@MELGAR posted:It seems to me that the joint between the sections can be eliminated by connecting all four sections together, covering the gaps with plaster cloth, and creating a single structure that can be lifted off the layout for track access. The bottom edge between the mountain and the layout can be concealed with foliage, rocks and trees more easily and realistically than the joints between the segments, and the hill will still be light enough to remove. I used this technique for a hill and tunnel on my 10'-by-5' layout which will be presented in an article in the February/March issue of OGR magazine.
MELGAR
Unfortunately that idea won't work in my case. If all four sections are joined together I'd have to lift a "mountain" that's 9 feet long and curved, all while sitting down. There would be nowhere practical to set such a massive piece. Also, at that length it would be structurally very weak. The beauty of the four segments is that each one is plenty strong. Only the two middle sections need to be removed to access the entire mountain area--it's easy to reach into the end sections from either side.
