I wanted to re-use as much material from the old layout as possible. This included the baseboard. The previous benchwork was much more extensive and had been built following the methods recommended by the Westcott book Model RailRoad Benchwork, hence it was strong enough to support the weight of your average family car. I was able to reuse enough parts that I didn't have to buy any new timber and the amount of carpentry required was minimal.

One of the reasons for flipping the track plan was that it used more of the turnouts I already had.