This page quire long, adding some details, incorporate new feature- then deciding to move layout into another room...
Index: this page
1st   Part 8 Replace fried eggs with small climb. Finish border trim....
2nd  Part 9 Adding details then decided to move and expand layout
3rd   Part 10 Cutting /moving layout

All pages of this build
Part 1 the start, layout table, Minuscule Mtn. w/ Schmidts Mine & 3 hill climbs
Part 2 build Cathedral Rock, rope bridge and Twin Arches
Part 3 Start river, expand table, small arch bridge, detailing east of the river
Part 4 Minuscule Mtn fence rock spire w/Wile E coyote, greenery and small details
Part 5 Painting walls-Nothing to do with layout progress
Part 6 Start West of river add small balance rocks (fried eggs)
Part 7 Basically done add dynamite shack, minor changes, future plans, 3/2024
Part 8,9,10,This page

Part 11 Building the new crawler addition layout

WELL....
Few changes to layout, part 8 & 9. Part 10 decided to move layout to another larger room and add another 4'- 6' table & expand. Part 11 finishing up expansion. Though making videos along with these web pages I slacked off on adding pages after part 7, (hence the 8,9,10 & 11 trying to catch up to current layout state.)

So part 7 left off with contemplating replacing fried egg feature.

Part 8
Replacing the Fried egg feature

The 'fried egg' section, different but wanted something a bit more challenging. Removed the fried eggs.

Found a large block of foam and carved it up.

From river up to top of new 'hill' climb stacked cardboard, draped with plaster cloth.

After struggling with a way down (very limited area) ended up placing the original 'fried eggs' on pieces of tube.

Painted

The fried eggs were interesting but this is a lot more fun...though small. climbing is usually 3 wheel..

Coming down the hoodoos because turn is so tight/short fun-more so climbing.

Did finish all the border work.

Well worth the effort.

Part 9
Adding details then decided to move layout

Picked up an AX24, added some more rock piles.

Hate the buggy rock bouncer body the AX came with. Picked up a 32 ford coup body but it wouldn't work at all

So I added it to layout after some serious distressing..

Like it rolled off the cliff way back when.

Looks kinda cool, actually fun completely destroying a body...

Then I added a water tower,

Scratch built, was supposed to go by mine but didn't fit so on top of Minuscule Mtn it went. Thought a small support shed by it would be nice...

Which I made but it morphed into a sheriffs office. Then was going to make a blacksmith shop but this white box wanted to be a church.

This is about where things started to change.

The idea of incorporating a town into layout began to be a real want...

The fact that I wasn't able to add the more technical section to layout I wanted plus now wanting to add a town had me looking at expanding the layout.

Obviously not enough area to expand without losing ability to walk around layout. Some where the idea of moving layout to a larger room popped up and it wouldn't go away.

I have a larger room, twice the size. Some shuffling stuff around and I could expand the layout. Adding second table I could build the larger crawling features I originally planned but also incorporate town. See a general store, blacksmith, a saloon.

Issue is 5'x7'6 cannot get the layout out of room.

Looked at converting window to a door but opening wall serious bundle of Ac wiring passes under. Looked at a 5' window but there prohibitively expensive. Realized the only way I could move the layout is cutting it in half...

Part 10
Cutting and moving layout

Which took me 3 days to commit...

Cutting on 'north' side of river should minimize cutting thru features. Directly underneath is a 1x2 from side to side. Plunging occilating and or sawzall saw should be able to cut using it as guide.

Pulling back lava rock started with occilating saw but cut most with sawzall.

Cut,

Fortunately most of the cut is in river bottom. Removing the 1 flat rock feature there will be less than 14" of exposed cut to patch.

Removed few screws going thru support table into layout. Moved one section into hall. Then moved the second off to side. Moved the support table (old dinette) into new room....

Screw one section to table. Staple a 1x2 to the 1x that was used as guide. Other layout section will set on it and staple thru top.

And layout rejoined, plaster patched.

Got the new layout deck built on another old dinette. Its currently 4' x 6'2". Getting to this point was a huge milestone. I assume 50% chance cutting and moving layout would end in total disaster. Things just kinda fell into place with a lot of luck. Now the fun starts, Construction new layout. As this page as already gotten long starting Part 11 on separate page...

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