Newman Atkinson says:

More track or More scenery is a good question….. I did my earlier layouts will almost all track and absolutely no scenery. It was crowded with so much track that I could not even get a station in place but boy did I have track and I had tracks to run on BUT, even though there was a track to put a car on where was I delivering it to? Although when there is a want to make your track go places, with all that track you are stuck in the switch yard. Throw some wild plans here and there such as a station but don’t forget the parking lot and baggage area , a place for the cabs. You need a road to the station what ever size the road might be. You might have a siding to park cars on but just how are you getting cars and taxis to it? Sometime mountain tunnels are wanted but are there any hills to go through. It takes space to have a mountain. Otherwise why have a tunnel….. On My layout… I am going to put a Winter Home of the BIG TOP CIRCUS on it. So I need space. It will take a practice and local show Barn, 2 support barns, at least enough space to show the start of a parking area, a couple of siding tracks to load train cars to get the show on the road and where is the road to get to the grounds. To do that I have removed the idea of keeping my tracks from running along the front of the layout and instead shallow the curve coming into the area and circle the whole area so much of the circus grounds is forward for everyone to see. A major circus has major barns. for support. and loading circus cars is not an easy job with no room to load them.
Another area I am working on I initially wanted to put in a station that included all the tracks the real station has but if I do that, most of the platforms would have to go. So to allow a reasonable amount to be modeled some tracks will have to not be put in. Pick the tracks that are important to make it look reasonably accurate , work, and the non modeled areas area just disappears off the side of your layout. Station need platforms and not a track so close the passengers would bump into the train next to it because it was so close. So don’t get carried away with track Give yourself plenty of room when you plan your tracks. I just went to the National Model Railroad convention and some of the modeling clinics stressed to not overcrowd everything to get all you dreamed to put in. An old Hardware store not only has it’s walls but also has stuff along the front displaying some wares, a delivery door with pallets, trash cans and what ever need to be in the scene. As one modeling clinic stated with it’s title ” It is all in the details.” A Band practicing on a football field needs a field to practice on. You may be able to let the unneeded field disappear off the edge of your layout. Give yourself the important space to tell your story. Your layout should tell your story. From newman Atkinson