 
          
            STEP 15: Finish the Layout Site
          
        
        
          51: Preparing the area of the layout for installation.
        
        
          
            51
          
        
        
          At this point the construction of the tipple is complete,
        
        
          with the exception of some final weathering, and it is time
        
        
          to focus on the area on the layout where the structure will
        
        
          be located.
        
        
          It’s important to get a flat, level surface to serve as the
        
        
          base for the structure. I applied Red Devil Onetime light-
        
        
          weight spackling on top of the hard shell scenery and then
        
        
          leveled it with a stick that I slid along two parallel tracks –
        
        
          see photo 51.
        
        
          As I wanted the surface to be slightly below the level of the
        
        
          rail, I glued a piece of wood that was slightly shorter than
        
        
          the distance between the tracks to a piece that spanned the
        
        
          distance. The shorter piece was glued so it was slightly lower
        
        
          than the bottom of the longer piece.
        
        
          Coal loader, p2 - 14
        
        
          MRH-Jan 2013