My new benchwork would have a layer of 1" inch green insulation foam I purchased at Lowes. My first layout was just basic scenery and track laid directly on top of plywood top. I intended not to make the same mistake with this one. Now, with the foam board on top, I am able to carve out streams and basic "natural" looking surfaces.

I never wrote down or drew any plans for Jaileys Glen. Just a general track plan, wanting to combine two of my familiar roads I would be modeling, Norfolk Southern and CSX, roads dominant here in southern west Virginia. I remember the first Saturday that I was able to work on my layout, the entire day being spent laying track only!

For each scene that I wanted to build, I was able to layer terrain from the extra insulation foam I had purchased. This enabled me to build up rolling hills on either side of the community of Jaileys Glen, This new layout would be much larger than my last, allowing for longer tracks, extra sidings and industrial businesses.

Business scenery would consist of, Hawley Fuel Coal Company, which will service both CSX and Norfolk Southern. A large concrete facility, the community of Jailys Glen with different type businesses. On the outskirts of town, the eastern side, will be Jarrels Farm, Adams Lumber and Hardware  and Joshuas Lake, a public camping and fishing area. 

The west east end of my new layout contains one of two of the only mountains I have in place. Although I have crafted the layout to have small rolling hills but this is the only large mountain. My old site had two mountians, one being over 5 feet long containing a dual tunnel. I had so much trouble with my trains jumping track inside the tunnel. Dust would also build up which caused even more operating problems. This layout I decided not to build such a tunnel.

As I packed up the old layout and moved it to my new home, I was careful to save as much of the old scenery as I could, including the old mountain. But time in storage and the move itself, done damage to it so bad I could not re-use it. I was able to use certain parts of the old mountain on the new layout. Photos above (in order) show the steps I took in making the new mountain. Again, not many plans were drawn, I sort of shot from the hip with much of it. I used the main core of the old mountain extending the westward portal by a foot.

I wanted something different than the old one. Techniques I had discovered, many by accident, were applied to the new construction. I added structure to the mountain by cutting 1 inch strips of the insulation foam and hot gluing the strips building it adding the framework. My old layout consisted of plaster on paper towels or coffee filters and then painted. It looked ok and did the job I needed it to do, but was fragile. This time I used plaster cloth and was exceptionally sturdy and added great texture to the forest floor. I had decided to place a lake at the base of the mountain for a camping/boating scene. Water would come down the hill and flow into the lake, so a gorge was made form the top leading down. I had visited the Bluefield Train Show back in November 2010, looking for new things to add to my layout. In one box a vendor had I found the perfect item. Woodlands Scene, man walking across a wooden walk bridge, which was perfect for the top of the mountain. I had to buy it regardless of it's price! Imagine my surprise when I was able to buy this new item for only one dollar! 

I placed the little bridge, after I poured the water and talon rock for the banks, across the stream. Feeling the little man was lonely so I placed a female next to him as if she were stopping to look over at the view. Again, with no plans, I wasn't just satisfied with two people walking on top of a  mountain for no apparent reason. I built an over look for visitors and placed an old rough built cabin that my sister had gotten me for Christmas a few years ago. Perched on the over look I placed a dad holding his son aloft waving at the people below.