Well it's been a while, New Year now out of the way I set about redoing the baseboard supports on the main station section. Hadn't wanted to do it but i'd noticed that cross bracing on which the 8mm plywood trackbed rested had created a rolling road in the sense that coaches did a 1:76 scale Mexican Wave as they rolled along. My free wheeling Roco coaches which I always use to check track just wouldn't stay still. Anyway not acceptable. So I decided some while ago to redo it, not a job I was looking forward to as getting it level was a pain the first time round.

So as to smooth out the roller coaster ride the plan was to lay two long supports lengthways (parallel to the track) rather than crossways. Lesson one learnt was that as i'd originally screwed the baseboards to the supports from the top, then laid cork on top I had to find the location of the screws cut out squares of cork and then unscrew everything. This time i've screwed everything from below.

I lowered the cross supports and laid the lengthway supports on top. Also placing several other pieces of the same wood on the cross bracing in places to provide ample supports for the baseboards.

Checking alignment with my long and short spirit levels took all afternoon, until the Roco coaches stayed where they put and all the bubbles were in the middle.

Very pleased I did it. It was stopping me getting on. Hopefully now a bit more progress to report and track laying and electrics can recommence.

Lesson Two was that i'd reused some 8mm ply brought over from my old layout. It's not quite the same 8mm as the german stuff, so I had some little adjustments to do to get the top surface to be as smooth as I wanted. Maybe I was just unlucky, but in future I shall always use wood from the same batch for jobs where I need exactly the same thickness.

I've just also noticed one of the supports still needs to be screwed home! I left the clamp on. That'll have to wait for tomorrow now.