Everard junction strips his layout

[burnthebox]

For what its worth, Everard Junction has begun to strip down his layout !!! & it's not pretty !

BTB

 

[jhb171achill]

A superb layout - wonder what he's doing with it!

[Noel]

A superb layout - wonder what he's doing with it!

 

He used MDF baseboards which he says warped over time in his loft. What a shame, his layout construction videos are legendary. Watching that video I'm glad we chose marine grade 9mm ply 23 years ago. Its heart breaking seeing that. Redoing the electric cabling alone would be a massive task.

Edited March 28, 2017 by Noel

[jhb171achill]

Ah! Yes, that's a great shame.

 

Hopefully he'll bounce back with a new version.

[Noel]

Ah! Yes, that's a great shame.

 

Hopefully he'll bounce back with a new version.

 

I'm sure he will, Richard is a human dynamo.

 

Everard Junction layout thread on RmWeb http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/87264-everard-junction-br-1988-1990/page-1

 

Edited March 28, 2017 by Noel

[Kinvara-Train]

He used MDF baseboards which he says warped over time in his loft. What a shame, his layout construction videos are legendary. Watching that video I'm glad we chose marine grade 9mm ply 23 years ago. Its heart breaking seeing that. Redoing the electric cabling alone would be a massive task.

 

for this Plywood only

[Dave]

His baseboard construction was crap. He said it himself in the video. Even if he used ply it still would have warped because it was not supported properly.

MDF gets a bad rap because people do not understand how to use it.

[murrayec]

Hi

 

Yes it looks like it was an amazing layout, such a pity after all that work

 

In my opinion its not the materials alone that caused this problem, two main points strike me- first is the location, and second is the carpentry;-

 

Location.

 

An non insulated attic is not the place to construct a timber baseboard and model railway layout, the temperature differentials can be extreme, in winter its like been out doors and in summer without huge ventilation, like being in a sauna. Ply, MDF, planed and wroth timber in these sizes will not tolerate these differentials, this will also cause trouble with condensation on the railway layout and the models. Insulation is required to at least control the environment and reduce extreme changes in temperature which causes expansion and contraction in timber, and dampness in models after use and left in the attic to cool down- moisture!! the more insulation the better.

 

Carpentry.

 

Its not the materials, beside the point above, its the method of construction and the 'proof is in the pudding' which is the video- I can see;- no box construction in large span panel, no continuous down stand support under the helix, and some really poor carpentry details. He says it himself that he has learned a thing or two but to blame the materials I believe is not correct. I would recommend the purchase of a good carpentry book and a bit of time studying it.

 

key points I would also recommend are;- to build with box construction, think 'Box' all the time, have no boards with free edges, they have to be supported with down stands preferably deeper than wide and not square, build in sections with expansion joints especially if making fixings between a brick wall and a timber attic structure- the brick is going to stay put, but the roof structure is going to move and that could include the floor!

 

I admire the fact he is recycling

 

Eoin

Edited March 29, 2017 by murrayec

[DiveController]

Looks completely prototypical, what's the problem again?

[roxyguy]

Enjoyed this youtube channel very much also.

 

Along with Chambs123, Intercity82 and Sam's trains.

 

Has anyone ever watched Jenny Kirk's Channel. A female railway modeller (pause for shock)

https://www.youtube.com/user/jennyemily667

[Dave]

Looks completely prototypical, what's the problem again?

 

It does actually!

[Dave]

Enjoyed this youtube channel very much also.

 

Along with Chambs123, Intercity82 and Sam's trains.

 

Has anyone ever watched Jenny Kirk's Channel. A female railway modeller (pause for shock)

https://www.youtube.com/user/jennyemily667

 

She's very boring though and not that good. Have a look at Kathy Millatt, great videos and very good modelling too.

[roxyguy]

She's very boring though and not that good. Have a look at Kathy Millatt, great videos and very good modelling too.

 

I hear ya. She sometimes fall into the "let's carefully examine the box" category of video.

I'll check that out.

 

I like Sam and Chambs because they just like to run trains and don't take any of it too seriously.

[Noel]

Richard's EJ youtube channel is very educational and informative, and I managed to extract some very useful guides and layout methods from him, and also some methods not to employ. As he said himself there is no one right nor wrong way, instead many ways, and some may suit some folks better than others. Looking forward to his re-build. With hindsight if I personally was to start again, I would build a smaller layout than our current one. I find myself agreeing with him on helix's, I never liked the idea of one on a layout, but I can see their advantages in certain circumstances.

[Noel]

Good points Eoin. We used 3x1" vertical support around the edges of the baseboards, with 2x1" vertical cross members on both axis, all screwed and glued to the ply baseboard. The legs are free standing on their own folding sub-frames. I've only moved the layout twice before. It took a whole day to split the sections using the butterfly bolts, move it, and reconnect everything. Each board has its own sets of old style 25pin D-type computer connectors for the electrics (i.e. track feeds to the old DC sections).

 

 

The 3" vertical edges seems to have created a degree of stability as well as strength. I can climb up onto the boards if needed no problem.

[Dave]

Good points Eoin. We used 3x1" vertical support around the edges of the baseboards, with 2x1" vertical cross members on both axis, all screwed and glued to the ply baseboard. The legs are free standing on their own folding sub-frames. I've only moved the layout twice before. It took a whole day to split the sections using the butterfly bolts, move it, and reconnect everything. Each board has its own sets of old style 25pin D-type computer connectors for the electrics (i.e. track feeds to the old DC sections).

 

 

The 3" vertical edges seems to have created a degree of stability as well as strength. I can climb up onto the boards if needed no problem.

 

Very well constructed Noel.

[Garfield]

MDF is perfectly good to use once it's properly supported, which Everard Junction's baseboards weren't...

[WRENNEIRE]

Back in the day when I was a keen DIY man I replaced all the doors in chez Wrenneire

The old ones were standard flush doors, 6'6" x 2'6" in old money

These doors have a very rigid structure and when fixed to a 2"x2" frame they are almost indestructable

Because of the nature of the construction it is easy to cut holes for point motors etc and also to scoop out parts to make rivers , valleys etc

Every skip in the neighborhood has a flush door or two !

Unfortunatly the "layout" is now a large storage area but plans are afoot to start rebuilding a DCC version

I have the controller.........

 

 

 

[Kirley]

...... but plans are afoot to start rebuilding a DCC version

I have the controller.........

 

The first time I met you I heard that "plans are afoot to start" story but at least you have the controller now!

[WRENNEIRE]

Rome wasn't built in a day and all that K

Having some serious issues with a point and a diamond crossing, keep getting a short although I have changed both the point and the crossing

Buy I have a man, who is actually calling this afternoon, a bit of an electronic guru he tells me

He was with me a couple of weeks ago and he took away the point and crossing that I had taken from the layout and hopefully he will have some good news for me today

Has to be something simple as the road was running well before I put the crossing in

[burnthebox]

Rome wasn't built in a day and all that K

Having some serious issues with a point and a diamond crossing, keep getting a short although I have changed both the point and the crossing

Buy I have a man, who is actually calling this afternoon, a bit of an electronic guru he tells me

He was with me a couple of weeks ago and he took away the point and crossing that I had taken from the layout and hopefully he will have some good news for me today

Has to be something simple as the road was running well before I put the crossing in

 

As long as its not a Black Diamond........!!!! LOL