I made a tentative start on building the baseboards yesterday. My first task was to mark the different track levels on each cross piece. All changes of track levels do seem subtle at this stage. I’m hoping that subtle changes should help to project a believable scene.

At the above stage I realised that the very end cross piece (furthest away in the above photo) was going under the turntable. How did I miss that on my plan? I’ve been lucky enough to acquire a GWR turntable from Alan Smith after he’d decided to dismantle and break up his Little Stoke layout.

I carefully brought all pieces out of storage and couldn’t resist installing the turntable deck to check it over. I’m looking forward to seeing this in operation.

Little Stoke’s baseboard is 9mm and the turntable is mounted on a 15mm thick ply underneath to allow for the turntable pit. It’s a solid piece of modelling and therefore a little on the heavy side. Unfortunately, after mulling the options over, I think modifying it would destroy what is a good working turntable. With that in mind I decided to accept its solid construction and move on to how I’m going to install it into the baseboard.

I was not surprised that the former track positions on the turntable board don’t match my plan; it would have been a slim chance if it had. That will be one modification that I’ll be able to match without causing any irreparable damage. So by ignoring the current approach tracks on the turntable board means I can align the turntable base square to my baseboard. In doing so means it would also miss the proposed inspection pit on the right (marked by the ply strip). My intention is to use 6mm plywood for the baseboard top with 3mm cork underlay which should match the 9mm of Little Stoke’s baseboard.

All seems good at this point…