https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rd-hktAFeyw

The first layout on the above video illustrates a seldom modelled aspect of railway shunting, namely the use of capstan and rope to move a wagon, and it seems well executed. I don't see any reason why this can't be replicated in N-Gauge (I'm assuming the video layout is 4mm).

It would be interesting to see anyone attempt it, unless someone here already has?

In any case, enjoy.

it's looks more like it's 7mm. In theory it should be feasibly in N although the 'rope' would be pretty fiddly and it all involves a lot of "hand of god" for connecting it up etc.

Could be 7mm right enough. Dark thread, or even better metal cable made from multi strand electrical cable should do the trick. No more hand of god than manual uncoupling I'd wager.

Yeah, it's certainly workable. Would add a different dimension to a yard too.

I would have thought the rope used would be unlikely to be more than 3" circumference, and therefore diameter about 1".
In "N" gauge that would equate 0.17mm diameter - can we GET thread that fine ?
Me, I'd be tempted to use a magnet under the baseboard and another on board the wagon .....and maybe a turning capstan just for interest.
On a similar note, I recall being on a container ship and offloading at Zeebrugge many years ago - the containers were offloaded straight onto railway wagons which were hooked to winches at the end of the track - as one container was landed and the crane released, the shore guys pressed a button and presto, the wagons moved along to position for the next container.
We had offloaded 300 or so boxes in four hours......a highly up to date version of the same trick, I think ?   

I've seen film footage of a horse being used at a goods yard. Now there's an interesting N gauge modelling challenge 

I don't think having a slightly over thickness rope scale would be too much of a problem. As with a lot of things in N, it's more of whether it looks right (for instance the thickness of the planks on a typical N gauge plank wagon is about 3-4x too much, simply to avoid the plastic being too thin). Fine cotton would do the job.