I cut the mechanism base from 1/8″ plywood. And it went together exactly as planned. If you can think for enough ahead by to design all the holes, the laser can save all sorts of time on changing drill bits. I think I have all I need, with the exception of the speaker.
Installing and trouble-shooting the mechanism is going to be a nuisance, and so, I created a small block of baseboard that locks onto the mechanism and onto which I affixed the temporary watertower. This base will also enable me to display the tower off the layout. I plan to submit the model for NMRA merit award assessment, and those judges will not want to lean almost two feet into the scene to examine the it.
Pembroke:87 