Basic Considerations
Rigidity: It should not distort under the weight of scenery or stock.
Stability: It should hold its shape under all the conditions it will experience, in storage as well as operation (i.e. no sagging, especially of the track bed.)
Ease of handling:
nothing should protrude outside the basic box.
edges need to be robust because they take most knocks and scrapes.
strong enough to survive the impact forces generated by its own weight.
as light as possible to minimise these impact forces.
easy to hold on to without causing damage.
Baseboard Materials Compared
Tends to sag. Heavy, ‘Disintegrates’ when wet
Strong, Good stability, Relatively lightweight
Relatively expensive. Tends to splinter at edge
Tends to sag. Rather heavy. ‘Disintegrates’ when wet.
Holds track pins. Absorbs sound.
Strong. Fairly stable. Robust.
Relatively heavy. Can warp. Knots can be a problem
DO NOT USE - Excessive Inhalation of Dust Particles can cause Cancer.
Plywood is generally considered to be the best material for baseboards. Try to obtain Birch Plywood if possible.
Plywood is also preferable to timber for the baseboard support; get it pre-cut, when purchased, in strips 4 to 8cm. in width, 4* to 12mm. in thickness. (4 and 6mm widths should be double skinned with plywood or prepared strip-wood centres of 12 to 21 mm thickness)
Part A - Basic Considerations and Materials
