Very Little Gravitas Indeed*

[Yorkshire Dave]

For baseboard joining, I generally fit a split batten (or French cleat), which gives the second board something to sit on, as well as defining the level. It is also 'self-closing'. It does not however align sided to side, but that is less of an issue. Of course I also fit a couple of bolts to prevent accidents.

I use a variation of this and to prevent lateral movement I use blocks on the ends of the cleat. Of course if it French cleat was V shaped looking face on it will solve the lateral movement. However, I do omit the bolts as being unnecessary and let gravity do its work to lock the boards - to date I've never had any issues.

 

[Osgood]

In fact, if you put dowels / holes on the prints with a decent conical end, then you'd get away with a slight gap - the printed track base ends acting as mini-baseboards.

 

[RichardG]

@adrian it might be worth buying a packet of these:
ModelTech Z ProTrack Rail Aligner – Mark's Trains Ltd

See how they work and how well they work, and maybe replicate in your chosen scale.

 

[adrian]

In fact, if you put dowels / holes on the prints with a decent conical end, then you'd get away with a slight gap - the printed track base ends acting as mini-baseboards.

I like that suggestion, I’ll try and get another print session running tonight.

 

[Osgood]

Still leaves the problem of ensuring the end chairs hold the rail securely - if you were to print chairs on the sleepers of these couplers, would that be good enough?

I'm just about to use screws and solder rail ends, then cover with cosmetic cut chairs, because I am concerned that plastic chairs glued to walnut sleepers do not give a mechanically dependable fastening (judging by the numbers of chairs that come loose over time).

 

[adrian]

@adrian it might be worth buying a packet of these:
ModelTech Z ProTrack Rail Aligner – Mark's Trains Ltd

See how they work and how well they work, and maybe replicate in your chosen scale.

That was the inspiration, as you mention a scale7 version isn’t available also it’s a single flat piece so it would then need either rivets to be fitted or the brass chairs to be fitted, hence several tweaks I’d like to incorporate.

 

[adrian]

Still leaves the problem of ensuring the end chairs hold the rail securely - if you were to print chairs on the sleepers of these couplers, would that be good enough?

I'm just about to use screws and solder rail ends, then cover with cosmetic cut chairs, because I am concerned that plastic chairs glued to walnut sleepers do not give a mechanically dependable fastening (judging by the numbers of chairs that come loose over time).

I built my display stand probably about 10 years ago with plastic chairs glued to wooden sleepers. Albeit a small sample but not had any problems with chairs becoming detached.

 

[Neil]

Yes very true but where’s the fun in that. This is just an experiment at the moment but if expanded to a five or six track board interface it’s going to be quite a few fishplates to fiddle with at each board. Something self aligning, automatic and quick appeals to my nature.

You're quite right; over the years I must have spent countless hours experimenting with ever more complex point operating systems when a quick flick with the finger would do. Part of me likes pared down simplicity but part of me likes engineering elegance, in the end I've settled for a concoction of bike spokes, beads and choc blocks.