This new section of the layout which will represent Lovelock, Nevada will be 76 inches in length and 20 inches deep with the far-left end angling out to a 24-inch depth. This time I used 2 ft x 4 ft panels of 1/4 in and 1/2-inch plywood from Lowes as they are much easier for me to handle by myself than a full 4 ft x 8 ft sheet. This worked out very well and was strong enough as I doubled the frame where there was a seam.
The floor of the train room is the flattest surface I have so after cutting the pieces in the garage they were brought into the train room for assembly.
This new section will need to be removable. It will be 20 inches deep at the end where it connects to the helix so just over 20 inches of the fascia on the helix base was removed. A ledge from a piece of 3/4 inch plywood was mounted under the helix base so that it sticks out 1 inch. The end of the new section will rest on this.
Strips 3/4 inch and 1/2-inch plywood were added to the 20-inch-deep end of the bench work section with the 1/4-inch deck then attached to the entire frame. This created a little lip on the end of the section that will rest on the ledge.
Several methods were used to make this section removable but still be secure when it's in place. On the left end I mounted a 2-inch-wide strip of 3/4 inch plywood on the wall that the bench work section will rest on and used a cabinet latch to hold the bench work section to it.
On the end where this new section meets the helix base, I used a long 1/4-20 bold with a wing nut to secure the lip of this section to the ledge built onto the helix base.
And in the middle, I installed a shelf bracket with a single 8-32 thumb screw going into a tee nut that is on a horizontal cross piece on the bench work.
So here is the completed bench work for the new Lovelock section. Next step is to seal the whole thing with paint, and it will be ready for track layout planning. At some point a tempered hard board fascia will be attached along the front and painted the gloss gray color.
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