[coldcarpaccio]

Hey everyone....

Just thought I would introduce myself to everyone.

Im Jonathan, and I am about to start building my first ever layout, but in P4. Wish me luck wont you.

To be honest I wanted to build a P4 layout years ago, but I seem to remember there were a lot of issues with suppliers of p4 track etc, and althought I am more than looking forward to building the points/slips from kits, I wasn't too keen on building frogs etc from scratch, but now that a new company have come on the scene, I can't wait to get started... am busting at the seams !!

After an hour or so, trudging through the many books at the MotorBooks shop in London looking for specific inspiration for a layout, I came across a station called Parkend, which was on the Severn and Wye railway. It was a big mining town, with a bit of passenger traffic too so it will be able to cater for all tastes.

I reckon the final dimensions of the layout without fiddle yards is going to be around 4m x 65cm so will be on the larger side of things, but hopefully it will portray the openess of a country branch line.

I found an amazing discovery whilst looking for suitable baseboard construction methods. I found at IKEA a set of wooden slats made of beech, which interlock with each other to create draw dividers, but they will make a great and eventually sterdy base to place some 6mm MDFb when they are all glued together with strengthening brackets etc.

Well I shall leave you with this for now... but look forward to posting some pictures of the upcoming progress on Parkend.

Thankyou for reading..

Regards,

Jonathan

 

[coldcarpaccio]

thought I would add a link to the wooden slats from IKEA

http://www.ikea.com/webapp/wcs/stores/serv...Number=80105022

Not sure how to do links on here yet, so copy and paste all of the above into your browser. Good thing is that it doesnt come as you see it, it comes in individual planks of wood, so you can place the different pieces wherever you like.. completely modular.

Can anyone see any downsides to using this product ?

Jonathan.

 

[coldcarpaccio]

Just thought I would upload some early images of the baseboards...

Will try to document as much as possible...

Jonathan..

 

[neil_s_wood]

Hi Jonathan, Welcome to the forum.

QUOTE Can anyone see any downsides to using this product ? How stable is it? In terms of taking weight and balance. A baseboard, once everything is on it will create a fair bit of weight and a lattice arrangement like that can collapse flat(ish) if you don't reinforce the angles at the corners.

Are you using two of these side by side? That would improve the stability too.

 

[coldcarpaccio]

Hi Neil,

These two baseboards will be used on each others end as it is a long/thin layout. I think once I have reinforced these with a bit of 2x1 they should be okay, and the 6mm MDFb top will also hold everything in place.

I checked the rigidity of the joins this morning as I glued them last night and they feel pretty solid at the moment...

 

[coldcarpaccio]

Here are some more pictures of the wooden slats and how they can be used...

you can see how they interlock and create a pretty strong joint, especially when glued and screwed...

 

[neil_s_wood]

That should be fine, but the stability is the area to watch with a framework like that. Over time it may weeken especially if there is a little bit of play in the join. I wouldn't recommend leaning on it too often either. Other than that sounds like a good solution and you get storage into the bargain.

 

[coldcarpaccio]

Latest update,

Baseboards are now pretty much complete, though i need to either source some seriously sterdy trestles, or make some seriously sterdy legs. I guess legs are preferable as they can then be adjustable in each corner for uneven flooring etc..

Thought I would put up a current pic as I have been playing with XtrkCad with a little help from MakeMineaDouble. The current plan needs a little 'adjusting' as the entry on the left hand end of the goods loop after the single slip is a little too sharp.

Please excuse the attrocious red carpet... we are currently in a rented house...

Bugger, the dog must have moved the offending sharp entry to the goods loop....

Will line all the baseboards up for you tomorrow and take some full length pics...

 

[neil_s_wood]

Ah, I didn't realise you were going to use the Ikea thing as a horizontal framework. That should offer good support if the slats are solidly fixed.

 

[coldcarpaccio]

Hi Neal,

Yes, horizontal support, maybe I didn't explain myself properly, and thinking back now, i did have the glued parts standing upright whilst they were drying.... you might say a comedy of errors...

I have noticed a possible weak spot right in the middle of the frames, but once I know exactly where the track will be situated I will be able to rectify the slight weakness by adding extra support from underneath... I am quietly confident.

Have just finished the 3rd board, and now have approx 14ft of length on the layout. Looking forward to getting some P4 track down to see how it looks

One question I have is about sound deadening to be placed between the sleepers and the MDF top... I have heard that cork isnt too good, though cant remember the reason now, but what I have heard is good is... Camping ground blankets, those that you lie on in your sleeping bag.... the soft foamy stuff.... if cut close to the edge of the sleepers (rather than covering the whole layout in the stuff) should give a nice rise in surface height too to simulate the ballast underneath the track....

Any thoughts about the foamy stuff ?

Regards,

JB

 

[neil_s_wood]

I've never heard of using the foam before. Thats a new one on me. I use cork and haven't had any problems with it. I'd be intereested to know what the problem is. I used to use foam (a different typr from what you're suggesting) but was advised that it was no good in the climate here as it deteriorates quickly. It's also a hassle to lift if you want to make alterations and so on.

I can't see anything wrong with using the foam you suggest so give it a try and see how it goes.

 

[coldcarpaccio]

Will do Neil...

Regards,

JB

 

[coldcarpaccio]

Hi everyone...

Thought I would wack some new images up for you...

Got all the base boards built now, just need, adjustable feet.. baseboard end locators and clips to hold the baseboards together...

The above spur will be a future extension down to some large sidings with a three-way point at the far end.

Should be buying the track soon, and then might be able to start laying some of the stuff...

Jonathan..

 

[neil_s_wood]

Looking good. Looks like you've got it well planned out.

 

[coldcarpaccio]

Hi Neil,

Yes slowly getting there...

Currently just trying to spend as much time as possible on the baseboards to get them as solid as possible. Want to make sure that when the track is finally laid that everything is the correct height at the baseboard joins etc...

I am definitely looking forward to getting some exactoscale point kits...

Will post more news and info here soon hopefully..

Jonathan

 

[coldcarpaccio]

Here is Parkend station as it is today on the Dean Forest Railway.

Many thanks to the photographer..

Parkend in Preservation

You can just see the goods shed loop on the left behind the station building which will relate to the images of the layout I printed from XTrkCad.

Jonathan

 

[neil_s_wood]

That looks good. What made you decide to model somewhere in the Forest of Dean?

You can never plan too much when you're creating a new layout.

 

[coldcarpaccio]

Not sure really... been looking for a suitable location for a layout for ages, and just found parkend in a book in a shop one day... looked pretty good in the pics, quite a bit of interest, and just went for it...

It is also fully extendable too for when space allows....

Could easily be turned into a loop if you wanted to have continuous trains running...

 

[neil_s_wood]

QUOTE Not sure really... been looking for a suitable location for a layout for ages, and just found parkend in a book in a shop one day... looked pretty good in the pics, quite a bit of interest, and just went for it... Just wondered as I have a few mates from the Forest. I like the loop thing as you can stand back and watch and don't need to concentrate on what you're doing. When you have kids you can't really concentrate on the trains, you're kind of trying to keep the kids away from the trains.

 

[coldcarpaccio]

Lol,

Wouldn't really know about the kids thing, as never exhibited before. But it would be very nice to incorporate a circuit into the layout at some point, though the layout would still be prototypically slow running. Not sure how P4 flanges would cope with 150mph scale speed into a 180 degree turn lol..

Strangely enough, you saying about your friends who live in the forest, I was actually at 'Lydbrook Station?' on the Dean Forest Railway a couple of months back, as the gf's parents live in Evesham (near Cheltenham and the Gloucestershire and Warickshire Railway (GWR). We went to the nature reserve down that way, and then on the way back suggested (forced) her and her dad to 'perhaps' go and have a look at the railway.

Unfortunately at that point I didn't know I was going to be modelling the station just up the road on the same line, so didn't go and see it.

JB