Bobot's N-Scale Train Layout
(August 2002)


I started my N-Scale experience in January 2002 by purchasing the Woodland Scenics kit seen below.
With any luck my final layout may will resemble the picture on the box.

I started with a 3'x6' 3/8" plywood base covered with sheet styrofoam. From there I installed
foam track risers which elevate the track and allow for better scenic contour and relief in the layout.
Roadbed and track inside the tunnels were laid at this point because you cannot work
inside the tunnel area once the mountains are in place over top.

Foam sheet goods were installed to frame out the tunnels and town area, and then
the profile boards were installed around the edges. All work to this point was done using
a hot wire foam cutter, low-temp hot glue gun, an exacto knife, and T-shape push pins.

I did very little work on the layout from March 2002 until August 2002.

Starting in August 2002, I wadded up newspapers in pillow shapes and stacked them strategically to create mountains and landscape contours. I then covered the entire layout and wadded newspapers with 2 layers of plaster cloth. This really brought the layout to life and I finally started to see some results. Roadbed and track are being laid at this time and I have the a small section to complete where the bridge overpass is near the center of the layout. Roadbed was secured with foam tack glue and track was secured with Goo Contact Cement which is NOT water soluable. This is in response to an earlier problem I had with the foam tack glue letting loose on flex track under stress when wet water and scenic cement was applied to hold the ballast in place.

I have a little work I must do to fix a track problem at the near end in the middle of the outside curve. I unknowingly placed a power connection in the middle of the curved using the soldered rail joiners. I did not know that these rail joiners are not very tight and the pressure at this point in the middle of a curve on the ends of flex track is quite great. There is a gap in the rail there and the engine derails frequently. My proposed solution will be to solder the rails together at this point and better secure the track by using more contact cement. The power leads will also be soldered at this point to create a good connection. Other than the above-mentioned problem, the trackwork so far seems ok and installation was not difficult or too time-consuming.

So far, other than the foam tack glue on the flex track problem, things have
gone pretty much according to plan.

Next I will be making rock outcroppings out of light-weight hydrocal and then
installing and coloring these rocks. Then I will start painting (staining) the base and
work on buildings, groundcover, trees, and other scenery.

February 2005 Update


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