Build a sliding traverser
George Dent builds his first traverser fiddleyard using £7 components from Screwfix.
George Dent builds his first traverser fiddleyard using cheap components from a hardware store.
Having covered the building of the main baseboard and a set of legs in last month’s issue, my attention soon turned to creating a suitable non-scenic fiddleyard. As this micro layout will mostly feature smaller locomotives and rolling stock, I initially considered a simple cassette arrangement. However, even small RTR ‘O’ gauge locomotives are pretty hefty and, with a few wagons in tow, the length required would make handling a loaded cassette a little perilous. Instead, I decided on a sliding traverser, which will be another first for me and something that I’ve wanted to experiment with for a long time. Offering a more secure option to removable cassettes, it should hopefully make for easy, quick and reliable operation, while also providing plenty of storage space. There are a number of vital factors to consider when designing a traverser. The most immediate is the need for accurate alignment of the fiddleyard with the main baseboard. While the main scenic baseboard – a Tim Horn laser-cut plywood structure – is 3ft deep, my fiddleyard is 1ft shallower, sitting flush with the front face of the layout. That meant that the pre-formed alignment holes on the main ’board were unsuitable and new apertures would need to be drilled. The mating face of the fiddleyard board was, therefore, cut first and married up to the main baseboard edge. After checking alignment of the upper edge, the parts were clamped together before the marking out and drilling of holes for a quartet of M6 bolts, washers and wingnuts that will hold the two sections together.
UPTURNED BOARD
The main structure of the fiddleyard resembles that of an upturned baseboard, with a sheet of 9mm plywood forming the bottom face, strengthened by a framework of timber on the upper surface. Suitably sized slots were cut into the plywood, allowing access to the mounting bolts at the baseboard joint, as well as for the attachment of the legs. A short lead-in section allows the curved tracks to transition smoothly into parallel straight sections before reaching the traverser, the bed of which has to be aligned so that it remains at exactly the right height as it moves laterally. The entire fiddleyard board is 4ft long and 2ft deep, with the traverser’s large drawer runners offering a maximum travel
of 430mm (approximately 2ft 5in). This is adequate for my simple track plan and should ensure that most – if not all – of the storage tracks can mate up with each of the running lines. The modest depth of the traverser also ensures that coupling or ‘manual’ marshalling is easily achieved, without having to overreach myself. While it took me a little time to refine the design on paper, assembly proved straightforward. A set of high-quality ball-bearing drawer runners provide ultra-smooth movement for the traverser and are capable of supporting a substantial load. Obtained from Screwfix, the runners are available in various lengths and, at just under £7 per pair, they offer great value. Furthermore, if maintained correctly, they should last for the lifetime of the layout.