Well, since my shop is still not heated/cooled I decided I needed a project to get me thru the winter...and of course allow me a place to race slots in a temp controlled environment. So begins Copperhead Climb…
Table size is 4'x8' which I may have to tweak a bit depending on how the MDF cooperates. It will be a two lane course with no cross overs, each car wil have equal inside/outside curves, 4 and 5 respectively. Car travel is meant to be clockwise although counter clockwise may work as well. The highest point, I’m hoping for 3’, will be in the upper right corner which will begin the decent. The decent allows for some passing until about halfway down, at which point there is no passing until the curve about the bottom center area. From there it’s again one lane that leads to the climb to the top. There are areas which will allow for passing all the way up the mountain save for one squeeze area about 3/4 fo the way up. The back straight will be inclined as well with passing which brings us back to the highest point. My idea of having the highest point in the upper right will hopefully allow for good line-of-sight for both racers. And of course it will be a snow covered mountain with some other landscape goodies. 
The model below is ¼ scale and shows a few angles. I originally had an area leading back into a ravine but after doing the model it just wasn’t going to work the way I had hoped. Okay, so let me get your input...
11/19 - 11/21: Got the routing done sans a few spots I boogered up and have to fix. And got the roadbed cut out.
11/24 - 11/28/10: Patched my botched routing job areas (I love Durham's! Great stuff and easy to use), elevated the roadbed, painted brown undercoat and snow effect, layed the copper tape, added drivers stations and ran my first dozen or so laps.
And a quick video for your viewing pleasure...
12/22 - 12/28/10 - After running on the track awhile, the lower right hairpin just wasn't working out. The diameter of the turn was fine, but the sudden elevation change caused the guide to bind in the slot. So I cut that section out and lengthened it a bit and increased the diameter as well. The upper right turn on the inside lane suffered the same problem but not for all cars. I didn't get a pic of it but I increased the radius of the inner lane there as well. Some of the window screen was installed in preparation for the plaster cloth. Since this is a going to be a mountain scene I had to have a bridge somewhere, and I was already going to have a canyon so last night out came the jigsaw and the road crew now has a bit of work to do repairing the caved in roadbed. 
1/1/11 - 1/4 - Over the course of a few days and about 5 hours...plaster cloth is almost done! Next comes the 'spackling'...
1/7/11 - 1/9/11 - Finished up the plaster cloth. Next comes some paint and texture. Still no final decision on the bridge...the Ferrari didn't make it. Don't the Italians know that only the Duke boys can do that kind of stuff? 
1/20 - 1/21/11: Got the decking done for my bridge. My now 5 yr old daughter has a little 'boyfriend' that she said had to race at her birthday party this past Saturday. So there was my deadline for the bridge work. Got it to a point where they could race on it and they had a ball! Great to see the kids enjoying my efforts. 
Made some trees too. Click the next to last photo for a video.
2/9/11: I mixed up a wash to begin finishing up the mountain. I used some of the latex paint that I painted the roadbed with and simply mixed it with water. I used an empty 'wrinkle release' spray bottle but you can use any bottle that gives a nice fine mist. If you use this method be sure to have a drop cloth down and don't spray the walls of the room. You and your significant other won't like this. Here is how it looks after the first coat. I will follow this coat up with another earthy color, and then go back and add the 'snow'. Pics of that to follow once complete.
3/19 - 3/21/11: I mixed up a darker wash and added that on top of the first color to add some more depth. Sprayed the snow back on the rocks and added the pine trees. The lighting makes the brown of the rocks seem kinda washed out but it looks like it does in the above photos.
8/14/11 - Well it didn't take me a year but took long enough. 
With some prodding from the powers that be, I finished up Copperhead Climb today. The bridge is complete and 120 guardrail posts were installed...along with what seemed like a scale 100 miles of wire. 
It was a fun project and thanks again to everyone who chimed in along the way. Hopefully this will inspire someone to build a nice little 4x8 track and have as much fun as I am having. Incidentally a coworker visited today and he loved it! We ran for at least a half hour and had a ball! Thanks for playing slot cars with me today Bill.
