Update - No.6 - 04.04.11

Originally sent via email to friends and family in Apr 2011

Hello again my lovely Corkettes.

I am in a triumphant mood tonight because Phase One of my plan for world baseboard building domination is over and has been a complete success.  Whilst Mrs Corky was away for the weekend,  I was free to spend the majority of it working on the Corkscrew-Lines.  I rolled up my sleeves and fired up the drill and jig-saw and created the final end former and 4 baseboards for the first side of the layout room.  Take a look at the photos and if you didn't really get the concept from the earlier updates, hopefully you will now.

Temporary workbench and end frames

One wall filled with frames and baseboards

One wall filled with frames and baseboards

I know there are 4 baseboard sections missing from the middle.  These will be completed as and when I feel like doing something simple because having already completed 12 of them, they hold few surprises or issues for me now.  When my brain hurts and I cannot sort out the latest planning conundrum, I'll just assemble another baseboard as an easy way to do something constructive but not too taxing.  The important boards were the 4 along the lowest level and the 4 on the top level because these obviously provide the rigidity for the whole structure to remain stable.  I will almost certainly take the whole structure down in the next few weeks and add some bracing to the rear just to make everything more rigid....remember this only takes minutes because it's all modular and simply bolted together.  The more sections that are added the stronger the whole assembly becomes.

View of frames from low level storage level

I spent a few minutes earlier working out exactly how much ironmongery, plywood and timber has gone into the project so far.....I won't give you the specifics just in case senior management reads this - ha ha! but I can confirm each single baseboard has at least 30 screws and 6 bolts.  So that's also 6 nuts and 12 washers.  All baseboard sections are screwed and glued and are extremely rigid.  Once track laying begins I'll be adding extra plywood trackbed sections and corner bracing so there will be additional rigidity and strength as the layout develops.  The final plywood frame and baseboards have incorporated a few tweaks and improvements compared to the first and these will be retro fitted to the previous ones quite easily.  A traditional model railway baseboard on a single level would have given me a modelling area of about 17 feet x 3 feet or 51 square foot.  So far, for the same floor area in the room I have, my creation has given me 170 square foot......now that's much more like it.

2nd corner of the garage is reached

Anyway, I am now filled with renewed confidence that I can construct the Corkscrew Lines as a solo project and thoroughly enjoy every minute of it.  Having spent so many years dreaming of having the space to do something like this it comes as a huge relief to realise I actually enjoy constructing it all and thankfully it appears I do actually have the required ability to make it happen.  It isn't cabinet maker's quality that's for sure but it is certainly good enough for the job and at this stage just a skeleton.  My long term plan envisages fascia panels and a finished surround to the decks so the layout is good to look at even when nothing is running.

Corky working on the next baseboard

I have today placed a substantial order for more ply and timber - don't worry my little Corkers', Mrs Corky knows all about it.  It's enough to last a couple of months at least I hope and I now want to start on the low level return loop section followed by the toughest challenge....the helix.  I have a plan and ideas about how I'll construct the helix but just like the rest of the layout, it's all my own idea and I've never seen it attempted quite the way I want to do it anywhere else.  Let's hope I can pull it off because once the helix is completed the rest of the layout will be repetitive to build but not difficult.  Of course once the return loop and helix sections are completed, track laying can commence.


That's enough for now, time to put the kettle on me thinks.....tea anyone?

Cheers, Corky!