Fiddle Yard Construction

After much deliberation it was decided to construct a fiddle yard for Yeovil Town so that club members could run OO stock on club nights and the layout would then be a fully fledged exhibition layout.

Like all things on Yeovil Town we wanted to keep it simple yet of sufficient quality to last the test of time and prove to be reliable.  I have experimented with a number of different construction methods for baseboards but one stands out that fits this bill.  By using a 3"x1" softwood frame;

• Costs are kept down
• Depth to house point motors wires etc
• Gives better strength to weight ratio

By covering this with 9mm plywood and making the size 6'x2' then a standard size sheet can be more easily bought and transported home (I only have a saloon car at present and this is the maximum size I can fit in).  With this combination the weight of the plywood is offset by the fact that we only need to cross struts.

The required length is about 25 feet with a 3 foot minimum radius at each end.  This meant that four 6 foot boards with one short board in the centre is what we need to construct.

 to be continued...