Bridging Modular Baseboards
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- čas přidán 10. 04. 2022
- In this 15 minute video, I show you two ways I join tracks in alignment across modular baseboards. This has proved very successful for many, many years, putting layouts up and pulling them down at home and at exhibitions.
I know that quite a few American modellers prefer to use a short piece of track in between two modules, especially at exhibitions. I once used this method and chose not to use it again, as it is always seems awkward to align, the annoyance of fiddling with rail joiners and the infill track is never detailed or ballasted. This method stands out like the nose of a clown at exhibitions !
With the methods I show here, the track can be ballasted right up to the edge of the baseboards, producing a better looking model railway.
I trust this will help some modellers out there when building their own modular style layout, perhaps a shelf layout or maybe a larger layout that needs moving in the future, or an exhibition layout.
Once again I like to thank the new subscribers for helping my channel grow. It is truly appreciated.
Here is a link to the Control It 'printed circuit board sleepers' : controlit.net.au/controlit-pc...
Marty has some other excellent products on his page as well. Go on, check them out !
Cheers, Gary.
Looking to add a removable bridge between two sections. Thanks for the tips!
G'day,
I'm glad you found this helpful.
Cheers, Gary.
I really like the idea of using the copper cladding to replicate the sleepers. Good video. I will catch up with the rest of your videos asap
G'day St Blazey Model World,
Thank you for your kind comment. I have been using copper clad (PCB) for some time, but it was the Control It product that gave the idea of cutting it into the shape of sleepers ! With a little more care and judicial cutting, my copper clad sleepers could look a lot better ! 😉
Cheers, Gary.
Good
I have been so frustrated at finding a way to connect a lift out. The tie method looks like a solid solution. Thanks for posting this.
This has proven to be solid. Over the years of exhibiting, I have never had to re-solder the rails. I do have a small panel of plywood that protects the end of the modules during transport.
I'm happy you have found a possible solution to your lift out section. 😉
Cheers, Gary.
I like that technique. Thanks for the how-to video!!
Thanks Todd. I appreciate your kind words. 👍👍👍
Cheers, Gary.
Got ya self a new sub dude
Thank you for subscribing. I trust you'll pick up a few tips along the way.
Cheers, Gary.
😮
Neat! I don't even do train stuff, I don't even know how I got here, but that's pretty neat!
Thanks for your kind comment ! In a way, I'm happy you found it and you like it !! 😉
Cheers, Gary.
Correction, name of manufacturer is Modelteck based in the UK
Modeltech, is the actual spelling. Of the UK made ProAlign Track joiners
Using a piece of wood so you don't burn your fingers!!! 😄
Your Australian, tough as they come! 😉
We all know how hot a piece of rail can get when soldering... I ain't taking any chances !! 😆
Cheers, Gary.
You can buy them already made, built in the UK, Model Teck
The ones shown here on the green PCB are made in Australia ! The manufacturer is a good friend who offered me one to try. 😉
Cheers, Gary.
All I can say is your soldering is better than mine, but I am improving. I want to put a cross over on my lift up section, but have been putting off doing this. I think this technique might give me a push to get it done. Cheers
Give it a try as it's not that hard to do. You don't have to cut the sleeper notches out on the board either. Just make sure the PC board is the same thickness as the sleepers under the rails and you won't go wrong. 😉
Cheers, Gary.
you can get black solder mask on PCB's. Nice work.
This is the way they are produced. I was given the PCB sleepers to try out. Don't forget that the whole lot (sleepers and rails) will be painted before ballasting. 😉
Cheers, Gary.
Hi Gary, I have just found your channel and have subscribed. I have just moved down from the Gold Coast to Muswellbrook, so nearly in your back yard. Was in Sydney at my son's house during the rain bomb - it was horrendous. I haven't gone through all your vids yet, but I am wondering what is the blue material you use for your underlay and is it a good sound absorber? Best regards, Andrew
Hi Andrew,
Thanks for subscribing.
The blue foam is insulation foam from Bunnings. It's branded as Bastion and comes in 30mm and 50mm thick sheets, 600mm X 1200mm. Quite easy to work with/cut. I really wanted to use the Knauf brand of foam, but it was not in stock.
I run with DCC sound and I can't hear any solid reverb off the foam, so possibly yes, it's good for noise cancellation.
Cheers, Gary.
Next time before you do this try taking a piece of styrene sheet the same thickness as you your cutting disc, pull the baseboards apart, slide the styrene in between and clamp your modules together, then do as you did in the video. Once you complete the install across the baseboards, pull the baseboards apart to remove the styrene sheet. Put you baseboards back together and you will find that you barely have a gap in the rails where you disc cut through.
That's a good tip and would be perfect to do between a two module layout. 👍👍👍
Unfortunately, where I used this Control It PCB sleepers, it is sandwiched between two more modular baseboards either side, which would have been a little difficult to do.
Cheers, Gary.
Do you not find that you get derailing going over that small gap?
G'day TONY_FRZ,
No derailing whatsoever. Perfect alignment is the key. 😉
Cheers, Gary.
Why do you cut the rails instead of letting them be one piece?
It's all in the name of the video, bridging 'modular' baseboards.
The baseboards on my layout are built modular so I can pull the layout down if I need to in the future. In the very first part of the video, you can see a board that has already been completed with scenery. This board can be separated from the layout and used as a smaller switching layout with the inclusion of a fiddle yard at exhibitions.
Cheers, Gary.
@@Gaz3801 Ahhh, I didn't quite understand what modular meant. You literally meant you can switch it out. Very cool!
@@VanillaWahlberg Yes. On this extension of the layout, I have built the baseboards in 4'-5' sections. If you go through my videos, you'll find a video on the expansion of the layout. 😉
Cheers, Gary.
Crickey..now make a video with center 3rd rail tracks....
With third rail, you would just need to isolate each rail, another words a second cut in the PCB. The process of joining across baseboards would be identical. 😉
Cheers, Gary.
You could have jlcpcb or pcbway make these for you for peanuts.
The green PCB sleeper came from a friend who has them made. I have simply used PCB previously. Can I ask where jlcpcb and pcbway are located ?
Cheers, Gary.