The boards look really good Simon and although you say they are a bit heavier than you wanted, they look to meet the most important criteria of being strong, square and flat! It’s very difficult to pre-judge what weight they could end up being, so I think you are being hard on yourself. And I like the integral legs.
You have reminded me that I must put more diagonal bracing into my boards.
They stayed flat, possibly because of decent quality plywood?
Weight is not really the issue. It’s the perceived bulk, which is as much about volume as mass, and the human brain is very good at getting confused over this, as I remember a Psychology professor showing me. Take two small items of the same mass, but of different sizes – say the smallest Humbrol paint tin, and one of the larger ones. The physically smaller one feels heavier, even if you close your eyes.
My problem is more about the boards being a fairly snug fit into the room in the house where they are currently set up, and having to also carefully manoeuvre them around the top of the staircase and down the stairs which always suddenly seem steeper!
I actually built some boards like that 22 years ago, but forgot about them when I started on Gooderstone – I also forgot to look at Nunstanton’s boards, too! I did look at East Lynn, but then used thicker material, which was a different mistake. We live and learn. Unless we forget.
The Erratic and Wandering Journey 
The boards look really good Simon and although you say they are a bit heavier than you wanted, they look to meet the most important criteria of being strong, square and flat! It’s very difficult to pre-judge what weight they could end up being, so I think you are being hard on yourself. And I like the integral legs.
You have reminded me that I must put more diagonal bracing into my boards.
A great project!
Thanks, Paul.
I think you are right: sturdy is better than flimsy, but thinner sides From two thinner pieces each side would probably be enough.
I discovered many years ago that you don’t need many diagonals, and I may have overdone it here.
Trevor Nunn used a lot less bracing on Nunstanton: here’s the middle board, about 4’x2’, using 9mm ply surface:
Thanks for taking the time comment!
Simon
I assume the Hunstanton boards are still flat and stable? How does their weight compare to yours?
And once again, Trevor’s brilliant mechanical point and signal control which I have chickened out of on my new layout!
They stayed flat, possibly because of decent quality plywood?
Weight is not really the issue. It’s the perceived bulk, which is as much about volume as mass, and the human brain is very good at getting confused over this, as I remember a Psychology professor showing me. Take two small items of the same mass, but of different sizes – say the smallest Humbrol paint tin, and one of the larger ones. The physically smaller one feels heavier, even if you close your eyes.
My problem is more about the boards being a fairly snug fit into the room in the house where they are currently set up, and having to also carefully manoeuvre them around the top of the staircase and down the stairs which always suddenly seem steeper!
I actually built some boards like that 22 years ago, but forgot about them when I started on Gooderstone – I also forgot to look at Nunstanton’s boards, too! I did look at East Lynn, but then used thicker material, which was a different mistake.
We live and learn. Unless we forget.