There was no way I could do this on the old benchwork, so I made two monumental decisions:

1. The old N-scale layout had to go; and
2. A new N-scale layout would be constructed
   down one side of our garage.

NOTE:  WITH ANY DRAWING OR THUMBNAIL PHOTO,
JUST CLICK IT SEE A LARGER, MORE LEGIBLE VERSION)

BENCHWORK
After removing all structures, signals and trees from the old AWRR, it went to live with the children of a friend (who fortunately had a large flatbed truck). Naturally, I also kept the Digitrax "Chief" DCC system. It took four able-bodied men to move the old layout from the garage onto the flatbed, and I can only hope that it's brought the kids even some of the enjoyment it brought me.

Now that the garage was empty, it was time to begin "remodeling" to make ready for the new benchwork. To say the least, our garage is fully utilized. I started by moving everything to either the opposite wall, the dumpster, or the middle of the garage (for later re-storage under the benchwork)...leaving me a clean work area. The benchwork was to be 21'6" long by 30" wide, with a "notch" to allow the car door to open and a "tapered end" to allow the door to the back yard to operate. Why 30" wide? Simple -- that was the distance between the wall and the track for the roll-up door (and it was enough to allow 13-14" radius curves). Since the layout is narrow, I chose an "open grid" style; the far ends and back side would be attached to the wall studs, and the front supported by 2x2 legs.

I wanted to use "1x4" lumber, but hate the twists and warps that go with the usual stuff; this allowed me justify the purchase of a table saw, with which I set about the rip 4'x8' sheets of ¾" plywood (grade AC, interior) into 3½" wide by 8' long planks of straight, flat, strong stock. One sheet of plywood will yield 12 or 13 eight-foot-long pieces (12 if you first cut the sheet into 1'x8' pieces for easier handling, 13 if you can manage the whole sheet and still maintain a straight cut). One sheet was enough for me, and I can wholeheartedly recommend ripped plywood for benchwork construction!

Before starting the actual benchwork, I built shelving "boxes" to go above the layout (all that stuff sitting in the middle of the garage had to go somewhere). I used 8' lengths of 16" wide by 5/8" thick particle board to construct 4' long by 12" high (inside) boxes with ¼" plywood backs; this yields a rigid module with 2 shelves each (on top & inside) which were attached to the wall using 10"x12" wall brackets and 3" screws into the studs (I used a piece of 1x2 pine to prevent the screws from ripping thru the ¼" plywood back). The bottom of the shelf boxes also forms the attachment surface for (a) the lighting fixtures, and (b) the vertical lighting valance -- mine's about 8" tall. The shelf box over the last bench section was made from 12" particle board to keep it from interfering with that door. These have proven to be both rugged and useful.

(REMEMBER--JUST CLICK THE IMAGE FOR A LARGER VIEW OF THE BENCHWORK)

	The benchwork was built in four sections; the perimeter of each section is screwed and glued; the interior cross-pieces are attached to 2x2x3½'" blocks, which are then screwed to the perimeter (allowing them to later be moved slightly if they get in the way of switch motors, etc.).
	I wanted to have a workbench and storage which fit under the benchwork but could be rolled out of the way to access the underside of the layout. I built a bench on casters (which can be seen in the photos) and bought a pre-owned night stand (for extra storage of "train things") to which I also added casters.
	The area where they sit is defined by a piece of ¾" particle board which extends perpendicularly from the wall to the front of the bench; this adds great strength to the benchwork (and keeps the firewood to the left from getting unruly).
	My roll-out bench has integral lighting, built-in power supplies for my electronic projects, drawers, and pegboard backing for tool storage. Since the workbench surface is only 28" from the floor, a normal chair is a tight squeeze; I use a short 4-legged stool.
Finally, you're just one click away from a dimensioned drawing of the whole thing.

WIRING
Don't skip this section! Yeah, yeah -- I know wiring isn't very exciting, but it is one of the most important steps in building a smooth-running, dependable layout. Since I'm using DCC, the wiring is somewhat simpler that with DC cabs. For the "bus wires," I use #14 solid wire (THHN), such as is used in house wiring; I buy inexpensive 100' spools from Home Depot in black, red, green and white (or your choice of colors). Drill six evenly-spaced holes in each crossmember; four 3/16" holes are good for the #14 wires; drill two or more extra holes (I suggest 3/8") for turnout, signal and sensor wires yet to come. My choice is BLACK and RED for the DCC signal wires, GREEN for the common supply line for turnout power, and WHITE for a spare (trust me...you'll use it). The complexity of wiring for DC cabs can be slightly to greatly more complex, depending on how many cabs you operate and how many power districts you'll implement; in any event, use larger-gauge wire rather than smaller (for #16 and up, I prefer stranded to solid...but either will work).

For DCC and accessory supplies, run the wires completely around the layout -- along the front, around the end, down the back, and around the other end. String the wire so that you can power it from the approximate center of the run; this helps ensure that (a) your track feeders will be short, and (b) that voltage drops in the wire will be minimized. Don't worry about the track feeders at this time, just rest secure in the knowledge that the bus wire is there just waiting for you. If your layout will be substantially larger than mine, and/or if you model in larger scales, you may want to use #12 solid wire; the key here is to minimize voltage drops in the wire, which are made worse by longer wires and higher currents. Now is also the time to plan where you're going to locate your power supplies; not just your DCC boosters, but the supplies for turnouts (I use symmetrical ±9 volt supplies for my Tortoises, and I recommend using a Capacitive Discharge power supply for twin-coil switch motors, whether Atlas, PECO or other), signals, lighting, etc. This is the time to mentally locate them and provide the needed wiring!

One final wiring issue: the AC mains. If you're building a new layout with new benchwork, I strongly urge you to install (or have installed) new circuits to power the layout and its lighting. I installed two new 15 amp circuits -- one for the lighting, and one for the layout itself. Larger layouts may require 20 amps circuits...or more than two of them. In summary:

• Don't forget the dimmer(s) for that incandescent lighting.
• Provide enough outlets at the right places.
• Use a qualified electrician (unless you are one); nothing spoils the joy of a new layout quicker than erratic wiring (unless it's a pesky fire).

ROADBED(S)
The sub-roadbed was cut from a sheet of ½" plywood which I had painted on one side. Sadly, the AMI Instant Roadbed which I used (and would use again) is no longer available; I don't know what I'd use in its place if I had to start fresh, as each of the alternatives (ie, Homasote, cork, foam) has its own shortcomings. I'd be interested in hearing your views and experiences with other roadbeds; just send me an Email. I do recommend painting the sub-roadbed; use whatever color suits you; gloss is better than flat, but anything works. You might consider an "earthtone," although I used a flat white which I had laying around, and I works just fine. Section 1 of the layout -- which contains both the Carlsbad Yard and the La Huerta Yard -- is perfectly flat (except for the bed of the Pecos River), so no saber saw was required. [NOTE: If you look closely at the upper photo at left, you see my king-size homemade compass -- it's essential for drawing accurate large arcs on sub-roadbed.] Sections 2 thru 4, however, do require a decent saber saw; take a look at the photos to see what I mean. I fastened the sub-roadbed to the frame or risers using 1" power screws (no glue). To facilitate transferring my track plan from paper to roadbed, I drew a 6" grid of lines with a fine-point felt-tip pen directly onto the painted sub-roadbed stock (before cutting). The 3DRRC&D software allows you to impose a grid of specified size over the track plan printouts (and 6" worked fine for me). If you need to permanently attach two pieces of sub-roadbed, cut a "glue plate" the same width as the 'bed and long enough to overlap each piece by 3-4"; glue and screw these joints. Those leftover 3½&" wide plywood strips make excellent risers; screw (but do not glue) the risers to the crossmembers.

This would be a good time to paint the backdrop area between the benchwork and the shelving (or whatever) above. I suggest a pale blue shade (flat finish) which most nearly matches the color of the sky on a bright, sunny day -- in the area you're acually modeling. The clouds, terrain and greenery can be delayed until you're ready to do scenery, but it's best to get the roller-work done now. If the blue comes out wrong, just do it over until you're happy with it -- you're going to be looking at it for a long time.

You're now ready to start laying roadbed and track. If you have a favorite roadbed, go for it. Here are some of the reasons I've used the (now-extinct) AMI roadbed on two layouts:

1. It's self-adhesive; that is, it needs no glue to bond to the sub-roadbed or to the track
2. It remains pliable, and can be shaped to whatever side profile you like
3. The track can be easily taken up and reattached
4. No track nails are needed
5. It's available in 3 widths: 1" (N), 2" (HO), and 3"(O); I use all three for my N-scale layout, greatly simplifying multi-track mains and yards
6. It make great roads and highways, and can even be scribed to look like bricks...or whatever
7. Ballast often requires no glue -- it self-sticks
8. The price is reasonable

If you're using Homasote or cork, you'll probably want to attach using track nails (or equivalent), although some folks prefer using Liquid Nails adhesive without nails (although they usually hold the track in place with push-pins until the adhesive sets). Woodland Scenics new foam roadbed uses their compatible adhesive both for attachment to sub-roadbed and track; in fact, their system includes foam risers which can eliminate the need for separate sub-roadbed and wooden risers (such as I used here).

TRACK
I'm laying track even as you read this. I'll be laying and re-laying track until it's perfect (as determined by pushing various cars around the layout, and then by running powered locos and consists). First, I'm laying the outside oval and a few closely-related sections (which are all on one level); this will allow me to connect a DC cab (no DCC just yet) and test-run a few locos. In a long-term project like the New AWRR, I believe it's important to get some "positive feedback" from time to time...just to keep you motivated; periodic running of locos on the available track provides this feedback for me.

I consider there to be four tools which are absolutely essential for track laying:

• Xuron #2175 rail cutters
• A small triangular file (for smoothing rail cuts)
• A 25-35 watt soldering iron
• A long metal straightedge to ensure that your straight sections are truly straight (I use a 2" wide 48" long aluminum scale for this purpose...and for lots of other jobs during layout construction).