The Base

Given an overall size of only 18 by 47 inches, the layout required no traditional benchwork of any kind. Instead, it just has a simple base made from two layers of 1/2-inch thick Gatorfoam laminated together. I've used this approach twice before, and found it to be perfectly adequate for making a very lightweight yet rigid base for small layouts.

I use two layers in order to enhance rigidity as well as ensure flatness: Gatorfoam sheets can sometimes have a very slight curve, and by laminating two pieces together such that the curves oppose one another, the curve is effectively canceled out. The Gatorfoam sheets I had on hand were 36 by 48 inches, so one sheet provided exactly enough material for the base. All I had to do was shave an inch off of one short edge, then slice the sheet in half.

Cutting Gatorfoam is rather different than cutting the more commonly-available Foamcore, because the surface is quite dense. Straight cuts can be made by firmly slicing through the top layer with a utility knife, followed by a lighter cut through the foam. Then the sheet can be snapped apart cleanly by simply bending it along the cut.

The laminating adhesive I use is 3M Hi-Strength 90. I chose this after having previously used liquid polyurethane (such as Gorilla Glue), and found that, even with significant weight applied, there was still a problem with swelling. I switched to the spray adhesive because it allows me to quickly apply an even coat on both parts, and some firm hand pressure is enough to set the bond.

The whole process of fabricating the base took about fifteen minutes, and it weighs all of three pounds. Here's an entirely unexciting photo of the finished product:

Using satellite photos from Bing Maps sized to match 1:220 and printed on paper, I traced the track plan of Pine Creek's yard onto the base using Saral transfer paper and a special drafting tool called an AcuArc, which lets me draw perfect arcs of any radius from 7 inches to infinity.

After tracing the satellite image, I went over the lines with a Sharpie. This was simply to give me an overall idea how things fit; it would not be used for tracklaying, since it wasn't accurate enough, and there would be two more layers to come for the base: subroadbed and roadbed. Tracklaying will be based on photos taken at Pine Creek with a special camera rig.

Continue to Tracklaying Test
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