Ardree Quay

[DJ Dangerous]

49 minutes ago, derek said:

Do it all in your own sweet time. You won't enjoy anything if you do it under pressure. This is supposed to be a hobby to be enjoyed and not a job with deadlines. You will get enough of that later in life. 

 

Absolutely top notch advice from @derek, not just for modelling, but for so much other stuff in life.

Set yourself arbitrary deadlines and you'll disappoint yourself repeatedly.

Relax and enjoy the hobby in your own way, and in your own time.

[LNERW1]

Well it took a while, and working literally until sunset, but I finally have all 5 baseboards for Ardree Quay. At the moment they’re structurally ok but the sides are only fixed at the corners, so I’d like to add some glue to stop the long sides from flopping around.

 

I had the maths done a while ago, but only cut up the boards yesterday and screwed it all together today. I’m really happy with this as it means I can finally get a good idea of what I’m working with and where to go next- Peco would be a good idea as I don’t have a lot of track. This feels really good to have gotten such an important part of the layout done. Thanks for all the support getting me through my needless self-pity. Be prepared for a lot more of the same for the next while, at least until the track is all down and working.

LNERW1.

[DJ Dangerous]

Some amount of work in that!

Adding an additional cross-member, or several diagonal cross-members, will add rigidity, and hold the sides where you want them.

[irishmail]

As DJ says, additional bracing , glued and screwed will give you a good solid baseboard.  depending on the thickness of your baseboard tops, bracing will need to be about every 12" - 18" apart. 

[David Holman]

Amen to the above. Baseboard are your foundations and it is well worth ensuring they are strong. Once scenics and ballasting start going in, a fair bit of water ends up being introduced, so sealing the tops with primer will help stop water getting into the surfaces.

[LNERW1]

6 minutes ago, David Holman said:

Amen to the above. Baseboard are your foundations and it is well worth ensuring they are strong. Once scenics and ballasting start going in, a fair bit of water ends up being introduced, so sealing the tops with primer will help stop water getting into the surfaces.

It’s all marine ply so I doubt I’ll have to worry about that- plus there’ll be cork and scenics in between the glue, water, clay, Modroc etc. and the baseboard most of the time anyway.

On 4/12/2024 at 9:31 PM, irishmail said:

As DJ says, additional bracing , glued and screwed will give you a good solid baseboard.  depending on the thickness of your baseboard tops, bracing will need to be about every 12" - 18" apart. 

I’ll look at cutting bracing- two more , spaced about 16” apart, per board?I will still glue the sides to the top as the waving around really does piss me off.

[Mol_PMB]

I’ll add another vote for the importance of plenty of bracing, and sealing the tops. If parts are waving around then they aren’t doing anything! A bit more time invested now to ensure a robust foundation will save a lot of heartache later. 

[DJ Dangerous]

2 hours ago, LNERW1 said:

I will still glue the sides to the top as the waving around really does piss me off.

 

Language!

 

 

[LNERW1]

I suppose I do swear a bit much, I may start using less extreme alternatives, like, oh i don’t know,

”Oh, snap”

literally turns into sand

[LNERW1]

On a more serious note, would anyone have any good pictures of track that isn’t quite overgrown but has grass between the rails- somewhat like an unintentional equivalent of this:

I think I’ve seen a picture of an IRRS special at a station with such track on@Irishswissernie’s Flickr page but I only thought today to look at doing something like it after looking at @Galteemore’s Rosses Point thread and seeing the brilliant ash (I think) ballasting. Even if it is my first layout I do want this to look good and I thought something like that, but a little less comprehensive, would look good for the layout. TIA.

LNERW1

[Broithe]

15 minutes ago, LNERW1 said:

On a more serious note, would anyone have any good pictures of track that isn’t quite overgrown but has grass between the rails- somewhat like an unintentional equivalent of this:

I think I’ve seen a picture of an IRRS special at a station with such track on@Irishswissernie’s Flickr page but I only thought today to look at doing something like it after looking at @Galteemore’s Rosses Point thread and seeing the brilliant ash (I think) ballasting. Even if it is my first layout I do want this to look good and I thought something like that, but a little less comprehensive, would look good for the layout. TIA.

LNERW1

Ballybrophy in 2008..?

[Galteemore]

Cheers W1. Looks like ash but it’s actually DAS clay. Google Chris Nevard and ash ballast to get technique. 

[LNERW1]

4 minutes ago, Broithe said:

Ballybrophy in 2008..?

Actually that’s a lot closer to what I’m going for than the picture I put up tbh, thanks a lot!

3 minutes ago, Galteemore said:

Cheers W1. Looks like ash but it’s actually DAS clay. Google Chris Nevard and ash ballast to get technique. 

As much as I did say I wanted it to look good, I wouldn’t be confident making something that good with just DAS clay. Maybe in future.

Thanks very much lads, very helpful contributions- and quick!

Edited December 6 by LNERW1

[Broithe]

1 hour ago, LNERW1 said:

Actually that’s a lot closer to what I’m going for than the picture I put up tbh, thanks a lot!

Ah, this is 2012.

.

 

And this is the old sidings, but the weedkiller got there first - 2008

Edited December 6 by Broithe

[derek]

11 hours ago, LNERW1 said:

It’s all marine ply so I doubt I’ll have to worry about that- plus there’ll be cork and scenics in between the glue, water, clay, Modroc etc. and the baseboard most of the time anyway.

 

Just seal the boards with a quick coat of primer. Moisture gets everywhere. It won't kill you to do it, but if you don't you might very well regret it- maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of your life . Also remember the old wise saying about assuming things will be fine- "ASSUMPTION IS THE MOTHER OF ALL F***  *PS"

[LNERW1]

When you put it like that...

Also someone please dissuade me from relaying all the track with code 75. Please.

[DJ Dangerous]

3 hours ago, derek said:

Just seal the boards with a quick coat of primer. Moisture gets everywhere. It won't kill you to do it, but if you don't you might very well regret it- maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of your life . Also remember the old wise saying about assuming things will be fine- "ASSUMPTION IS THE MOTHER OF ALL F***  *PS"

Agree 101% there, @derek! A stitch in time saves nine.

Also, what dimensions are the beams that you've used, @LNERW1? The photo was a bit fuzzy, so it's hard to be fully sure, but they look a little thin. If they're able for it, I'd be drilling down into the centre of each beam from the baseboard, and adding a screw, while the glue is still maleable. Not sure how many screws they'd need for each beam, but a few anyway.

[LNERW1]

Baseboard tops= 4'x18", 9mm

Baseboard sides=4ft long, 7cm tall, 9mm thick

Baseboard ends= 18" minus the 9mm on both sides

The baseboard ends would be what would be duplicated.

Sorry if the maths makes no sense- it was made up by me, for me, and it works for me. I didn't realise I'd need to share it so I haven't worked out cohesive measurements.

[DJ Dangerous]

57 minutes ago, LNERW1 said:

Baseboard tops= 4'x18", 9mm

Baseboard sides=4ft long, 7cm tall, 9mm thick

Baseboard ends= 18" minus the 9mm on both sides

The baseboard ends would be what would be duplicated.

Sorry if the maths makes no sense- it was made up by me, for me, and it works for me. I didn't realise I'd need to share it so I haven't worked out cohesive measurements.

 

9mm wide is probably too thin to put a screw into without splitting it.

You'll need a good few 439mm cross-members.

[irishmail]

12 hours ago, LNERW1 said:

When you put it like that...

Also someone please dissuade me from relaying all the track with code 75. Please.

You don't have to use code 75, obviously its more to scale but code 100 is fine especially once weathered and its more durable.  At the end of the day its your choice  and what you are happy with.

[DJ Dangerous]

You could also run additional 20mm x 20mm beams (called batons?) along the baseboard, just inside where the 9mm side panels will run.

The 20mm x 20mm would be strong enough to glue and screw in place, and you could then glue the 9mm to the baseboard, while also gluing and screwing it laterally to the 20mm x 20mm, giving strength, rigidity, and holding the "floppy" sides in place.

A cheaper and easier way of salvaging your work, I'd say, rather than starting over, which you’re probably thinking about.

Adding lateral bracing beams and painting with some sort of cheap primer will still be required.

Rough diagram:

 

 

Edited December 7 by DJ Dangerous
Wasn’t finished typing!

[Mayner]

I successfully used all ply (6mm) construction on my East Dock/ North Wharf shunting layout in 2021, all joints were glued with PVA and pinned with 20mm panel pins.

Diagonal bracing or trinagulated framing is un-necessary with a largely solid baseboard baseboard top, but short sections of stripwood 35X35 (White deal PAO (Planed all round) available from Chadwicks or other merchants can be used to reinforce the joints between the vertical framing members if you prefer a screw fixing.

https://irishrailwaymodeller.com/topic/10731-east-dock-an-irish-timesave-ish/

I would normally use thicker ply but had some nice 6mm ply over from a wall lining job, 9mm should be more than adequate for your baseboards.

One of the baseboards is recessed for a Quay/Dockside

The holes in the framing are for the wiring

The plybaseboards are sitting on baseboard framing set up for a 'permanent" layout about 10 years ago now mainly used as a workbench and for storage, as you grow older you find out that things seldom work out as planned.

Baseboard alignment dowels are from DCC concepts https://www.dccconcepts.com/product-category/track-and-track-making-parts/baseboard-alignment-dowels/

Track underlay is grey foam camping mat with strip of hardwood of the same thickness as a support where the track/rails cross baseboard joints.

Edited December 7 by Mayner

[LNERW1]

17 hours ago, DJ Dangerous said:

 

9mm wide is probably too thin to put a screw into without splitting it.

You'll need a good few 439mm cross-members.

I put blocks at the corners to screw all three boards into, as 9mm is indeed to small to screw into without splitting.

[DJ Dangerous]

4 hours ago, LNERW1 said:

I put blocks at the corners to screw all three boards into, as 9mm is indeed to small to screw into without splitting.

Well, I'd look at running batons the length of the board, too, as per previous post.

[LNERW1]

Loosely laying out a longer stretch of track so I can have a go at properly running Ardree Quay. A little trouble has been had with power tracks and clips- all a temporary arrangement so no soldering- but otherwise no real problems. I need to have a look at buying some track so I can get cracking with the fiddle yard but I’m quite hopeful I’ll get some proper work done by Christmas.

Happy modelling,   
LNERW1.

PS sorry for the shite photo, phone was dead so had to use an iPad with no camera flash, in the room with the worst lighting in the house.

Edited December 10 by LNERW1

[LNERW1]

Please expect a short break from progress on the layout. Personal reasons- far more serious than lack of concentration or dedication. I'm fine, don't worry, regular service will return around the New Year. I'll probably get a bit done over Christmas too.