Page 8 - May June 1999

M. G. SHARP MODELS
712 Attercliffe Road Sheffield S9 3RP
Tel: 0114 244 0851 / 244 7120 Fax: 0114 244 0434
EMAIL: MGSharp@aol.com
The KATO HO scale SD40-2 Dynamic brake version is now in stock. Priced at £87.95. It will come DCC ready, directional lights, cab interior, 5 pole motor with flywheels etc., etc. We only have limited stocks left. Phone for stock details before ordering...
Dynamic Brake Version
Burlington Northern, 2 #’s C&NW, 2 #’s
CSX, 2 #’s
Milwaukee Road, 2 #’s Norfolk Southern, 2 #’s Union Pacific, 2 #’s
EMD Leasing, 1 #
Green & Black Falcon Service New Image Orange & Black Black
We Can Handle It Blue & White
New ATLAS RS-3 Locos: Canadian National, Central of Georgia, Erie, Rock Island and Rutland. 1 number of each at a very special price of only £56.95. Order now - don’t miss out at this price!
COMMAND 2000 DCC System
Control up to 9 trains (not just locos) on one track. Up to 5 throttles active at one time. Easy & quick start programming. Programmable start voltage, acceleration and deceleration rates. 28 speed steps. Meets NMRA specs. Will work N, HO & G scales. Requires 14-20 volt AC or DC input.
All this for only £99.95 Walkaround 2000
A must for the above, the walkaround has 2 additional throttles so you can operate 5 throttles at one time. Memory so you can unplug the unit and move to another position without having to switch off. Group select button. Group LED indicator. Direction switches. Light button. Accessory button & a 15 foot coil cord.
At a brilliant price of £24.95
Why not come and have a play with our samples.
We can also supply the “Wangrow” System 1 DCC units inc. decoders, etc. Also the new Lenz decoders done for the US market. Phone for more details.
KATO N scale Alco RS-2 now in stock inc UP, ATSF, GN, CGW, D&H etc £61.50.
New Kato coach sets now in stock UP, ATSF, GN & SP £63.50.
Just announced another run of the F7 units in ATSF Warbonnet. A+B sets plus single A units, GN A+B sets £POA.
New ATLAS N scale SD50 locos due soon DRGW, NS & MP.
SD60’s CNW, BN, SOO, CSX, Conrail & Oakway. SD60M 3 window cab UP & SOO, 2 window cab BN, BNSF & Conrail all priced at £62.50 each. Lenz decoders for Atlas SD50/60/M & GP40-2 locos £24.95 (fitted £30.00)
ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS TAKEN INCLUDING SWITCH POST AND HANDLING CHARGE £1.95 PER ORDER (unless stated)
HO 1.5 amp Decoder 32.5 x 16.5 x 7.5mm
G Scale 2.5 amp Decoder 29.5 x 55.5 x 9.5mm N Scale 0.8 amp Decoder 23 x 8.5 x 4.5mm
£ 17.00 £ 21.95 £ 21.95 £24.95 £46.95
AD310
AD320
AD330
New Auto Reverse Module... Ready fitted decoder locos from...
WE ARE OPEN SIX DAYS MON-SAT 9.30 -17.00
BASEBOARD SPECIAL...
Ultra-lightweight -
Super-strong Baseboards
By Dick Ganderton
(NMRA 108262 BR 3/82)
About four years ago I discovered American railroads and as a change from my ScaleSeven modelling decided to investigate American H0. I bought numerous books on layout design, baseboard construction and so on and was amazed at the methods used. The conventional American wisdom seems to be to use enormous sized timbers screwed together with large quantities of screws.
You don’t need timber sizes that would hold up a house!! Forget the traditional American, or even British, baseboard construction and consider my lightweight approach - it is just as strong and rigid and is but a fraction of the weight. A 2’ x 4’ baseboard using traditional methods weighs about 50 lbs - built using my system it weighs just 7.5 lbs!!
I have been using lightweight plywood baseboards for my portable 7mm ScaleSeven layout for around fifteen years now. For this I evolved a very simple construction that didn’t require me to be a cabinet maker to get it right! And I have just made some more boards 4’ long by 18” wide for my foray into American H0.
The materials are best quality 3mm plywood for the top, with 6mm ‘rubbish’ plywood for the rest. I buy a full sheet, 8’ x 4’ in real measurements, from B & Q and get it sawn into the sizes I need on their large sheet saw. This ensures that all the pieces are square and, where necessary, the same width or length. Before you get it cut, make a sketch of how the pieces best fit onto a standard sheet, not forgetting that the sheet saw will only make complete passes across the sheet, - so you need to plan the cutting sequence carefully.
The sides, ends and internal braces are all about 4” deep. The internal structure is built up like an egg crate with notches, a bit wider than the plywood thickness, cut - very roughly in my case - to just over half depth and the assembly just slotted together. The ‘compartments’ are about 12” square and at least four of them also have diagonal pieces to add to the structural rigidity and resist twisting. The ends fit inside the sides and they are hot glued to the top with the top sat on a flat surface. I use one of the kitchen worktops for this. The ‘egg crate’ is then placed inside the upside down embryo baseboard, prodded into position and again hot glued to the top, sides and ends.
I use the hot glue gun like a soldering iron, running a fillet of hot glue along the joints. Don’t try to apply the hot glue first and then put the pieces together. It doesn’t work as the glue sets before you can get the pieces in place!
All the internal pieces have 2” diameter lightening holes, cut with a circular tank cutter, at about 3” or 4” centres, not only to reduce weight, but also - very important this - to allow the bus bars and other electrical wiring to pass along the boards.
When you are satisfied that the structure is flat and securely glued together every joint is reinforced with glass fibre tape and epoxy resin and this imparts the majority of the strength to the structure. It also fills up the gaps in the halved joints. Make sure that you stipple the resin into the glass tape and that it is pushed right into the angle of the joint. Rectangular pads of plywood can be glued inside the ends to give local strengthening round the holes for the bolts used to hold the baseboards together. Varnish or paint the whole structure when finished.
‘Ups and downs’ can be accommodated by cutting out the top sheet, notching out the braces to accept it and then depressing or lifting
8 ROUNDHOUSE