Modeling a Model Railroad - A Diagonal Road

Coming back around to viaduct discussion. It was suggested that perhaps just a diagonal road instead of a viaduct would be a better choice. It certainly removes any concerns about uncoupling freight cars in and around the viaduct.

I thought this through a bit and decided that instead of the two roads meeting at 90 degrees on the right side of the layout would be more interesting meeting at an angle. I made a road "template" and picked an arbitrary position and drew some lines. Looked interesting so I dug into it a bit more and made up some buildings that matched the angle to see how things might come together. How the diagonal road looks:

A broad overview of the layout. Still working on more buildings. Maybe both roads should be on a diagonal. I'll need to dwell on that thought a bit.

Since I still have viaducts on my mind and I have one that is long enough, let's replace that diagonal road with a diagonal viaduct:

In this configuration I think the viaduct is big enough to be recognized as a major road way. When the viaducts were first built in Denver they were used to get across both the Union Station tracks and the South Platte. They evolved from foot and wagon traffic, to street car and automobiles. I think its a viable option at this length.

I think with some taller buildings surrounding it, especially on the back edge, the viaduct could really be a scene on its own. The question becomes is it worth the difficulty it would add to switching the right side.

I didn't think this model would eat up so much time in the beginning but I enjoyed the exercise so far. I haven't even managed to think to much about the center and left sides yet, so there is plenty to come.