GNRi1959

I also thought of concealing the joint and break in the ballasting with sleepers as can be easily seen here in Omagh. This is the area I am modelling so its pretty close.

Thanks for that Noel. I happen to plan on cutting short sections that are around four - five sleepers wide. I don't want to make it look obvious so may make one of them slighter longer to stagger the joints.

Noel, does the small piece of track have to be a Peco set track? Can I use flexi that is well fitted?

Junctionmad, you are so right. Someone else pointed that out to me in a PM earlier today. However I have made some forward movement today before I lose the plot. I ran the loco today for 20 minutes. 10mins with cork and 10mins without. I recorded the sounds coming from both options and played them back. The corked board was much quieter so I coated my baseboard with PVA, spread evenly, and placed the cork on top. I chamfered the cork edge along the suggested distance from the sleeper ends and it dried quite quickly. I like it.

I'm hoping to start fixing some track this weekend and from the many things I have read and digested I think I'm happy to go along with this...... 1. Laying the track directly onto the birch plywood baseboard (cork has minimal influence on sound/noise) 2. Baseboard joint will employ Noels method of a short piece of track bridging the joint with fishplates either side 3. I will bore a hole for each point so that point control (underneath) can be an option later if I change my mind. 4. I hope to explore road and crank changing on the surface 5. I will wire the layout and run it for some time before final fixing and ballasting

To all.... the my layout is not for exhibition, travelling or moving. It was built on two baseboards so I could get them home from work in the car. If I ever have to move it briefly to decorate the room, change the carpet or maybe once a year bring it to the local model exhibition I can. So thus far, I think Noels idea sounds like a solution worth exploring. Thanks all.

Of all the methods suggested I quite like the idea of a brass screw inserted into a pilot hole and screwed to the correct height before soldering the rail into position. As you say, you can easily disguise this with ballast etc.

I have sent PM -thanks

I need 12 copper clad PCB sleepers in a hurry - anyone out there able to post to me? Will cover cost. Need them for baseboard joint.

What is the best method of preparing the trackwork prior to making the cut in the baseboard joint? I have read about PCB's (??) and other methods but what is the tried and tested way that's best?

Kirley, there nothing to see really as its just a track arrangement with loco and wagons on a baseboard of cork. I took delivery of a nice boxed/unopened Bachmann Red Brick signal box which is quite similar to Omagh. The North Cabin at Omagh had a raised platform and handrail to the front facing the line which I will have to add to this kit.

This evening the first engine and wagons left Omagh North with several wagons on board. I ran my first test on the cork and to be honest there was more noise from my heart beat, excited by this first time to control a loco in over 30years!

Dave, Get the picture loud and clear, thanks Tony

Thanks for this, I have only 10 points in total?

[ATTACH=CONFIG]26487[/ATTACH Alas, I found a decent picture in my collection. This was taken at the siding which has been the subject of great debate. Complete with manually operated unloading hatch.

When using rod and crank point control I presume its best to connect to the pre-drill a hole in the centre of the tie-bar or is there any merit in using a system of cranks on the surface to try to look as realistic as possible and throw the tie-bar from one end only.

Dave, this small shunting layout measures 2metres x 500mm and will only serve to move 0-6-0 class engines and wagons around the sidings and mainline from end to end. One line on a shuttle, the other for shunting. There will be little or no noise, I imagine. However, if anyone out there thinks that I'm totally wrong in doing this please let me know because I plan on starting to lay track soon. Thanks.

I cut these birch ply track templates for my large radius curves this morning when things were quiet.

I know it's way past Christmas but as a traditional 'film' user I sold off all the digital camera stuff I bought last year, and didn't use, to fund a £400 railway spending spree over Christmas!

One more burning question re: track Do I cut my track at the 'board joint' before or after I lay it?

DiveController, the cork it simply sitting there. I looked at your method and as you have said in your response "going to be shunting mainly at low speed and short distances" the cork may be fine. As for ballasting Mayner is quite correct, very little as the photo suggests.I used to walk along these tracks quite a lot shortly after closure and the ballast edge was well tramped into the blackened ground by staff.

DiveController, I've just placed a cork roll underlay under the entire baseboard and I like both the look and cushion feel. Does the cork need to be glued down, surely the track fixing will hold it in place. I'd appreciate the tread you mentioned.....

Noel, point taken. That piece of straight will actually be curved when I'm ready to start 'tacking' it in position. I cannot bend that short flexi piece to the desired curve because everything is just sitting on the board. I will also be replacing missing sleepers during the fixing process.

Noel and Kirley, thanks for the advice. Just a few points..... 1. Do my rail joints need to be absolutely tight - end to end 2. I was thinking of putting cork underlay under the track bed and simple running a stanley blade along the outside of the sleepers at an angle to give it a raised bed effect. Is this common practice. 3. Since points are being controlled manually, should I do this like the prototype and mount it on TOP or hide all movements under the board. The pictures show the entire layout. Tony

Yesterday I finally got down to start laying track on my baseboards, Omagh North is now alive. I thought I would begin a new thread to showcase the progress and hopefully established members can guide me along this path of discovery. At the moment almost everything is laid on the baseboards with fishplates in place but not fixed. Can I ask what is the sequence of events that follow - i.e. fixing, wiring, testing, ballasting etc and in what order?