ponderance

[firefly9]

I recently managed to pick up a layout for next to nothing that was going to be thrown out by its previous owner. It has 2 mainlines with a yard in the middle section. The layout is quite large at 4.5ft x 12ft. The scenic section is 3ft wide and i'm having to build a new fiddle yard as there wasn't one with it.

 

Whoever built it made a fantastic job of the scenery and its a very good layout but they were not too hot on frame construction. I've built a new frame for the layout on 2x2 timber which is robust enough to hold it. I had managed to scrounge 2 panels of 4ft long MDF for the fiddle yard still needing a third but now i'm thinking i'd prefer to do it with just 2 longer 6ft sections for better rail alignment/expansion/contraction. I also want to be able to put some cork underlay on the fiddle yard area for improved performance. There are also one or two things that have me scratching my head. They are

 

It has been built on 18mm thick mdf. The layout had not had any fitted and did not come with any point motors. Can point motors be fitted to a baseboard this thick? (none of the frame cross bracing runs under any points thankfully)

 

The track has been laid very well with pins and the glue holding the ballast down BUT because of the glue holding the ballast down this means that when i've tried to remove some track on a part scenic section of layout its ripped the track apart-which leads on to my next problem

 

The 2 mainlines have a set of crossover points at each end, however these comprise Hornby points which in turn means the mainlines are not scale width apart. I'm loathe to remove the track and replace it with scale track/points though after the ripped apart track fiasco.

 

I cant afford loads of expensive track for the fiddle yard. Much of the track is Hornby with some peco from what i can make out. I dont mind using Hornby track for the non scenic sections but i have loads of Hornby points which i can use for the fiddle yard, again i know they are not the best but thay are all i have as money is tight what can anyone suggest i do to improve performance of these.

 

Any advice or suggestions people have that dont suggest binning it and starting again would be most welcome

 

Rich

[Kris]

It won't be easy to fit point motors below the baseboard without disturbing the points that are in situ at the moment. You might want to consider side mounted ones.