George,
I have a bag of old tee-shirts of mine that are awaiting jobs like staining etc. They do work good. Yes, the thrift store is a great source if you don't have any on hand. Doing that ahead of time is a good idea; better than waiting until benchwork is built. The room looks very inviting and the track lights look like they will give ample lighting. That is a good list of tasks in the correct order. How many of us build then try to fit a backdrop in later. I did, but I had rear access on my last N-scale layout. This time the backdrops will go up early. You already know what they look like. I'll look forward to seeing your photo backdrops!
