Weight Gain
Now that the track is all done, the layout has experienced a sudden—albeit not too significant—weight gain as I've begun assembling the scenery substructure. Unlike the original Gorre & Daphetid, which featured hardshell scenery (a technique which John Allen is said to have introduced), this version is built upon layers of Gatorfoam. This is significantly less messy, and provides greater control in the more constricted confines of a Z Scale layout.
Armed with reference photos (above) and a full-size rendering of the plan (below), I set about plotting the shapes of the layers to be added. The first layer was cut following John Allen's drawing, and subsequent layers were cut using paper templates.
For the moment, there are six layers of half-inch Gatorfoam. There will be more as the tunnel areas are carefully planned out. Some portions must also wait until I receive the rock molds, which I've ordered from Cripplebush Valley Models. I elected to go with this option for rockwork because of the precision I'll need getting the rock integrated with the tunnels and bridges. It's also a clean rock-making process, which should avert any potential damage to track or bridges.
Some areas, such as around the stone viaduct (below), required careful fitting of 3/16-inch thick pieces of Gatorfoam. The thinner material afforded more control in the spaces between the arches.
With all of this done, scenery-making is not far behind!