How heavy are baseboards?

[Halton Boy]

Hi Rich

Thank you for information and photo. That is very clear.

I see that the traverser and turntable will need to be mounted on a baseboard of some type so that they line up with the scenic boards.

I have remeasured the space and can fit the turntable on the end of the traverser.

This gives me 12 foot of scenic section.

As advised I have added a short piece of track between the points.

The traverser moves downwards allowing an engine on track B to move down onto track A.

Wagons on track C can be moved down onto track B.

 

This plan uses three standard sized boards a traverser and a short turntable.

The turntable has been moved upwards slightly to line up with the middle track.

 

Do I need to buy baseboards to fit the traverser and turntable on?

I would make adjustable legs for all the units myself. 

Regards

Ken 

 

[Taigatrommel]

The traverser comes as a complete kit with a base so it joins up to other G&H boards easily. I presume the turntable would be the same

[Michael Hodgson]

23 hours ago, Hibelroad said:

Just had a look online and it looks like MRJ 235 has sold out. Maybe everyone is building baseboards! 

There's one on Ebay - item no 285813409764. 

It's not one of the ones I'm trying to flog though!

[Halton Boy]

Hi Rich

Thank you for the information.

I am not worried at the moment Michael as I have come up with a new idea.

I have a Lionheart 2-6-2 and I have a 3mt on order.

These are expensive and fragile.

I do have some metal cassettes that I purchased years ago and I was going to use them.

But I will keep them for when I can build a fixed layout.

The idea is to operate the layout without picking up the engines.

 

This is the new idea:

  

Using standard boards I would use the traverser as storage.

Two problems here;

It takes up a lot of space and it is costly.

Plan number 2:

Using standard boards again.

Less space (1950mm 6.5') and less cost.

I am now thinking of designing the layout so that the run round is on the scenic boards and only the engine and two vans are removed to storge each time.

The vans are not a worry as they are easy to move by hand. I could place them on the layout at the start by hand.

I am not sure about this idea.

Ken

 

[Harlequin]

These plans look really odd! You've got to rotate the large turntable any time something needs to move from one end of the layout to the other or when you need a headshunt from one end or the other.

 

Fundamentally, what you are struggling with (and have been struggling with in many previous posts about different designs) is that it's very difficult to do what you want to do in the space you have available in 7mm scale.

 

So, making the layout even smaller seems like a very bad move to me - unless you change your expectations. (Have a look at what @7mmin7foot is doing.)

 

I think a cassette based fiddle yard would be much simpler, easier to use and give you more storage capacity if you can be happy with using them.

[Halton Boy]

Hi Phil

Yes you are right, not enough space and the boards need to be narrow which is the biggest problem.

Layouts like Liscombe and Llanidris are very good, but I cannot do that.

Bradstock is a good layout and would fit I think. Metalsmith make a turntable in 7mm.

Hornby Mag's Seven Mill depot is 11' x 3'. It is the depth of the boards that are the problem.

 

I have an idea which may work;

 

Ken

 

 

[Harlequin]

8 minutes ago, Halton Boy said:

Hi Phil

Yes you are right, not enough space and the boards need to be narrow which is the biggest problem.

Layouts like Liscombe and Llanidris are very good, but I cannot do that.

Bradstock is a good layout and would fit I think. Metalsmith make a turntable in 7mm.

Hornby Mag's Seven Mill depot is 11' x 3'. It is the depth of the boards that are the problem.

 

I have an idea which may work;

 

Ken

 

 

 

Can you explain exactly what the space constraints are and why the boards have to be thin as a result? Someone may have already dealt with something similar and they could tell you how they solved the problem.

 

A floor plan with dimensions would be great if you could manage it.

 

Edited April 18 by Harlequin

[Halton Boy]

Hi Phil

This is a layout to use until I retire and can build a fixed layout.

The boards will be moved from a spare room into the conservatory for operation.

We agreed that each board cannot be larger than 1200 x 400mm as they would be too difficult to move and set up.

The boards would be 6mm ply.

But I have a new plan:

I will purchase three 1200 x 400mm baseboards and a 1200 x 400mm traverser.

Along the front of each board, parallel to the front edge, I will fit a 75mm deep platform edge.

This will be painted to resemble a platform.

I will construct four box sections with a raised backboard from 6mm ply.

The box sections will sit on the trestles holding the main boards and have temporary fixings to hold them to the baseboard edge.

I will fit single story low relief warehouse buildings to the raised backboards on these box sections.

I can work on the box sections individually away from the main baseboards.

As the box sections are 900mm long and 150mm deep they will be easy to move around.

 

Because I have a platform I can run a push pull passenger service.

This means I can have some signals.

 

The logic behind the layout:

This is a short branch off the main line serving a main manufacturer making wooden furniture, mostly chairs, in a town outside London.

My late brother went to art college there.

Timber and consumables come in and chairs go out.

There is a passenger service to London via Gerrards Cross.

Please let me know what you think everyone.

Ken   

 

[Hal Nail]

1 hour ago, Halton Boy said:

Please let me know what you think everyone.

Design a layout that works for you in a small space and then make the boards fit. Not the other way round.

[Halton Boy]

Hi everyone

You are right about the layout being more important than the boards.

I have come up with a logic for the layouts existence.

The fact that my late brother was at college there makes it all the more real.

I am going to use resin or laser cut buildings on the backboard sections. 

I have a Skytrex oil tank model as shown in the picture.

This is the type of building and walls I am looking to use:

 

The platform needs to work as an edge protector for the layout.

I was thinking of making the platform from 25 x 25 x 300mm lengths of balsa wood block. This is £7.25 per block.

Straight, planed square-edged timber Stripwood PSE mouldings 20 x 20 x 2400mm is £8.20 each strip.

I could glue two strips down to the baseboards and fill the gap between with strips of wood every 300mm and  expanding foam. The other way is to fill the gap with polystyrene.

I would use a small piece of wood for the slope at the end.

I could then use Slaters Plastikard to cover the top. This I hope will make it strong enough to take any knocks.

 

The reason that I have not modelled the station building is because it is too wide:

With the platform added this takes up too much space.

The viewer is standing on the platform watching the shunting for the factory.

 

Please can someone tell me if they had forklift trucks in the 1960's.

Woodland Scenics do this model:

Thank you for your help.

Ken

 

[Harlequin]

Hi Ken,

 

The idea of bolt on scenic only parts is very good but I'm still not clear why you feel you have restricted width.

 

Is it due to the weight of the boards or the space available to erect and operate the layout?

 

[Halton Boy]

Hi Phil

It is the weight of the boards and moving them through the house to the conservatory.

Everyone said that 1200 x 600mm 6mm ply boards would be too heavy and awkward to move through the house.

 

Hello everyone

I have started on the build by ordering some buildings and an Atkinson eight wheel flat bed lorry.

The forklift is a preorder.

Here is the scenic box section:

The 28mm wooden dowels will locate in holes in the sides of the baseboard reinforced with wood blocks.

There will be three dowels per 900mm section. The dowels will pass through wood blocks glued to the 6mm ply.

This will locate the section to the baseboard and add strength to the section.

The baseboards and scenic sections will sit on the trestles.

 

I have a cunning plan!

More cunning than a box full of weasels?

 

I am going to make two completely different scenic sections to fit the baseboards.

The track plan will remain the same but the industry will change allowing different trains to be run.

I could change the industry and or the time period.

 

If this works out the my next layout will be the same track plan reversed on new baseboards:

This will work out cheaper as I will have the traverser.

The new scenic section, dark grey, could be made as anything, but not a station.

How cunning is that?

Regards

Ken

 

 

 

 

[Halton Boy]

Hi Everyone

The scenic sections.

5.5mm x 1220 x 2440mm (4'x8') plywood sheet is £23.00 at Wickes.

There would be a cutting charge for this to be cut into 150mm and 300mm sections.

I could cut the plywood sheet with my track saw to save cost, but it is not worth setting up the saw.

28mm x 2440mm pine dowel is £11.00. Enough for nine pieces and one spare.

20 x 20mm x 900mm pine strip wood is £4.00. £16 per scenic section. Total £48.00.

The strip wood and dowel are high quality used for joinery.

Regards

Ken

 

 

[Harlequin]

4 hours ago, Halton Boy said:

Hi Phil

It is the weight of the boards and moving them through the house to the conservatory.

Everyone said that 1200 x 600mm 6mm ply boards would be too heavy and awkward to move through the house.

 

I think you've got your wires crossed somewhere. People talked about 9mm laser cut boards being quite heavy but 6mm being much more manageable. It has also been mentioned that 1200mm long boards might not fit in a car. That would be a reason to make them shorter but not thinner.

 

See what @Nearholmer and @7mmin7foot said.

 

A 1200*600mm board made of 6mm birch ply, including top surface and framing, should weigh about 4.5 to 6 kilos, depending on the type of birch ply used. That's really not heavy. It's about a half to 2/3rds the weight of a common-or-garden 9 litre watering can full of water!

 

If you're only moving the boards through the house, not into a car, the length and the bulk shouldn't be a problem. Lighter boards are easier to manoeuvre.

 

And you can still use your trick of bolting on extra, smaller scenic pieces - if you have the space where the layout is setup.

 

Edited April 20 by Harlequin

[Halton Boy]

Hi Phil

I understand what you are saying.

If I increased the size of the boards it would be to make them longer.

I would add more 1200 x 400mm boards to the layout if I had the room.

 

I am thinking of the future when I retire. I will need to move the boards and store them safely.

Perhaps lifting them up onto racking for storage.

I do not know where I will be living when I retire and what space I will have.

I may have a garage or a very big shed. Then my railway will not be in the way.

I will tell the estate agent that's on my wish list.

 

I would like to build these boards now which would give me a break from working.

 

My long term plan is to have an oval of track with a small station or halt in a fixed location like a shed or garage.

I would keep this portable layout and put it up in the garden on a sunny day.

 

I can get the 1200 x 400mm boards in my car.

Maybe I will join a model railway club and take the layout along on club nights.

I could certainly take the scenic boards and work on them.

 

I would like to thank everyone for helping me get this far.

Regards

Ken

 

 

[Halton Boy]

Hi everyone

I am now sure of the plans.

I have decided to build three different layouts by using different scenic boards.

 

I have a question about using Skytrex low relief buildings.

With the roof sections added the buildings would be 61mm (2.5") deep.

This is deeper than I would like them to be.

I could cut the roof sections in half and make a new fillet piece. That way I would only need to purchase half the number of roof sections and some drain pipe.

 

Could you recommend a packing material that I could mount each low relief building to so that I can stick them to the back board instead of using the roof sections.

15mm material would be good.

 

I would be using a row of these low relief gable ends.

Thank you for your help

Ken

[Halton Boy]

I think it is best if I start a need post in general baseboards

Ken