I'm intending to cover the baseboard surfaces in cork prior to laying the track. I'm going to use B&Q 4mm floor tiles as they're dirt cheap and should do the job fine. I'm also considering whether it might be worth, in the pursuit of quieter running, putting down a layer of polystyrene ceiling tiles (like these) before the cork - my thinking being that the polystyrene tiles would absorb much of the noise (a lot more than cork alone by my guess) while the cork would provide a surface on top of this firm enough to fix the track to yet still transfer running noise/vibration through to the cork. I don't know if this is overkill really though? I don't really have any experience of how noisy trains are on different surfaces but I'd rather over- than under-compensate.

New baseboards (again!)

It had to come to it sooner or later didn't it... yes - yet another set of baseboards!!! Well, basically the ones I'd recently brought out of the garage had continued to warp and I decided I'd rather start again and build something really sturdy at this stage than have to rip everything up and start again half way through building the layout!

So here it is - a weekend's work. The top surface is 9mm MDF. The framework is made from 70 x 18mm and 40 x 40mm planed pine timber. The design is pretty conventional except for the baseboard joins. Having tried the C&L baseboard alignment dowels previously and found them difficult to align properly, I came up with a simple idea of slotting one baseboard over an extending section of the frame of the other, meaning that the two baseboard surfaces can be aligned easily. The frames are then bolted together on either side.

I've made allowance for an additional basebaord to be attached at the LH end of the LH basebaord if I decide to expand the layout in future. It could also be used for attaching the fiddle yard.

Hopefully you can see how it works in the pictures below:

The advantage of starting again is that I was able to simply use two 2' x 4' MDF boards meaning that the layout is now slightly larger - 3" wider and 6" longer.

Tomorrow I'll get some more cork sheet to cover the surfaces and then we're back in business, ready to start building and laying track.

Lynton & Barnstaple inspiration

I added another site to the layout links section on here last night and thought it was worth some elaboration. County Gate is a Lynton & Barnstaple inspired 009 layout that I stumbled across while browsing a list of links on Chris Nevard's site just yesterday and it looks absolutely fantastic. The website is a goldmine of information on all sorts of things from baseboard construction to modelling trees. I'm particularly interested in the CD of UK summer country sounds in the shop section. I think I shall be placing an order shortly!

00-SF track gauges

My 00-SF roller track gauges arrived from the USA today. Manufactured in brass by Russ Simpson they appear extremely neat little pieces of kit, with very clean machining and a very snug fit on code 75 rail.

Brian Tulley is currently sourcing a manufacturer for roller check rail gauges, and I've indicated my interest in being part of an order for a pair of these.

Hopefully I'll be in a position to start building some track soon!

For more info, see the 00-SF Yahoo group.

E4um

Recently I signed up to E4um - an email discussion forum run by Bill Bedford for members of the Scalefour and EM Gauge Societies. I thought it might be a place to pick up some useful modelling tips, ask questions etc. Well, my experience so far has been rather disappointing and suggests that, at least among those who use the forum, there is a lot of discontent and negativity among the established finescale modelling fraternity. Although there are occasional posts about modelling topics, by far the majority of the discussion is either complaining about the policies of various societies, point-scoring against other individuals who don't subscribe to the same viewpoints, or moaning about the state of the finescale modelling world today! Not the sort of thing that inspires a relatively recent convert to all things 'finescale' to get involved!

Why on earth can't people just enjoy their hobby? OK, fair enough, a discussion forum is often a good 'venting' place for people to voice their concerns or whatever, but sometimes reading these posts you wonder if some of these individuals can actually see beyond the end of their micrometers at all!! You'd think that model railways were of the same importance as global warming, middle east peace etc.!

For goodness sake... it's just a hobby! There are more important things in life!

Anyway, although I did consider unsubscribing from E4um, having not actually posted anything yet, I think I will stay subscribed for the time being, just in case this is a one-off. I doubt it somehow, but it's always possible! If I was a bit bolder I might wade in and voice my opinions but I'm afraid it would just spark even more of the same! So I'll just watch from the sidelines.