Phase II: Part 1

Well, it has taken sometime, but I have started to move forward on Phase II of my layout revamp. When I last posted, I was just starting the planning stages, but have made significant progress. In this phase, I planned to:

• Create the layout extension 
• Finish remaining landscaping (ground-covering)
• Reroute waterway
• Work on track elevation

In my opinion, this is one of the major hurdles in the project. 

Creating the extension

I had already drawn a plan for the extension on the backside of the table. I had some left over wood from leg supports for my table that I never completed. I took those and created the frame of the extension 19-1/2" x 42". Next, it was time for the plywood board to go on top.                                                                               

Once I cut the plywood out, I was able to drill the board on with ease. A perfect fit! Now, one of the trickiest parts was finding foam 1/2" thick to go with the rest out the layout. Fortunately, I had an old project on foam board laying around that I was able repurpose for this project. 

Finally, some progress!

So far, so good! Next, I post about the finishing of the ground-covering and hopefully the rerouting I've done on the waterway from the Motor Boat Cruise to the Tomorrowland Lagoon.

Revamping the layout: Phase I

Finally!

I have not been able to spend a lot of time on this project mostly because of college. However, during winter break, I began to gain interest, and decided that I would essentially start from the ground up, again. One of the biggest steps in moving forward was finally constructing the proper table for the layout. A table skeleton and 4'x8' sheet of plywood later, it was time to move the foam structure of the model to its new home. After it was moved, I began to create a plan to follow that would help move the progress of the model forward, Phase I as I like to call it. I removed all existing track on the layout, organized them into their sections, and created a master diagram of the layout. One of the reasons for the revamp was the fact that I didn't plan the track accurately. I followed the layout of the 1958 park map, not the actual aerial map, both seen below.  

The 1958 park map shows the track turning left in the back instead of right. 

An aerial view of the corner of the park where the Viewliner resided. The track is highlighted. 

The next phase of my revamp project will be to construct an extension on the backside of the layout to accommodate the new track route.

After what seems like an eternity, I will finally have some updates on the model in the coming weeks. One of the most notable changes to the layout is an extension being added to the back to more accurately depict the actual track layout. I have also created the first generation of the Viewliner train, consisting of an engine, four coaches, and an observation car. Updates to come, so stay tuned.

Welcome

Hi, and welcome to my blog. I'll be publishing my attempt to model the Viewliner, which was the shortest-lived attraction in Disneyland history. Check back soon for more updates.