Model Railway Construction: Ply Sandwich Baseboard Supports via Cardboard Aided Design

[@charlie1872]

I must tell you how impressed I am with your carpentry , planning and innovative solutions to problems that many of us might face as we try to build our own layout. What a great job and terrifically produced video, I know what it takes to produce these and how difficult it is to get views and even more, likes. I do like the additional detailed information

[@Chris-BognorRegis]

Absolutely brilliant, your woodworking skills are second to none, looking forwards to the next update. Regards Chris

[@WirenwoodModelRailway]

Really professional approach and i admire the precision you're working to.

[@medwaymodelrailway7129]

Enjoyed your latest video and like thanks for sharing DD.

[@medwaymodelrailway7129]

Thanks very much for replying to my comment. That's the great part about the hobby sharing ideas and learning new ideas from other people to improve my Channel. Take care and stay safe DD.

[@Vonzack]

Great video thanks for sharing. Looks like a great project you have going there

[@nicholasbishop3300]

Great video Keep up the interesting updates I really like your sandwich supports. Nick Australia

[@TimsBitsnPieces]

I like a long video, but not longer than 30 mins max. I love your CAD stuff and I use that also.. haha... The sandwich ply is a great idea and makes things twice as strong.

[@glenatkin4972]

Not long at all . Because it’s interesting. Nice safety slippers 😂 Cheers Glen

[@DongitsModelRailway]

D'oh! In my defence, they do have thick, outdoor-quality soles. Not something you'd expect to find on a pair of slippers, and hence why I don't feel bad about walking about in them outside.

[@vincenthuying98]

Excellent construction method. In addition, the first sandwich you’ve shown has about 4 reference points, which is always harder than the latter ones, which have only two. Anticipating you’re going use either Tortoise or other under the boards point motors, you could take a look at several methods, for either remote location of the motors, or horizontal mounting. This might improve the clearance height above your storage/fiddle yard.

[@DongitsModelRailway]

I'm using servos. The mounts I'm using are smaller than a tortoise, but still project down around 55mm in total. The clearance needed for a loco with pantograph is 73mm. Total distance from the rail below to the underside of the board above is 248mm. So I have about 120mm of clearance between the bottom of a point motor and the top of a pantograph.

[@vincenthuying98]

@@DongitsModelRailway just in case, I saw this German layout on which the pantographs are eased down with a solid copper wire on all tunnels and covered track. Don’t know about British overhead power supply, but on the continent such drops in height of the catenary is very common. Unfortunately, I cannot recall this channel’s name. You may recognize it, however, for the metal support structure of the layout.

[@DongitsModelRailway]

@@vincenthuying98 Unfortunately a number of British models with pantographs aren't built with the expectation of continuous running wire contact. I'll probably not be running a full contact wire, just the masts/gantries.

[@dibsyardshuntinglayout]

It's a great video! Love the detail.

[@robertbage5052]

Still there at the end. Nice carpentry. Bob

[@dibsyardshuntinglayout]

Makes the noise? Definitely a Binky fan, surely!

[@dylansheppardmymodelrailway]

Fantastic vid 👍💯👍

[@086DEN]

Well done lad

[@hirsutusi5536]

Don't understand why you didn't just join the upper horizontals with plywood braces. The two lower connections don't seem to offer much except a reduction in access.

[@DongitsModelRailway]

The front lower connection definitely reduced the amount the front upper beam flexed vertically. The long run of 2x1 that was there when I installed the first one would previously bend down a good 10mm if I put moderate weight in the middle, and this stopped all of that. Having said that, swapping it out for 3x1 would deal with most of that isue too. But I'd already installed the first one and designed the second by the time I decided to do that. You'll note the last three don't have that lower front connection. In two cases the nearby leg handles it, and in the third the 3x1 is sufficiently strong I didn't feel it necessary. Having felt just how strong this style of construction is (after building it!), I definitely no longer feel the need to connect to the lower rear. In hindsight that was very much overkill. But ... it was there. And I could do it. If it causes a problem with clearance, it's still possible to cut it off and take those connections out. In terms of access, I am considering whether I need to add some additional access holes in some places to help with that. Installing point motors on the mid level is likely going to be a bit challenging in some places.

[@dialwright]

The content more than justifies the length.

[@johnjmc]

De soldering, use a desolder wick, makes life so much easier mate. Comments are turned off the other video, this is why I've commented on herr

[@DongitsModelRailway]

Huh. How odd that the comments have been disabled. I didn't do that. Fixed now. Thanks for letting me know.

[@dibsyardshuntinglayout]

Ah cardboard aided design... A fan of Binky?