So, some progress has been made on the N scale Durham & Southern Apex, NC layout.
Here Jacob helps me paint the underside of the layout...
Timmy is supervising (with his shirt inside-out):
So, while it's beautiful down here on the Florida Gulf Coast, it's also crazy humid, so paint doesn't dry very quickly at all. We picked a color that reminded us of the clay-rich soil around Apex, NC... The Raleigh area is along the transition between the Sand Hills and the clay cap geological areas:
The frame is 1x3 with 1x2 cross braces and a 1/4" interior finished plywood top.
The sheen is from wet paint. This being sunny, warm Florida, the best I could find on extruded Styrofoam was 1/2". In order to gain enough vertical separation to model the Williams Street (NC 55) overpass, I had to laminate 3 layers of the 1/2" stuff with Liquid Nails Projects. The edges will eventually be hidden by 1/8" Masonite hardboard fascia.
The layout rests loosely on a 2x4 plastic banquet table from Costco. Not only is it cheap and portable, it's also a great kid-height. The 1x3 outside frame prevents the layout from sliding off if bumped.
