Terrain Building Along the Sierra Right of Way

Once the benchwork for the Merced staging yard was completed and the turnout ladder was outlined, I began to work out the right of way of where the Sierra trackage heading toward Jamestown was going to go.  The Sierra line snakes around the front portion of the layout section as it leaves the Sierra Yard in Oakdale.  The SP Merced trackage runs along the back portion of the layout section and will be hidden by a low profile MDF board.

Turnout Ladder for SP Merced Staging Yard

SP Staging Tracks to Left / Sierra Track to Right



At the edge of the layout in this area, I designed the benchwork so that the terrain could be below the track.  I cut a portion of the 1/2 inch plywood top and some of the 1X3 board with a saber saw.

 

To make the scenery base for the terrain, I planned to make a lattice of cardboard strips.  I cut up an empty cereal box into several small strips.  I just kept cutting until I felt there would be enough strips to cover the terrain.

 

Box of Lucky Charms Cut into Strips

 

Once the strips were cut, I started to attach them to the layout edge with a staple gun.  Some of the strips were curved outward to form a slight hill.  Other areas of the strips were formed to form a flat wall so that I could place a resin culvert and a wooden retaining wall to give the future scenic scene some variety.

 

Lattice Cardboard Attached to Layout Edge

Resin Culvert Placed at Intended Location

 

 

The next step will be to use some Woodland Scenics plaster cloth to cover the cardboard strips to form the base of the terrain.  I will cover this portion of the project in a future post.