The Beginning of the Great Small Train Adventure

Model railroading has been a long-time interest. Years ago my three sons and I attempted to create a 4x8 set up based on the Kalmbach publication "HO Railroad That Grows". It was great fun, but although we had moderate success with putting down track and running trains, we never got beyond the basics with the scenery.

After years away from the hobby, I have finally decided it is time to put my railroading plan into action. Space limitations dictate a small layout and a switch from HO to N scale. After almost a decade in storage the powerpack and modest collection of rolling stock were dug out and inspected. A quick trip to "Ken's Trains", the local N scale specialty store, added some track to the project ..and the adventure began!

The Space Beneath

To create an area beneath the base to allow for running wires to switches and future lighting, I cut scraps of the foam board to make a 2" wide grid on the bottom surface. This was another learning experience. I tried several cutting tools including a carpet knife and a hacksaw blade. A sharp kitchen knife gave the smoothest cut but still not as smooth as I would have liked.

Eventually the base will be sided with some sort of trim so that none of the styrofoam of the base and grid will be visible. (If I ever attempt another layout or other project using foam board, I would probably invest in a modest hot wire styrofoam cutter to get smoother cuts.)

I used T pins to hold the grid in place until the adhesive had time to dry.