Andy,
How big is your layout?
Do you have room to expand inside/outside the ovals?
Is your track secured to the layout or can you rearrange it? Maybe a folded dogbone or an over and under?
Instead of just ovals, can you rearrange it something like the WGH configuration?
A few more turnouts will allow you to experiment a little.
Hamish's ideas are good.

I have some here but there aren't any #5 tunrouts.
http://www.sarget.com/trains/traintips/bach/traintip-eztrack.html

Check the internet. There are dozens of sites.
Google - "model railroad scenery"

My favorites would be pre-1900 steam.
What are diesels other than different colored boxes with the only visible moving parts being rolling wheels?

Gene,
Demonstrations against a Chinese company? Remember Tiennemen(sp?) Square?

Start by buying some of the pieces you will need.
One thing to do is to figure what minimum radius you will use for the equipment you will be running.
Buy some curves with the minimum radius you will use. You know that you will need at least enough to make two half circles. With an "E", you'll probably need enough for 4 half circles.
If you want easement curves (a good idea), that will be more complicated.
You know you will use straights, so buy some straights. You probably have a rough idea of how long your straight sections will be. Buy what you're sure you'll need to start with.
Start laying them out.
Then, it's easier to figure out what pieces you will need to fill in the gaps.

LD - Bachmann DOES still use traction tires on their old time 4-4-0's.

Seems like DST is meant to appease just a few.
Why don't the "9 to 5" companies just change their working hours in the summer and let the rest of us alone?
Is DST really relevant to those who work evening/midnight shifts? Or retirees?
I guess it means more sunlight for play after school, but school isn't in session in the summer anyway.

JWB
In the #1 pic, it creates an "S" turn. The more straight you have between opposing curves, the less chance of derailment with longer cars.

Some EZ Track sidings -
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Passing sidings
One problem with making a passing siding on the straights with EZT (EZ Track) is that (with one exception - #5 below) you need a 2" straight.
That is, unless you want to cut the EZ Track.
As of today, 2" straights aren't sold separately.
They are sold with Bachmann's 90* crossing. It comes with four 2" straights.
Below are 6 examples of how you can make a passing siding using 18" radius curves.
This won't work with 15" or 22" radius curves without some kind of "S" curve somewhere.
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1. Below -  No straights between curve and turnout.   ***NOT A GOOD IDEA ***
Diverging leg = left - 18"r - 18"r - right
Straight leg = left - 3" - 4 1/2" - 9" - "2 1/4" - 2" - 9 - right
Dimensions = 38 3/4" long   6 3/4" wide

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2. Below -  2" straights between curve and turnout. 
Diverging leg = left - 2" -18"r - 18"r - 2" - right
Straight leg = left - 9" - 2 1/4" - 2" - 2" - 9" - right
Dimensions = 42 1/4" long   7 3/4" wide

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3. Below -  2 1/4" straights between curve and turnout. 
Diverging leg = left - 2 1/4" -18"r - 18"r - 2 1/4" - right
Straight leg = left - 2" - 9" - 4 1/2" - 9" - right
Dimensions = 42 1/2" long   7 3/4" wide

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4. Below -  3" straights between curve and turnout. 
Diverging leg = left - 3" - 18"r - 18"r - 3" - right
Straight leg = left - 9" - 3" - 3" - 2" - 9" - right
Dimensions = 44" long   8 1/4" wide

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5. Below -  4 1/2" straights between curve and turnout.
*** The only combination that will work without a 2" straight. ***
Diverging leg = left - 4 1/2" - 18"r - 18"r - 4 1/2" - right
Straight leg = left - 9" - 3" - 3" - 2 1/4" - 2 1/4" - 9" - right
Dimensions = 48 1/2" long   9" wide

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6. Below -  9" straights between curve and turnout. 
Diverging leg = left - 9" - 18"r - 18"r - 9" - right
Straight leg = left - 9" - 9" - 2" - 4 1/2" - 2 1/4" - 9" - right
Dimensions = 54 1/2" long   11 1/4" wide

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7. Below - Opposing turnouts
Diverging leg = left - 2 1/4" - left - right - 2 1/4" - right
Straight leg = left - 4 1/2" - 3" - 2" - 9" - 9" - right
Dimensions = 45 1/2" long   7 3/4" wide

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   EZ Track yard
Here is an EZ Track yard made without cutting pieces and using the 2" straights, standard turnouts, and 18" curves.
The below pics use the diverging legs for the straight sections and the straight leg
for the curved sections.
Add straights equally between the two curves and the straights to make it longer.
------------------------------------------------------------------
   1. Below - Can be passing siding or two track yard.
Diverging leg  = right - 9" - 2" - 2 1/4" - left
Straight leg = right - 18"r - 18"r - left
Dimensions = 34 1/2" long   10 1/2" wide (to lowest corner of turnout)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
   2. Below - Four track yard.
Top set of turnouts -
Diverging leg  = right - 9" - 2" - 2 1/4" - left
Straight leg = right - 18"r - 18"r - left
Second set of turnouts -
Diverging leg  = right - 9" - 9" - 2" - 9" - left
Third set of turnouts -
Diverging leg  = right - 9" - 9" - 4 1/2" - 2" - 2 1/4" - 9" - 9" - left
Dimensions = 65 1/4" long   17 1/4" wide (to lowest corner of turnout)

I thought it was pretty cool.
Reminded me of Back To The Future.

Pretty cool!

The first one didn't show up
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Here are a few EZ track layouts I came up with.  These were up on the old site.
One is the WGH layout using 22" radius curves.
I have some more pics of sidings I'll put up shortly.

The pieces that have the white strips across them are the 2" straights.
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[imghttp://www.sarget.com/trains/traintips/bach/eztrack/bachezyarda-24.jpg[/img]http://2.

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Buoy,
You can use small straight pieces in the smaller curves to make them a little bigger.