Having completed my first mini layout, one thing I learned was how much time is taken up with the carpentry for the base, and how low a proportion of time was spent on the fun part of making the actual model. It also struck me how much track could be 'lost' to fiddle yards, so I came up with an idea to get around this.
The idea is to make a universal base that can be reused, and once a layout is finished, can be lifted out easily, put into storage for swapping back again at a later time, and then you can get straight on with making the next model rather than start again with building another unexciting base. The fiddle yard would be made with channels to contain the track, without having to glue it down, thereby keeping it pristine and it could be lifted up and reused if necessary if the whole model was to be thrown away.
The base consists of two wooden shelf boards 1150mm long and 400mm wide, with a plywood backboard that drops into slots at the back. Expanded polystyrene sheets then form the layout, with thick cardboard grips to contain the track.
Let the experiment begin ...
- Polystyrene end loops/ramps.
- a01 two ends.jpg (374.98 KiB) Viewed 6557 times
- Wooden base, supporting plywood backboard. Track and road placed to determine proportions and spacing.
- a02 centre layout.jpg (242.78 KiB) Viewed 6557 times
- Right hand loop in place
- a03 right loop.jpg (452.43 KiB) Viewed 6557 times
- Left hand loop in position
- a04 left loop.jpg (407.28 KiB) Viewed 6557 times
- Left loop, clearly showing cardboard grips stuck to the polystyrene
- a05 left loop close.jpg (546.16 KiB) Viewed 6557 times
