My base board is not large, 7' 6" by 4'6". It has been done to fit in the only place I have, over a single divan bed in the spared bedroom.
The base board is constructed using probably the most common method, a 3x1 frame, with cross members covered in 9mm plywood and screw fixed together.
Initially I considered a raised area, although a nice feature it had its own drawbacks, the gradients being the one most people warned me about, by having the raised loop it restricted the amount of working loops I could have and, although a nice bridge crossing the track from one side to another would be good it restricted me seeing working track behind it. By not having a raised loop it meant all my track was on one level and really didn't want that it needed, for me, to be more natural and more 3D.
The more I considered the railway in my part of the country, north west, south of the lake district, the more I realised, in general, track does not go up hill, it winds round them or goes through them. The more I looked at this the more I saw that track goes through cuttings in small hills, over bridges of rivers, etc., it also flies over villages, etc. It is fields and roads that go up and down not the track so I decided to make my layout to partially replicate these types of feature.
On top of the 9mm plywood I glued a 50mm sheet of cavity wall insulation, I glued it with Copydex and at the four corners fit small pieces of MDF bolted through the insulation sheet and the plywood so that it would never move.
I laid the track and marked it out, then lifted it and cut out for a river. The track was then fixed on to cork which was fixed direct to the foam insulation with Copydex. No nails or other fixing and it sticks solid. Can it be removed to alter later, yes, just run a pallet knife between and it comes away without damage.
After the track was laid I then started to cut out for the lower areas, road, houses, etc, etc. I am working on this now. Once this level is finished I will add a hill and tunnel so in effect I have ground lower than the track and ground higher than the track. The cavity wall insulation has allowed me to do this. It is easy to work with, light, being a fine foam it can be sculptured to any shape. It is also fire proof.
Are you just starting out? Looking for ideas? Well this is another way for you to consider.
Your baseboard is the foundation for your layout, think of the options before you start, make sure it is strong enough, secure, water proof and level. Considering these things now saves problems later. Changing things later can be a major job.
- MRF_131104_Glue 50mm cavity insulation foam to plywood cut out for river.jpg (43.3 KiB) Viewed 7932 times
- MRF_140224_lake_hill_staion_DSCF8482.jpg (64.46 KiB) Viewed 7932 times
Look at railway in real life, rail track is almost level it winds round hills or goes through them, it goes over valleys using bridges, not down and up them. It is the other things, hills and roads go up and down.
I will add a raised section at the end of the board in time and create a hill and tunnel but this is some distance off.
) out of interest could you lay the track say on top of the insulation material then cut around it to make the track on an embankment or something?
