Elmer Lane 7 - Baseboards (haha)

 DB rolls on:

A few spare moments had me cutting out my bit of plywood into its balloon loop shape, sanding the edges nicely, and checking it does indeed fit into the car (back seats folded down and passenger seat forward).

Hacked holes for the turntable, the kato fan tracks and the turntable control box were then added (removed?!) with a jigsaw, so these items can be installed with their bases below ground level, which should put the rails just above the surface of the ground where they should be, rather than having the whole depot elevated above ground. If that makes any sense.

Overground holes.

Some reinforcing wood ( I believe that is the term that builders use) was stuck on the back of the module. The whole thing is surprisingly stiff. Surprising for something that I have made. I was careful to not have any 'little beams' underneath the turntable, allowing me to put a solid offcut of ply under the pit and most of the fan track cutouts as a solid base for the turntable. A thin bit of dark brown hardboard will hold the turntable control box largely below layout height and inside the loco crew rooms. 

Undernethers pre-endcap at the small end.

The reinforcing beams have holes drilled in them for the inevitable rats nest of wires. Legs have also been made and attached using little hinges. I'm not sure whether the little hinges, even with upgraded screws, are a good idea or not, but they are quick and neat, and in theory they shouldn't be under too much stress. I'm not expecting people to be mud-wrestling on top of the modules. The whole shebang isn't too heavy, although its becoming a little ungainly for this one person to move with any measure of daintiness.

Other than the plywood sheet, all the wood used for the bracing and legs has all come from a big pile of leftover/recycled/offcut wood bits I have in the garage, so things don't always match in terms of material (and some things are 'that size' because that's a handy length of wood I had to hand), but its not that anyone is going to be grading me on my woodwork now that Mr Birch (Form 1 and 2 at school) has passed on to the great woodshop in the sky.

Completed thin end leg attached to end cap, tidy and sturdy.

Wide legs (all the fashion) for additional stability will go under the turntable end.

I have, as unilaterally declared in a previous entry, made this so the rails will sit 1100mm above the floor, and will take 10cm off the Studholme legs to match. 

Aren't standards wonderful! Everyone should have one!