[Chinahand]

Hi Mike.

It sounds as though your 'bodged together' system is working and is not all that different from my own.

I'm using 9mm ply for the track bed which is supported on 12mm ply risers fixed at right angles to the direction of the track at 250mm centres. The risers are bolted to the main baseboard framing, which is a grid of 150mm wide x 12mm ply strips. The risers are adjustable by using slightly elongated holes in them.

 

[Chinahand]

Don't do yourself an injustice Mike. If it works then who is anyone to say it's 'bodgery'. Certainly not me.

I must admit I was a little concerned at the 3mm ply spanning 12" for the track bed but, provided the pine stiffeners are from reasonable quality timber, then you should be OK. Personally I would have preferred to use 75mm (minimum) x 12mm ply on edge as stiffeners which would then have created the classic 'L' or 'T' girder system. If it's not too late maybe you could give that some thought.

Failing that you should give everything a good coat (or 3) of paint or varnish to stop the timber from drying out and warping. It also stops nails from falling out, which they have a habit of doing as the timber dries out. It's always best to glue and screw.

Look forward to seeing some pictures once you have it all put together.

 

[Chinahand]

Alternatively have a look at Brian Lambert's web site at http://brian-lambert.co.uk/ which covers just about all aspects of modelling, inluding 'L' girder construction.