Although I would like to have kept the min radius out at 42" or more the size of the space and the size of the rolling stock makes a 36" min radius both a requirement and a possibility and that is what I chose to use.
Los Gatos is located on the upper level adjacent to the aisle. The aisle itself is unusual because the floor is a fold down shelf 24" off the real floor. This makes having Los Gatos at and elevation of 82" possible (at that height the area cantilevered over the cars and storage in the garage becomes a walk under rather than a duck under. It also allows the lower level to be at the 50" to 60" level leaving space under the lower track level from storage/work areas. The fold down walkway (24" up) folds up to give access to the workbench along the back wall of the garage.
Trackwork on the upper level
The climb from Los Gatos to Wrights averages around 1.5% (on the prototype this grade never exceeded 1.5%). The resort at Alma is built in HO scale for forced perspective. Alas, since Alma is too far away from the operator aisles (8 feet!) the oil field spur is not included nor are the passing tracks).
Just before the track reaches Wrights, a shorty representation of the Sunset Park spur is modeled (on the other side of the creek from Wrights). The mouth of the summit tunnel is the later version (since the original wooden portal disappeared in 1883 when the mountain slid down and completely buried the track here).
The summit tunnel is strangely short on this SPC. The prototypes was over 6000' but here its less than 250 scale feet long. The grade inside the tunnel maxes out at 3% (much steeper than the prototype).
On the south (clockwise) end of the tunnel is Laurel. A severely truncated version of the spur to Fred Hihn's lumber mill is modeled (space restrictions suck). Lovely scenery opportunities here though. A backdrop separates Laurel from the Los Gatos Creek area behind it. Again ho/n scale models are used on the hill for forced perspective. Operators can reach Laurel by means of the stairs at the right end of the upper aisle-way. Since Laurel is directly above the hoods of the family cars and is at an elevation of 86" switching here requires the cars to be moved and the use of a portable platform high enough for the operator to see/reach.
Past Laurel the operator takes another duck under into the Glenwood area. The trains arrive at Glenwood after passing through another tunnel (on the prototype this one was over 5000' long. On the model it's a bit less than 400 scale feet. (the duck under between Laurel and Glenwood has to go beneath the lower deck's tracks, elevation 54", hopefully this isn't too nasty. The other alternative would be to take a stroll back via the Los Gatos / Wrights aisle). Glenwood was an important center of activity on SPC. When the nightly lumber train from Boulder creek couldn't make it up the hill from Felton (which was most of the time) the train would double (or even triple) the hill reassembling itself at Glenwood. There was an "armstrong" turn table here (the only turning facility between Los Gatos and Felton so that the engines from an excursions to the Sunset Park spur would often run on to Glenwood to get turned around for the trip back to Los Gatos (as would any helper engines used on the grades).
Beyond Glenwood (moving counter clockwise on the layout) there is yet another tunnel. Ironically on the prototype this tunnel was relatively short (less than 1000') but on the model this tunnel hides the helix to the lower level. 3 loops at 19' per loop works out to nearly a 1/2 scale mile of track. Oh well, you can't have everything (unless you're Bill Gates). The other thing the tunnel hides is the cut-off track that allows the trains to return directly to Los Gatos for continuous running.
Trackwork on the lower level
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A train taking the helix downward arrives in the Zayante/San Lorenzo
canyon area which leads directly to Felton. There is unfortunately next
to no room for anything in Felton but the "imaginary" industry approach
is taken to model the limestone quarry and the California Power Works switch
back spur. The turning loop used by the prototype is a victim of space restrictions.
The mainline proceeds along the San Lorenzo river (and the left wall of the garage). This is the old SC&F right of way which was very twisty with steep grades. Once again irony strikes because there simply isn't enough room to model all the twists, turns, gradients and tunnels.
The Santa Cruz area is entered through the Mission Hill tunnel, passes the turn table in the corner and head for the beach, station, and Gharkey's wharf.
From Felton the Boulder Creek branch proceeds counterclockwise under the Glenwood area (on the upper deck) then makes a clockwise turn around the hidden helix arriving in the Boulder Creek yard which is placed under Los Gatos.