Industry Descriptions
Construction Sequence Photos
You can't get much simpler than this. The layout base is made from closet door panels set on shelf brackets. 3/4" foam was laid on top of the door skins and adhered with 'Liquid Nails For Projects'. The photo on the right shows the addition of the fascia, fabricated from 1/4" Masonite.
This side view shows the composite nature of the bench work construction. I built the layout in three modules so that it could be taken apart and moved if need be.
Even Florida has some subtle dips in elevation. Although not visible in the photos, I worked subtle undulations in the foam with a sander. The dips are probably no deeper than 1/16" of an inch. After the terrain was contoured I applied a layer of joint compound over the foam to seal it and followed up with a light wash of acrylic craft paints. The photo on the right shows the addition of the light valence.
Left Photo: This shows the wiring detail. Since the door panels are double skinned making a larger hole on the bottom makes it much easier to thread the track feed wires through. Use of a Forstner bit gives you cleaner holes.
Right Photo: This shows the fascia detail. 1/4" Masonite is much more resistant to warping than the 1/8" counterpart. Paint the fascia a neutral color so as not to draw attention away from the layout.
Left Photo: For a small layout like this you could get by with standard DC power for some time. I eventually added wireless DCC to allow for sound, added control flexibility, and walk around control. The switch on the left switches on the layout power and overhead lights.
Right Photo: The layout is kept clean by draping thin plastic sheets, curtain style, down from the fascia. The plastic is held in place by simple spring clamps. This method isn't pretty but is extremely effective in terms of keep the layout clean. I am a full time custom layout builder and the layout is housed in my shop. There is a lot of dust and dirt generated during the construction of customer projects so the drapes are a necessity.