How to do..

Switch operation from under the table:

Cut off the hand operating mechanism of the Marklin hand switch at the imaginary outline. Leave the little extension of the base untuched at the throwbar. Position the switch on the layout, and mark the centerline of the switch between the moving rails next to the throwbar. Drill a 7 mm diameter hole on the mark thru the plywood table, than install the Atlas # 65 HO under table switch machine in the correct position, where the vertical plastic pin of the relay freely operates the switch. Interestingly the travel of the plastic pin is exactly the distance between the moving rails plus the movement of the rails.It's just perfect. Use spacers between the relay and the plywood if necessary.Cut the plastic pin to the optimum length, then secure the switch machine.

Classic Marklin "rubber" cars:

To get real automobile colors, I used automotive touch-up paints. Those agressive paints are working just fine with the material of the cars. For detailing the typical model paints are the best.To paint the windows after applying the base color (black, dark bronze or gray) a little bit of high gloss clear coat helped the most.

Background photo:

The original configuration of the Faller background photo was different. I found another matching line on it, so I could move the right end of the photo to the left. With the help of this little trick I was able to make the transition between the landscape and the background alot smoother, while the ends are still open for future expansion.

The windsurfer:

The board was shaped from rubber eraser. The sail was made from aluminum foil ( borrowed from the kitchen ), glued to a tiny pin then painted. The surfer is one of  Merten's swimmer. The aluminum foil works very well for model canopies, towels, blankets, clothing, etc.

The road:

Made from cardboard, then painted with concrete color. The best cardboard is a little rough type, used as a back cover for note pads.Score it with a knife as desired, then "abuse" it with weathering colors ( oil, dust, aged concrete, etc ).

  
The cover:

The easiest way to build it is to utilize the backboard of the layout. The material is available at Home Depot or other home improvement stores. You need 1/8" clear acrylic, some anodized aluminum extrusions, a tube of silicone and self sticking padding to achieve tighter seals. See the illustrated description below: The #1 extrusion is used to hold the front and side panels in place. Use #4 flat head wood screws to fasten it to the frame. Make sure the screw heads are counter-sunk into the aluminum. The #2 extrusion is the vertical corner at the front. It has to be 5/16" (8mm) shorter than the height of side panels. Use clear    silicone to attach it to the front edge of side panels. The #3 extrusion is the actual frame around the top panel. The parts need to be mitered at the corners. Use silicone to attach the frame members to the acrylic top panel. Wrap all edges of front panel, and top, bottom and rear edges of side panels with 1/32" thick self sticking black neoprene to ensure tight fit and seal. See assembly illustration below.

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