Baseboards for garden railway
This was first entered on the forum in 2017
This is part of an extensive thread on ‘Down Ampney’ and provides information on the construction of outdoor/garden track bases or baseboards
Martin15665 - Aug 27, 2018
I planned to build it (the garden section) using plastic hybrid baseboards (they haven't gone to plan - more on that another time).
Spring17913, Oct 5, 2018 wrote
I have used recycled plastic for my station boards in the garden & find they are very prone to excessive rates of expansion & contraction so look forward to hearing about your experiences of plastic hybrid basesboards. The plus is of course that they don't rot & need need almost zero maintenance.
England4554, Oct 5, 2018 wrote:
Thats disturbing Chris as I was going to use the recycled products I've seen here
https://www.filcris.co.uk/category/garden/garden-railway-products
Where did you get yours?
Martin15665, Oct 5, 2018 wrote:
Re. the plastic baseboards fellas……
An American fellow has come up with a similar system to the one I envisaged about 15 years ago (that I was talked out of using) which is effective in all winds and weathers. As my main boards are timber, amalgamating PVCu boards has had to be abandoned due in the main to warping, differing expansion and contraction rates of dissimilar materials etc. I've carried on with the Filcris cross members, pressure treated battening, recycled mahogany, marine ply, all treated with solvent based SBR and Wickes wax wood proofing, screwed and glued together, then sealed with solvent SBR again….
The Filcris products are very good, especially for larger scales above O Gauge and are, in the main, ladder frame kits. I've used some of their posts in the construction of outdoor boards - friendly helpful company.
Spring17913, Oct 6, 2018 wrote:
Hi Mike, like you from Filcris.
My “problem” is that my three station boards are removable so I can access the point motors underneath :-
In the summer the expansion is such that the boards expand and are so tightly pushed together one can't lift them out, in the winter though there is a good 2/3mm gap between them 
\
If they weren't removable I don't think there would be a problem as on my fixed to the ground curved section
the concrete infill has held the plastic outer planks firmly in place. If I was to build the station boards again I would only make them 4ft long & not 6ft & 8ft & this would then halve the expansion/contraction in each board & hopefully also halve the gap size although one would have more joints. It’s worth persevering with it for its maintenance free properties. I even use stainless steel screws & bolts to prevent rusting.
Martin Long, Oct 7, 2018 wrote:
Thanks for all the ideas about outside boards. Very helpful. Mine (plywood covered in felt) have survived but my bridge has gone completely. A metal one would be good as I need to span 31“. I do not have welding skills unfortunately. Any ideas?
Morgan17782, Oct 7, 2018 wrote:
Aluminium section held together with 'pop' rivets. I built one many years ago for a 16mm NG line (32mm gauge) which carried live steam & battery locos. I will try and find a photo.
As to boards outside I have a section over 25 years old. This is 6'' wide (6' long) treated gravel board. No covering like felt or ballast. When the fence panels start to fade and re-coated they, the track boards & the track get one.
Regards
Allen Morgan
Martin15665, Oct 8, 2018 wrote:
I've stuck with a decent marine ply….we have had very little problems on H&BLR with that, just a couple of rot spots…..after 16/17yrs.
End of Baseboard detail