The benchwork of this layout centers around the spline roadbed, so that is the first thing I am going to build. Right now the layout is about 186 inches long, which is right at two 8-foot pieces of spline head-to-head. I decided to cut my spline out of 1/8" Masonite (hardboard). Five of those next to each other will make a 5/8"-wide roadbed, which is exactly the length of N-scale ties. So, the first order of business is to cut ten pieces of Masonite strips, 1-inch wide at the table saw.