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When I started out in 16mm scale a ground level line was a no go for me and like you I was determined not to just have a railway on wooden 'stilts'. With the right garden planting you can hide a raised line so it blends into it's environment.
As for track radius 0-4-0's, 4 wheeled stock and even small bogie wagons work fine round Peco set track ST605 curves and if you find yours don't then you need to check your back-to-back measurements. Obviously, R/C helps with tight radius as you can give the loco some extra puff before it hits the sharp bends.
I have found my own 0-6-0 locos will not go round the ST605 curves without stalling unless R/C is fitted. If Peco had released the larger ST607 curves when I was building my line then I would of used these as I have a few 3ft curves which I made myself and they chuff round these with no problems. Not all of us have acres of land to build a line with large radius curves so the smaller set track offerings are great as you try accurately bending track to such tight radius consistently!
What's important when laying your line though is getting it level including across the width of the track. I find if you do a bit of super elevation on curves it helps trains get round easier.
Looking forward to future updates of your line Ben and most importantly have fun. Don't be afraid to do it your way
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