Puzzling until my puzzler is sore.

After giving it some thought over just how to model the Hopewell portion of VT&S I have decided to just do a couple of switchbacks and this will allow for trains to move from one point to the next without having to have a bridge or duck under in the door way.

 This will be the first switchback I will install a Fast Tracks #6 turnout that will be mounted on 1/8" masonite. There is Woodland Scenics Foam roadbed glued to the foam board.

I am working on using old geodesic foam scenery peaces as part of the scenery as well as painting the backdrop so it will look as mountains in the distance.

I am not sure if I will use this as it is now, it's not coming together as I want.  I have just used foam board as a support and glued the geodesic foam to it. Having to get this corner done before the roadbed and track is installed.

Once I get the scenery completed in this corner I will get the sub-roadbed installed for the track that will lead to the transfer beens at Hopewell.

Foam Vinyl and wrong paint?

One of the advantages of using extruded foam board is it's very moldable. I am using the foam board for the base level to allow carving for scenery as well as the sub roadbed for the uphill grade to the Hopewell section. I am using Liquid Nails for Projects to glue the foam board to the benchwork as well as the sub-roadbed for the uphill grade to the Hopewell section. The background has been painted as well. I used Karen's blue denim paint she had for painting an accent wall in or house by mistake. I then had to paint over it with two coats of the light blue paint I had already used for the sky on the original layout. But hey the blue denim has given a good outline for the mountains in the background. I'm lucky Karen is a very understanding wife.

Here I am using steal weights to hold the foam board in position until the Liquid Nails sets up. I use round toothpicks as nails to also help hold the foam in place. There are two 1" halves of foam board cut at a 2 % grade as well as cut every three to four inches about half way through on the vertical to allow it to bend around the radius of the curves. Once the glue is set I will sand off the top to make it smooth and then glue cork roadbed to the foam board. Then the track will be glued to the cork. I am using the same peaces of foam board from the original incline on this new layout so I will have to sand the top smooth before glueing the cork down to it.

This will be the final curve on the incline which will be five inches above the original level. I have made one circle around the layout to get to grade. From here the transfer bins that were at Hopewell will be the main focal point of the layout. I am very happy so far with how things are progressing.