The Last Spike Online / 21 July 2026
Grant's official track scheme became a test instead of a memory
USA tile positions were aligned to the official track scheme, then the important SVG intersections were captured in automated tests so a later layout refactor could not move them silently.
Situation
Board geometry can be checked visually, but a few pixels of drift in a complex SVG are easy to miss, especially across different viewports. Positions set from the official reference would still have been fragile if screenshot review were the only thing protecting them.
Approach
I aligned tile coordinates with the intersections in the official track scheme, then recorded the critical geometry in numeric tests. I did not snapshot every pixel; I selected the structural points that determine whether the board is correct. That gave visual QA a machine-verifiable foundation.
Outcome
Later board refactors can move more freely because a regression in critical geometry immediately breaks a test. The official reference stopped being a Slack message or developer memory and became an executable acceptance criterion.