We all need a baseboard of some sort to commence the build of our model railway layouts. from the back of an old door, a shelf or the more traditional timber build from scratch with plywood and softwood timber framing. it could be solid core, hollow core, foam, timber, sundeala or what ever. folks are coming up with weird and wonderful ways of including various materials etc so ...... feel free to start your own post in here with a few photo's to illustrate how you do it. cheers toto
Coffee Table Layout ?? Geoff Potter put me onto these beaut little coffee tables, which would make for a great small/micro layout, utilising small points or wyes or a single three way point. It would be perfect for either an N, HO OO, On30, HOn3. It has a sturdy, but light weight steel frame, bolts together easily enough and is cheap enough that a few could be joined together ! I purchased this one from Kmart (Australia) for only $29.00 ! It comes flat packed for easy transport and can be put together in about 5 minutes. ^ The box... ^ Upside down with dimensions between the frame. ^ Table top with a couple of pieces of track and small loco. Now if you turned the table top rails up the other way and have the table top connection tabs on the inside, a sheet of 6mm MDF with the corners notched out to fit the frame, can be secured to these and the walls can be secured to the frame with self tappers. Cheers, Gary.
Well I didn't start with a baseboard on Elton Crossing and the reason I didn't was because I hadn't a clue what I was doing, so I just made it up as I went along... honestly. Seriously the main reason for doing this was to make a base frame suiting the linear curvature of the real location as best I could, so I started with a spine made from 8mm moisture resistant ply. The spine carries the electrical circuits and also holds the lateral ribs in place, the ribs carry the base board which again is 8mm ply thickness.
Elton Crossing is movable around the room space, I used trolley castors which means I can position the layout anywhere within the room and add extension segments as needed. It would mean carrying the layout through the doorways onto the landing and into the other spare room but it gives me the option of having about thirty feet running length and at the same time avoiding divorce.
The main support column doubles as a "control cabinet" housing transformers, controller and relay terminals on one side with a miniature lever frame on the other side. Elton Crossing was an actual place in Cheshire located on the former branch line from Alsager to Sandbach. The route is now a cycleway known as the Salt Line.
Most of my layouts baseboards are made quite similar. I use 18mm x 42mm dressed pine for the frame and sheet this with either 6mm MDF, or 3mm MDF with an additional 30mm insulation foam covering. 6mm MDF on a 18 x 42mm frame. 3mm MDF with a 30mm insulation foam covering. The legs for my layouts are detachable as they need to be so that I can pack the layouts up into the car for exhibiting. The legs are made from the same 18mm x 42mm dressed pine and is secured using 1/4" bolts and wing nuts. Lengths of 1/8 x 3/8" aluminium strip is used to brace the legs, as shown below. Cheers, Gary.
Very neat looking Gary. York Paul, I like the idea of the control cabinet to house the transformers and the like. Cheers Toto
Gee thanks Toto... I have learnt from this construction, the next layout I intend building (The Leek Arm) will be of smaller segments, transportable and will have modified control cabinets which allow better all round access for fitting out, as yet I'm still planning this but the viewer will look up at the trains which will run on an embankment. Elton Crossing may well now just stay as a photo diorama for my project builds.
Thanks Toto and York Paul. I need to keep the weight down, first and foremost for my back and secondly, manoeuvrability. The baseboards for the new O gauge project will be built with the thin top and insulation foam. I use the insulation foam so I can model down, by that I mean to carve into the landscape rather than build up. York Paul, I can clearly see where you have extended the width of your layout in the second pic of post #6. That would have been an exercise and a half to make sure there was no sag on the baseboard outer edges ! Cheers, Gary.
Yes the side "extensions" were originally to be detachable because SWMBO had concerns about the width encroaching into room, in the end I realised what I wanted to do wouldn't work without making compromises to the scenery so the side pieces became fixed. So much for SWMBO telling me how to make it. Sag is eliminated because the spine carrying the jointed lateral ribs is built in a type of monocoque construction, the additional side extension ribs were spliced onto the existing ribs and the edge vanance with the totem logo keeps everything true and in line. This is a cantilevered base board arrangement where weight is equally balanced on either side.
This hobby of ours throws up some excellent tips for people like me who have limited room for our layouts and in my case I have work tops down both sides of my shed. One for modelling, the other for my restoration jobs. This leaves just enough room down the middle for the layout build however there isn't much room to get down the side to work on it. Then I saw York Pauls comment on having his layout on castors! genius! Guess what I'm going to do, next job- check what ebay has in castors for sale....... Cheer's, Pete.
Here you are Pete these are the ones you want. www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DSL-Heavy-Duty-50mm-240KG-PU-Swivel-Castor-Wheel-Furniture-Trolley-Caster-Rubber/151623220584?epid=925079817&hash=item234d72bd68%3Am%3AmDP1I0zIm98blAFnnWKTL2A&var=450832163437
As promised Gary here are a few more pic's showing construction detail of the Elton Crossing layout. The last picture is of the level crossing end of the layout which is where I was going to add extension segments to form the Ettiley Heath Goods Loop and sidings, a couple of signals in a shallow cutting and the backdrop of a council house estate. The layout board ends show my idea for a timber coupling system with the aid of cabinet connectors to line the two together making a tight union. The poor old crossing keepers house still unfinished... I must sort this bit out and then I can add the layout into the Layout Section.
Also Pete you would be best using castors with brakes fitted, I used 6 castors on mine, two of which braked each end of the layout. In effect the layout acts just like a damn big dining table but in my case you would be best advised not to eat your dinner off it.
This is the vinyl sticker I used, for any of the chaps looking to have a bespoke one made up they can be ordered here:- www.ebay.co.uk/itm/British-Railway-Totem-Sign-All-Regions-Custom-Printed-12-inch-Self-Adhesive/171575083694?hash=item27f2ac02ae%3Am%3Am5pGs05yOZ8OzLxaTnf6lXg&var=470580386650 The nice man at Trackside will do the artwork and send you an electronic sample for approval before committing to the printing stage. I can honestly say these are great, the print is sharp and the vinyl is good quality and very tacky... so line it all up well and start unpealing from the top down smoothing air pockets out as you go. He also does the LMS type and the Southern Railway target sort also and you can specify the darker green for the Southern one if you wish. The LMS ones can be printed in white or cream lettering as desired.