In this episode of the HO scale East Troy Industrial Park (ETIP) project layout series, David and Bryson work to install trim panels at the front of the model railroad. These removable fascia panels are both decorative and protective hardboard components that help give the layout a finished look. The guys show you how to add fascia efficiently, and get to the next step…adding roadbed!
Be sure to keep up with the construction progress by linking into the Trains.com Workshop Webcam (available 24/7), and the full series of helpful, instructional videos rolling out every month until the effort concludes. Even then, the fun will continue in frequent Trains.com articles/updates and Model Railroader print features, beginning with the January 2026 issue. You won’t want to miss the Expert Tips and Techniques the crew will share with you along the way, as they have a bit of fun bringing the ETIP into fruition!
I sure hope Bryson had on his steel toe tip shoes for that first cut of the fascia!
This such a cool series. I have friend who is the curator of local train museum who has never built a layout before. We will be building it in an old passenger car on the property. This going to be fun for me but could have been scary for him. This series has helped calm his fear and anxiety. I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. Steve Moore, SLC UT
For fascia I prefer to use star-drive cabinet screws. These screws utilize a one piece shallow washer head which is less obtrusive. The heads can be spray painted to best match the fascia. If the paint is properly cured, the star drive head rarely chips. GRK Fasteners is one brand that is available.
Work underneath and on the deck is complete you know what that means it’s time to install the fascia boards. One step closer to completion.
The fitter piece @ 19:43 seems central enough to the whole layout, and given its size, it screams, “make me a removable control panel.”
Since I determined my fascia would be 12” high, I had Home Depot slice them from a 4×8 sheet (no charge). Then I could transport them in my car.
Minor thought: How about using a darker color pan head screw so they don’t stand out as much?
I really like the David/Bryson combo! I also like the visuals and detailed explanations as I am not a carpenter and all of this makes it seem so easy. An “Archive Video” feature would be nice so I could go back to my personal archive folder for easy reference when I get to this stage of building. I’d like to see how decisions are made such as for the type of roadbed selected for the next segment. What were the deciding factors.
Don’t know what the interval is between filming and release, but a fun feature of this series would be an occasional brief glimpse of the current project status as of the episode release date, e.g., today – April 14 or whatever – so we can get a sense of where we are going. Perhaps every other episode. Also would be worthwhile to date each episode as to when it was actually filmed.
Presume that the roadbed will be the ubiquitous cork, but curious to see which track product you choose. Hoping for Micro-Engineering 83 or perhaps Peco 83 with their tie detailing and fine rail cross section.