I have been keeping a private document about the individual steps I take to lay track. I decided to publish it on this page, so that it could possibly be of use to others. I use this page myself, so any updates are always made here.

Laying Sub-roadbed

1. Fit ceiling tiles together.
2. Mark off the sub-roadbed on to the ceiling tiles.
3. Cut the ceiling tiles.
4. Drill and screw the MDF sub-roadbed to the support blocks.
5. Level the ceiling tiles between each other.
6. Glue the ceiling tiles to the MDF using wood glue. Dries in 30 minutes.
7. Fill gaps between ceiling tiles with Vinyl Spackling.
8. Sand filler.
9. Glue Masonite splice plates under the MDF where needed.
10. Paint the tops of the ceiling tiles with earth-tone latex paint.
11. Cut any splices joints between modules.

Laying Roadbed

1. Cut ties with NWSL Chopper; sand if necessary.
2. Glue ties to ceiling tiles using wood glue.
3. Allow at least one hour for drying time.
4. Sand ties flush on the top.
5. Stain ties with Minwax Special Walnut.
6. Cut ceiling tiles to fit the roadbed profile, if the track is on the mainline outside of a town.
7. Vacuum.
8. Paint sides of tiles and MDF to prevent dust and water damage.
9. Paint crushed walnut shells in various colors. Use white and gray colors. Do not use unpainted shells.
10. Determine if weeds are appropriate for this stretch of track. Use superglue.
11. Apply a layer of crushed walnut shells, flush with tops of ties.
12. Soak the area with "wet water", and glue down with watered-down Matte Medium.
13. Let dry overnight.
14. Clear off any ballast that sticks up above the ties, otherwise the rail won't sit on the ties.
15. Vacuum area.
16. Spread India ink solution over ties and ballast.
17. Let dry for an hour or so.
18. Dry-brush white all over the ties and ballast to make the ballast look more like rock.

Laying Rail

1. Paint tie plates with Floquil Rail Brown.
2. Paint rail with Floquil Rail Brown.
3. If rail is on a curve, start with inside rail.
4. Cut rail to length, if required.
5. File and clean up the rail.
6. Drill holes in tie plates.
7. Cut and trim tie plates.
8. Determine where the feeder wire is to go.
9. Drill hole for feeder wire through sub-roadbed.
10. Solder feeder wire to rail.
11. Place rail on tie plates. Allow a slight gap between the rails for possible expansion.
12. Make spikes from brass rod.
13. Spike rail through tie plates.
14. Solder feeder wire to main DCC bus wire.
15. Test track.

Hand-laying a Turnout

1. Form the first stock rail by trimming away only enough of the base to support the point rail.
2. Solder one feeder wire.
3. Lay it against existing rail.
4. Form the frog rails, full length.
5. Solder a wire near *each* end of one of the frog rails.
6. Spike the rail down.
7. Solder a wire to the other rail away from the frog point.
8. Spike the second frog rail.
9. Flood solder between the frog rails where they meet.
10. Use the Dremel tool with a cutoff disc to cut a gap in the rails between the frog point and the feeder wires on the other end.
11. Cut small 0.030/0.020" thick styrene shims and superglue them in the gap.
12. Trim the styrene shims once they are dry.
13. Form the other stock rail by trimming away only enough of the base to support the point rail.
14. Solder one feeder wire.
15. Lay the stock rail so that it is correctly spaced from the frog and from the other end of the turnout.
16. Install 7 rail braces against each of the two stock rails.
17. Form one of the point rails. Note that the frog guard rail piece needs to not project past the point where the frog has been cut, so as to not cause a short.
18. Solder two wires to the point rail, one near the frog and one about halfway down the rail.
19. Spike the rail in place, leaving the points end to move freely (usually about 8 ties).
20. Form the other point rail.
21. Solder two wires to the point rail, one near the frog and one about halfway down the rail.
22. Spike the rail in place, leaving the points to flow freely.
23. Solder the black-striped wires from the frog wings rails to the frog wire.
24. Cut a gap in the the point rails just away from where the frog wires are.
25. Cut and glue styrene filler pieces.
26. After glue is dry, trim filler pieces.
27. Cut the throwbar out of the wide PC board about 14 scale feet long.
28. File a groove in the throwbar, about 4 feet away from the short edge of the turnout.
29. Drill a hole in the sub-roadbed, if required.
30. Fold a piece of aluminum foil over several times to provide something to prop up the throwbar, so that it butts up against the bottom of the point rails.
31. Insert aluminum foil and then the throwbar under the rail.
32. Position the throwbar.
33. Make a slight cut on the PC copper cladding between the first point rail to be soldered and the stock rail. This cuts down on solder running under the point rail.
34. Use the 30 watt soldering iron and solder one rail to the throwbar, avoiding solder from escaping out behind the rail.
35. Make a slight cut on the PC copper cladding between the other point rail to be soldered and the stock rail.
36. Place something a scale 2-3 inches (a small piece of rail is good) between the stock rail and the other point rail.
37. Solder that point rail to the throwbar.
38. File away any solder that interferes with the points closing to the stock rails and the wheels running against the solder.
39. Drill a hole in the long side of the throwbar for the actuator rod.
40. Cut the guard rails.
41. Spike the guard rails.
42. Install the guard rail clamps.
43. Determine where and how to install the Tortoise.
44. Attach the Tortoise to its base.
45. Install the Tortoise in the layout.
46. Prepare the actuator rod.
47. Attach the actuator rod.
48. Install the DS44, if applicable.
49. Solder the wires from the DS44 to the Tortoise's two outer slots.
50. Solder wires from the DCC bus wires to the Tortoise.
51. Program the IDs of the DS44.
52. Solder the wire from the turnout's frog to the Tortoise.
53. Test the turnout.
54. Paint the tie plates, rail braces, spikes, throw bar, new lengths of rail, and the styrene gap shims.