barrowroad's Blog

Hi Robin

 

I know a lot of the attention and focus of people viewing Barrow Road will always be on the buildings rolling stock and trackwork etc (and rightly so) but I have to say that the baseboards and their supports are fantastic.

 

Richard

Hi Robin

 

I know a lot of the attention and focus of people viewing Barrow Road will always be on the buildings rolling stock and trackwork etc (and rightly so) but I have to say that the baseboards and their supports are fantastic.

Richard

I found the boards impressive as they screw 2 wide as well as end to end, the edging laminate also seemed impressive and still lighter than the Manchester boards.

 

I seem to have left my camera on the other side of the Bristol Channel.. Anyone take some decent shots of the freight train passing though on the main?

 

Nice when its a roundy round .

I found the boards impressive as they screw 2 wide as well as end to end, the edging laminate also seemed impressive and still lighter than the Manchester boards.

 

I seem to have left my camera on the other side of the Bristol Channel.. Anyone take some decent shots of the freight train passing though on the main?

 

Nice when its a roundy round .

 

Hi Craig,

 

I know my friend Chris Yates, who built the boards in his superb woodworking shop - ably assisted by yours truly - would be happy to accept design and build commissions for anyone interested in good quality baseboards.

If anyone is interested please let me know and I can put you in contact with Chris.

 

As for the freight train with Dave's 9F I have some photos taken by Paul using my camera which I will post on here shortly.

 

The 'common fiddle yard' idea is a definite future possiblity!

Hi Craig,

 

I know my friend Chris Yates, who built the boards in his superb woodworking shop - ably assisted by yours truly - would be happy to accept design and build commissions for anyone interested in good quality baseboards.

If anyone is interested please let me know and I can put you in contact with Chris.

 

 

Robin,

 

I totally agree that as well as supurb modelling on top of the boards the actual boards themselves look excellant. Could you tell me, is the layout designed to put up all the legs first and then place the boards on top? I noticed that each board appears to have a complete set of legs or shared legs - this must making working on just one or two boards much easier.

 

Could we possibly have some more photos of the leg construction and how the boards fix to them?

 

Pete.

 

Robin,

 

I totally agree that as well as supurb modelling on top of the boards the actual boards themselves look excellant. Could you tell me, is the layout designed to put up all the legs first and then place the boards on top? I noticed that each board appears to have a complete set of legs or shared legs - this must making working on just one or two boards much easier.

 

Could we possibly have some more photos of the leg construction and how the boards fix to them?

 

Pete.

 

Pete,

 

The layout has 5 supports, the 3 longer ones of which are interchangable. They are designed to be assembled and levelled before the boards themselves are placed on top. Adjacent boards rest on the same set of legs.

The support legs are fabricated using 'Hemlock' legs purchased from the stair rail/banister section of 'Wickes'. Ref Contemporary Spindle 41x900mm - W128401W., remarkably cheap @ around £2.60 apiece. Very straight timber!

These legs have adjusters fitted into 'T' nuts in their base.

Each support is made from 2 legs joined by 2 pairs of shaped 6.5mm thick beech ply.

Legs are joined together by steel X braces which I had made by a local steel fabricating firm in Bristol and are locked to the legs using fixed wood nuts and allen headed bolts.

Hopefully the photos in the S4 AGM Blog will make this explanation clearer but if you want me to identify any else with a photograph let me know.

 

Robin

Thanks Robin, I see how you've designed it now.

 

The legs certainly look nice and sturdy and I would imagine give a really solid platform for the layout on top. One thing that crosses my mind from experience of our layout, East Dean, is that occasionally we need to do some remedial work under the boards at exhibitions, and at the very least need easy to access to the underneath to ensure all the board connections are tight etc.

 

Have you found the X braces get in the way of accessing the underside of the boards at all? I'm asking as I'm toying with building a new O gauge layout which will require double width boards in places such as yours and if I can get the foundations right it will make construction and setting up at shows so much easier.

 

I'm very much enjoying following your build - thanks for taking the time to share it with us all.

 

Pete.

Thanks Robin, I see how you've designed it now.

 

The legs certainly look nice and sturdy and I would imagine give a really solid platform for the layout on top. One thing that crosses my mind from experience of our layout, East Dean, is that occasionally we need to do some remedial work under the boards at exhibitions, and at the very least need easy to access to the underneath to ensure all the board connections are tight etc.

 

Have you found the X braces get in the way of accessing the underside of the boards at all? I'm asking as I'm toying with building a new O gauge layout which will require double width boards in places such as yours and if I can get the foundations right it will make construction and setting up at shows so much easier.

 

I'm very much enjoying following your build - thanks for taking the time to share it with us all.

 

Pete.

 

At present there is not much under the boards apart from the pairs of bolts to lock the boards together. I can reach under the boards - I have the advantage of long arms - with a Dewalt driver with ball head attachment to tighten or remove these bolts without crawling underneath.

 

However should I need to get under a board it is safe to temporarily remove one of the X braces to gain access. Alternatively it is possible without too much trouble to climb inside from the ends:rolleyes:

 

One thing I forgot to mention before is the alignment dowels. These are the machined steel alignment dowels from C&L which are fitted in the sides and ends during construction of the boards using a home made jig.

 

Robin

Thanks Robin, I see how you've designed it now.

 

The legs certainly look nice and sturdy and I would imagine give a really solid platform for the layout on top. One thing that crosses my mind from experience of our layout, East Dean, is that occasionally we need to do some remedial work under the boards at exhibitions, and at the very least need easy to access to the underneath to ensure all the board connections are tight etc.

 

Have you found the X braces get in the way of accessing the underside of the boards at all? I'm asking as I'm toying with building a new O gauge layout which will require double width boards in places such as yours and if I can get the foundations right it will make construction and setting up at shows so much easier.

 

I'm very much enjoying following your build - thanks for taking the time to share it with us all.

 

Pete.

 

At present there is not much under the boards apart from the pairs of bolts to lock the boards together. I can reach under the boards - I have the advantage of long arms - with a Dewalt driver with ball head attachment to tighten or remove these bolts without crawling underneath.

 

However should I need to get under a board it is safe to temporarily remove one of the X braces to gain access. Alternatively it is possible without too much trouble to climb inside from the ends:rolleyes:

 

One thing I forgot to mention before is the alignment dowels. These are the machined steel alignment dowels from C&L which are fitted in the sides and ends during construction of the boards using a home made jig.

 

Robin