Hi

Today I have been working on the backscene. I decided, some time ago that I did not want a flat backscene. The first stage, of building backscene was to built a sporting structure onto which I could fix the curved backscene.

I decided that I wanted the backscene to extend into the bridge box and hence the it was not to be a simple rectangle.

The structure of the backscene is made from 4mm MDF, which was wet and then bent to shape, then allowed to dry for more than 24 hours.

The strap across the top was to hold it in shape, before it was wet, and then when it is drying. If the strap was not there, the force exerted, which would tend to make the board flatten itself, may have broken the end supports. Once it has dried it then holds the curve.

Once this was done I put a framework in place to prevent the backscene tearing or becoming damaged, whilst the train entry/exit holes were cut. This also makes the backscene stronger.

I still have to counter sink the screw heads and fit a card surface to the backscene, and then paint it sky blue. The card will give me an unblemished surface, because the MDF is not thick enough to allow both the screw beneath the surface and then apply filler to hide them!

This done I ran a train to check that then holes were big enough. This done I relayed the number 2 siding, because as laid originally the 0-6-0 locomotive derailed nearly every time.

Julie