{"id":1790,"date":"2022-10-05T00:56:39","date_gmt":"2022-10-04T23:56:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mikesmodelrailway.ddns.net\/wordpress\/?page_id=1790"},"modified":"2025-07-30T18:51:01","modified_gmt":"2025-07-30T17:51:01","slug":"layout-build","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/mikesmodelrailway.ddns.net\/wordpress\/new-layout\/new-layout-progress\/layout-build\/","title":{"rendered":"Baseboard Build"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

For a long time I didn’t really know where to start with the construction or how to go about the build. In the end I decided to try starting with the lower level where the fiddle yard \/ storage sidings will be going to be but I was still making it up as I was going along. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The build was influenced by watching YouTube videos from Vintage 80s Loft Model Railway<\/a>, particularly in the construction of the layout. I have decided to try using cheap but substantial stud work timber<\/a> attached to the joists to form the baseboard frame with 12mm hardwood plywood<\/a> to form the surface.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I cut the lengths of stud work timber in half (1.2m lengths) and screwed them evenly across the joists at what I judged to be an appropriate height for the lower level (leaving room for the upper level). The main problem was that all three of my spirit levels seemed to read differently! After doing the first half dozen or so I came back the next time and they all seemed to be on a slope so I had to redo them. I think part of the problem is that the timber is so warped\/bowed\/twisted that it’s almost impossible to judge how level it is. Screwing it to the joists straightens it out in a vertical plane but it still is like a roller coaster horizontally. Where can you get dead straight timber from?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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First cross-timbers fixed<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Frame side added<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Two bridging timbers<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Looking the other way<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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<\/p>\n\n\n\n


March 2023<\/strong>
I built more of the frame which at some point crosses the diagonal bracing between the joists so I’ve had to cut through this after adding extra bracing at a lower level. I am a bit paranoid that I may have compromised the structural integrity of the roof by doing this and had a few doubts before eventually doing it. I also put in further timbers bridging the two sides of the loft at the hatch end and fixed a sheet of white faced hardboard to the wall by the hatch to see how it looked (leaving an air gap to the foil insulation).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Frame side added to rear<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Looking up from under<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Looking down from above<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Looking the other way<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n


March 2024<\/strong>
Built the framework on the other side with even worse issues of cutting the diagonal bracing. Also cut some of the horizontal bracing (as the frame should provide bracing in this direction) to allow me to crawl under and reach the storage at the back (not easy). I put some padded black and yellow striped foam on the underside of the frame at that point as I kept banging my head (may need more of that!). Starting to get an idea of how small the space left in the middle of the loft is going to be. The air-conditioning is also installed a working now after a few false starts and teething issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Frame on the other side<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Looking from the hatch<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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At a lower level<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n


May 2024<\/strong> – Part 1
Screwed down plywood boards to framework all the way along one side. These were whole sheets that only needed a bit cut off the length to fit the spacing of the cross pieces. The frame on the other side is also just about complete now. I had some difficulty getting it all level where it met up with the first side but it’s just about there now. I’ve also added more black and yellow padded foam to the cross timbers over the hatch as I kept hitting my head on it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Boards fixed down<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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All the way along<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Frame on other side<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Other side looking other way<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Framework all the way round<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Loosely laid boards<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Hatch end with head protector<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n


May 2024<\/strong> – Part 2
I’ve now started cutting the boards out to fit around the joists, what a pain! There are a lot of joists and they’re very close together. I’ve not fixed them down yet as they may need a bit of extra support.
Every time I go to the ‘local’ DIY store (30 mins drive away) I get some more bits of timber and boards. I can’t afford to buy it all in one go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Boards cut around joists<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Looking the other way<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Loose boards other side<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Starting to look like a layout<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n


January 2025<\/strong>
A bit of jump with the progress as I was just getting on with it rather than documenting it.
On one side the boards are screwed down and the joints sanded. It was very fiddly cutting out bits to fit around all the existing roof timbers but I wanted to avoid cutting any of them if possible.
I’ve also started to glue down Woodland Scenics 2% inclines<\/a> on their 4″ Risers<\/a> to give a total separation between the lower and upper levels of about 8″. I’ve glued Hornby track on top of these as it was easier to work with in confined spaces than Code 75 flexi track. I added some pieces of old foam packing material to the rear of the incline to stop trains falling off.
I’ve also installed extra lighting in the form of old Christmas lights that my wife said were too bright, some old under cupboard lights and a new LED lighting strip. This gives more light on the baseboards and lights up the storage area in the eaves on one side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Before fitting inclines<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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One side done<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Looking the other way<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Other side started<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Looking the other way<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Looking down the loft<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Looking back to the hatch<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For a long time I didn’t really know where to start with the construction or how to go about the build. In the end I decided to try starting with the lower level where the fiddle yard \/ storage sidings will be going to be but I was still making it up as I was… <\/p>\n

Read the full article<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":1783,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"templates\/full-width.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1790","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/mikesmodelrailway.ddns.net\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1790","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/mikesmodelrailway.ddns.net\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/mikesmodelrailway.ddns.net\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/mikesmodelrailway.ddns.net\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/mikesmodelrailway.ddns.net\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1790"}],"version-history":[{"count":30,"href":"http:\/\/mikesmodelrailway.ddns.net\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1790\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2249,"href":"http:\/\/mikesmodelrailway.ddns.net\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1790\/revisions\/2249"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/mikesmodelrailway.ddns.net\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1783"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/mikesmodelrailway.ddns.net\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1790"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}