daylight4449 wrote:Table is larger than expected, 4 by 12. table is complete, but needs to be picked up ...
daylight4449 wrote: ... the table has finally been decided on: two 2.5x10 foot sections will form an l shape which will act as the layout's "superstructure".
daylight4449 wrote: Table is larger than expected, 4 by 12.
Being someone who has been doing this for about 23 (almost 24!) years now, I can appreciate how a model railroad can change in size and scope over a period of time, but I'm currious to know what the current size of the benchwork and/or table top is of your layout. Is it monolithic (one-piece), or did you build your four separate modules, as you mentioned above? If you haven't done a whole lot of work on the layout yet, and can still modify the framing and tabletops, I'd reccomend going modular. It's easier to move a layout in pieces and put it back together than to have to tear it apart and start all over again (no, not as fun as building a new layout, but it saves a whole lot of time that way).
My next layout, like the two before it, will be modular. An On30 layout built on three modules two feet wide by four feet long. This way, if I move, my layout will move with me and if I want to take it to train shows and display it, I can. Just something to consider before you get too far along with track and landscaping.
daylight4449 wrote: ... construction on the layout benchwork is supposed to start on 9-18-2010, and once that is done, i will push to have all the scenery in place before any of the track goes down
May I ask why you're going to do scenery
BEFORE laying track? The majority of us tend to lay track and wire the layout first, that way we can troubleshoot any bugs that crop up along the way. Not so easy to do when you're working around trees and hills... or inside tunnels, etc.
I would stronly urge you to lay track and wire the layout FIRST, then start slinging plaster and casting rock molds, adding trees... reticulating splines, and whatnot. Believe me, you'll be a happier camper doing so.
daylight4449 wrote: new developments! my bio teacher assigned us a project to dipect a specific period of the earth. because i'm doing the quartenary period, (modern times) i'm going to do a 2ftx2ft diorama of a river setting. it's due wednesday, and this means i'll have to use my avalible scenery supplies ( 
), but i plan to recycle the diorama into my layout to serve as the portion of the "south river" between skemil and court royale that will be crossed by a bridge. no train related stuff will be present in the diorama for the project, but once graded, it'll be the first fully sceniced part of the skemil railroad. 
Then you're off to a rolling start! Recycling is a good thing... especially when you can kill two birds in one go (high marks in school and a senic portion of your layout).
Now...
I know you're in a rush to get this thing completed, but I, like others, will urge you to slow down and take your time with it. You'll be happier with the results if you take your time and get things done right the first time. Rome was not built in a day, nor was the Virginia & Ohio, the Allegheny Midland, the Gorre & Daphited... or any other masterpiece of model railroading. It took the guys who built them YEARS to construct their layouts.
Heck, the layout I'm building for a charity event
is going to take me MONTHS to build, even though it's only a 4x8 layout. Not only is my time to work on it limited, but I want to have the time to make sure I do a quality job on it.
So, take a deep breath, slow down and take your time. Enjoy the process of building your layout, or you're going to be spending a lot of time fixing mistakes later.
And remember one of the Mantras of model railroading (that used to grace the banner of
Model Railroader magazine)...
MODEL RAILROADING IS FUN!!! 
