's scenic sections would be made on standard modules in order that they can move with me and/or be relocated in the case of engineering works.