The Pacific Coast Railroad

My wife has graciously conceded to allow me to use the unfinished half of the basement in which to build my empire. The first problem was that our basement is not water impervious! Moisture and model railroads do not make good playmates. My first step was to install a system to catch the water as it enters the basement and redirect it to the sump. This is the first photo of the space. To this point I have cleaned out the area (mostly), installed the water capture system and track lighting. My next step is to paint out the structure above black. I want to do this so all of the joists, wiring and ductwork do not distract from the railroad itself. My to-do list at this point: Paint out the ceiling Install the support cleats Install Masonite for the backdrop Fill and smooth the backdrop Paint the backdrop I've given considerable thought as to how to proceed, and have decided that it makes the most sense to install and paint the backdrop before the benchwork is in the way...