Cat Mountain & Santa Fe backdrops in MR June 2007

[Seamonster]

Thanks, Andy, that was exactly the answer I was looking for.  I may have to move some track to allow for the extra 6" (those sections will make an L-connection with a wall mounted "domino") but when my son was visiting today he suggested a small space I could expand into that I had overlooked.  Hmmmmm.  Back to the drawing board for some small modifications.

 

[Sperandeo]

Hi Bob,

Yes, David's backdrops are held in place by gravity, along with the top alignment boards and in a couple of places by the columns that help support the roof. The backdrops are 6 inches wide with the 1/4" birch plywood faces added to the 5-1/2" wide frames. The 6-inch extensions fit between the dominos so the backdrop doesn't take up any of the domino surface, but you could do without the extensions if you were willing to give up a 3-inch wide strip along the back side of each domino.

David likes to keep things simple, and gravity is, after all, very reliable.

So long,

Andy

[Don Z]

Bob,

I had the chance to visit David's Cat Mountain and Santa Fe before he tore it down to build the modular version in the June 2007 issue. I'd send him an email to see if he can give you more information. Here's a link to his website that will help you:

http://www.davidbarrow.com/contact.php

Don Z.

[Johnnny_reb]

The sections/dominos can be attached to each other be screws or clamps or any number of ways. The domino design was conceived as a way to let a club build a layout with each member building a section and putting it together when the club was setting up to run the larger club design. A home based layout based on the domino design can be put together so that if you need to move it you can take the connecting screws out then moving the dominos. This is how my home layout is being built.

As for the backdrops, if you are making two foot by four foot dominos make the backdrops match the length of said domino. Say two foot high by four foot long  and simply use screws to attach it to the back of the domino centering the screws on the domino.

to keep the backdrops aligned at the top meets edge just a wood block with a slot cut in it to slid over both pieces will do or even a small wood block screws installed from the front.

BTW numbering the backdrops will help in placement if you should ever remove them and need to replace em.

Two screws should hold the backdrop just fine as long as your not moving the dominos a lot with the backdrop attached or your layout is not subject to hurricane force winds.

[Seamonster]

While going through back issues (bedtime reading) I came across an article in the June 2007 MR (pp. 74, 75) by David Barrow on how he built the backdrops for his Cat Mountain & Santa Fe layout.  The drawing on page 75 is exactly what I need to do between two 2' X 8' sections on my N scale layout when the time comes.  What I can't figure out is how the backdrops are fastened.  Are they just sitting on the layout relying on their 5½" width to keep them standing?  Is that part marked "6" extension" a piece of wood between the sections just for the backdrop to sit on?  I think it is, so how would it be attached to the sections/dominos and how would the backdrops be attached to it?  The concept is great, and just the sort of thing I'm looking for, but the details are sketchy.  I'd appreciate hearing from anyone who can figure it out or who has seen David Barrow's layout.