Layout Chronicles Step 2

I'm trying something different for me this time around.
I drew a rough scale plan of the St Thomas yard, based upon the survey that I have. From there I drew the yard out full size on kraft paper on the floor. I knew that things weren't going to be exactly as I had drawn in the scale plan.

Turns out I was right. A few things had to move. It's astonishingly tricky trying to condense a 700' yard into a 25' space. Lot's of give and take. And a few hard choices.
To retain the signature elements I had to give up a few items.
Swift coal dealer had to go for aisle width.
A couple of OCS tracks in the yard were deleted as I ran out of space.
The 2 legs of the wye, again for space. (That one was easy to let go of).
I may model a face of the freight house and the station. That remains to be seen.
But I have enough length in the caboose tracks for 16 cabooses, which seems about right.
I also got to lengthen the steel viaduct at the west end by another tower, which will only serve to make the whole thing more imposing.
I'm going to leave the drawing on the floor for awhile and stare at it on and off for weeks to make sure I'm happy with it.
In the mean time, I can and did build some basic benchwork from the staging yard into the first 180 degree turn which will bring the main into the yard.

Benchwork is straight forward. My favorite framing material, finger jointed pine, ripped into 1x3 with simple legs. Screwed together and secured into the walls as well.
Roadbed will be 5/8" fir plywood. I can't find my preferred 1/2" poplar ply in town, but the fir will be stronger and the thickness will be consistent over the time it'll take me to build the layout, I'm sure.

This bit here is where the caboose pocket will be. An area that used to be known as Skunk's Misery.
Would love to know the history of that one.
And Homasote has been found!
I love it when a plan comes together.