Home | Design | Construction | Track Laying | Control & Electronics | Rolling Stock | Operations | Links | Contact
Baseboard Design
Baseboards are for the long haul: get them wrong, and the layout will forever suffer. I have aimed to have a solid set of baseboards from the start. They need to survive design, construction and operation: this includes "normal" loads, and unforeseen events such as someone tripping over and colliding with them. What I've ended up with is certainly solid!
The baseboards were designed using the CAD program, after sorting out the track plan. I used 2 "layers" in the program for baseboard designs: one for the main baseboards, and one for the higher level sections. The advantage of using the same program for the design is that you can (as far as possible) avoid having timber underneath point motors etc.
Frame Construction
The railway has not been intended to be moved: it will stay in its "home". However its home is ultimately a timber shed - no matter what other words I use - and it does move with the seasons. The railway is self supporting, and attached to the wall only for stability.
Construction has followed relatively "normal" methods. I used 2.5"x1.5" constructional timber from the local DIY supplier; this was solid but (not being planed) relatively low cost. The legs are made from 1.5" square section, braced together into leg "pairs". All legs have adjustable feet, to make levelling a simple process. All joints are glued and screwed for strength. Don't skimp on materials: my timber has always been bought in packs, and PVA glue by the gallon. Believe me - it's cheaper in the long run!
I have the benefit of a range of power tools, most of which have been used at some point or other. The timber sections have all been cut with a mitre saw - that way assures square joints which is an important requirement for strength. Power drills and screwdrivers are a must.
My baseboards are freestanding: all of the weight is taken by the legs. They are then attached in places to the wall to prevent them being pulled away, for lateral rigidity. The "peninsular" section is also attached to the floor. Levelling was a challenge: I used a rotating laser level, but couldn't rationalise what it led me to do and what the spirit level said. Towards the end I read the section in the manual on calibrating the laser level, and found out that it wasn't even close to parallel to the ground. we got there in the end!
At the end of a tedious process, there is no part of this railway I can't jump up and down on, or hit hard sideways; it is solid!
Upper Levels
The railway has several levels. I constructed the main baseboards at the "zero altitude" line. The upper level sections have all then been added above that level, as (potentially) removable modules. The sloping track sections all have a timber support every 12" or so. The height of these was largely determined by trial and error, having set the height of the start and end of the slope and using a straight edge.
The sections for Portsmouth (the main terminus station by the window) and Eastleigh both have track underneath them. These section both hinge up for access: this allows simple maintenance. The track areas under "Eastleigh" are also accessible through the facia; those under Portsmouth can be accessed from underneath.
Track Bed
The track bed is made from 12mm ply, glued and nailed into place. A pneumatic nail gun was a big effort saver, but by no means essential. The cutting operations took a lot longer. The ply has been cut at joins between modules; a lot of effort has gone into trying to get the joins level. The ply can be planed - just beware of splinters.
3mm cork sheet forms the final track bed. This is glued down under the areas where track will actually be located.
Finishing
I have put a facia of "clean" timber around the front of the boards. This makes the railway more attractive, and covers the non planed timber. The edges are raised about 15mm above baseboard height, so that a derailed loco will have to clear a solid piece of wood before it can hit the floor.
There are shelves for boosters and booster transformers. There are hinged panels for the electronics (accessory decoders, block detectors etc). These things may not be strictly necessary - but remember this needs not only to be constructable but maintainable.
Page Last Modified on: