Building the baseboard

In some ways this is a slightly tongue in cheek question but then again.....

Has anyone ever used shelving such as

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as the baseboard? I'm contemplating building a 4mx4m shed (or maybe 4x5) to house my (HO) layout. I'm already thinking in terms of multiple levels for the layout and it seems to me that shelving systems like this provide stability, strength and ultimately some ability to reconfigure in future. Simply butt them up against on another along the walls of your shed, use the "linking kit" to keep them together and simply build your own links in the corners. They also provide storage for all those extra bitsand pieces you don't know what else to do wit (unless you build a 5 level layout).

The obvious disadvantages relate to scenery. Hardly prototypical but then, at this moment, I'm still in the "big train set" mode! Also, not quite sure how I would attach the ramp to get the trains from one level to another. Maybe take advantage of the need to build connectors at corners to put in a spiral? They also only really provide space for a two track "main line" so other boards will be required for terminii, yards etc.

Reply to
Graham Harrison
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"Graham Harrison" wrote in message news:usOdncrXp snipped-for-privacy@bt.com...

Be an expensive way to go in my opinion Shelf bracket's could be just as good. 2x2 or 3x3 legs joined by 2 longitudinal of 3x1 joined in L shape give a lot of strength and make adding bits of timber on a dodel. Its called girder frame in the US look it up. and its just as easy to lay box frames on it if you want portability.

Reply to
Trev

"Graham Harrison" wrote

A friend of mine has built his entire and substantial HO-scale layout using

1" chipboard supported in a shelf-like fashion with bearers attached to the roof supports in his loft. I have to say that it appeared more stable & level than my conventionally built boards which use 3" x 1" timber as the supports.

John.

Reply to
John Turner

On 12/08/2007 14:05, John Turner said,

Strewth! Are you sure it isn't doubling as a bomb shelter? :-)

Reply to
Paul Boyd

That had been my original thinking. And I feel that I will want/need to use that method for some parts of the layout but using these shelving stacks also provides me with storage (on the shelves I don't use for the layout) and, given my questionable constructional skills, probably provides more reliability.

Reply to
Graham Harrison

"Paul Boyd" wrote

LOL - but it hasn't warped after several years!

John.

Reply to
John Turner

Would probably result in noisy operation.

Reply to
MartinS

I hadn't thought of that; thank you. There are, of course, shelves and shelves! I can well see that an all metal system could well be noisy. There are some that come with a metal frame and metal framed chipboard shelves. In any case, thinking about it, would I not lay some kind of board over the shelves to provide a surface to lay the track on and wouldn't that provide some deadening effect?

Mind you, one could take advantage of the noise element to try and simulate the sound of certain types of bridge and then incorporate that form of bridge at that point in the layout but then I'm likely getting ahead of myself.

Reply to
Graham Harrison

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