Close coupling mixed rakes of coaches will always be a compromise in this house. While I would mostly be happy with fixed sets, my 10 year old son likes to marshall them, so a semi-permanent close coupler such as the Bachmann (dummy pipe) 36-060 is not an option. Also, trying to turn potentially long rakes of coaches from their sides to their wheels isn't practical.
With regard to the Airfix origin Hornby Mk2s, I originally intended to fit a close coupling mechanism manufactured by Keen Syst
I cheated with the baseboards, woodwork is something I'm pretty rubbish at. Having sourced the 9mm ply and softwood with best intentions, a friend built the boards in his workshop.
It consists of four 4' x 2' sections in two 4' x 4' halves. I will be building the layout so the baseboard can be split in half without doing too much damage.
I made a decision to cover the boards in 3mm cork sheet. On my last layout, there was an appreciable increase in noise after ballasting, presu
