Lakeside Park

[alanr]

Lakeside Park as some of you may know is our beloved layout that we currently show around exhibitions far and wide (the next show will be York in about four weeks time). But just to turn the clock back all the way to the beginning plus the fact that the earliest photos of the construction have been un-earthed here's how it came together...

The original proposed track layout drawn at layout size (1800m x 900mm) on heavy corrugated cardboard. T For Three can be seen behind

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[alanr]

Built to be strong and light weight the base board is made entirely from 4mm ply wood. The main base has 50mm upright sections and the coastline is down to 35mm uprights.

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[alanr]

Cutting and dropping of the coastline section.

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[alanr]

Plenty wood glue and all weights on deck!

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[alanr]

Harbour area water level is set....

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[alanr]

....and fixed in place.

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[alanr]

So with various radius sections of 4mm ply cut out (all around 12mm wide) the job of assembling the jig saw begins

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[alanr]

Joined on the underside with 40 - 50mm pieces of ply, glued and clamped, the track route has come together. 3 continuous loops with one being a folded figure of 8.

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[ConnorL]

Awesome to see the history where this started! Do you have a modern picture of the layout of what it is now? Sorry, I got lost in google.

[alanr]

Do you have a modern picture of the layout of what it is now?

Will have soon. We've stripped part of it down for a redevelopment of the built up area to the east, so if I keep the construction method in sequence for now, it'll make the timeline it easier to keep track of.

Using anything and everything that comes to hand to trial the various levels.

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[alanr]

Track levels all coming together nicely. The partly assembled folding legs in the background (45mm x 18mm timber)

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[alanr]

Taking note of all the levels required. I'll make 12mm wide ply off-cut supports at 5mm height intervals.

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[alanr]

All glued and dried properly and having drawn around it to locate the glue points of the piers on the base, the frame can now be lifted off and hung safely out of the way on the nearest IKEA wall lamp while the piers can be fixed in place.

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[martink]

It is interesting to compare different construction techniques. I also used narrow plywood trackbeds for my rabbit warren, but kept them as loose separate pieces right through the final alignment and elevation checks. I only glued them together as each was installed in its correct place on pillars on the layout. Pros and cons for both approaches.