Levelling up!

With my 00 gauge Last Great Project layout being built in sections (I discussed the reasons why back in my post on the 18 March 2021 available here ) I need to have a way to ensure that the joins at the four baseboards and level and flat. Fairly easy for three of them. I can just bolt them together. For the dropped section though is little more difficult as I need to be able to lift it out for when my body can no longer duck under it to gain access to the middle of the layout. In other words as Mrs. Woody would say I need to future proof for when I get old and decrepit although in her view I am already there! 

My mind has mulled on various solutions to ensure that the board is held fast in both vertical and horizontal planes. All sorts of complex solutions went through my mind but eventually the simplest solution came to the fore. Screws and slots!

I used some G clamps to get the board level with its neighboughs and then drilled tow holes through the end boards at each end. Screws were fastened in that went through to the neighboring board as arrowed in the photo below.

Having taken the screws out again and then moving the dropped section out of way the screws were put back into the neighbouring boards leaving them sticking out by the thickness of the wooden cross batten.

I then cut slots into the dropped board cross battens.

THe dropped board was then put back into place where the slots in the cross battens engaged with the srews in the neighbouring cross battens and the board was level and held in place. Nice!

I also started the landscaping of the viaduct section by putting a base of polystyrene sheet into place.

Next stage is to start the valley sides which will be far from level!