Layout question

[cbtrainman]

Hi, and welcome!

Bill Barrett, a contributor to O Gauge Railroading magazine addresses this question in a recent issue; he suggests a drop down door instead of one that raises.  His explanation makes sense. Try to locate recent issues of O-Gauge RR Magazine and look in the "Backshop" column.

[lionelsoni]

They're flexible.

By the way, there's a technique that was used on telephone-switchboard desks that works even with solid wire.  You run a cable or bundle of wires parallel to the hinge along its full length, with one end fastened to the stationary part of the equipment and the other end fastened to the moving part.  That way, when it moves, the cable mostly twists rather than flexes.

[scrambler81]

phillyreading

WELCOME! You will need to have seperate power to the track on the trap-door and use stranded wires.

 

 Not to misdirect the thread, but what is the significance of stranded wires?

[lionelsoni]

Keep in mind that, if your "trap door" is hinged, it's important that the hinge pin(s) be at the right level, so that the rails do notl bump into each other when you open it. 

I suggest hinging it to lift up, in which case the hinge pins should be at or above the height of the railheads.  This has the advantage that, when it is closed, it can rest on a solid abutment and not depend on any kind of latch.  You can put track pins in the stationary track on the abutment side, but not protruding into the opening.  Terminate the mating end of the bridge with a few inches of free rails.  Spread the ends of the rails into an up-side-down V where they meet the track pins and bend the rails very slightly downward, so that, when the bridge is closed, they press reliably on the track pins.  This arrangement will provide reliable mating of the track even with a little flexing of the structure.

[phillyreading]

WELCOME! You will need to have seperate power to the track on the trap-door and use stranded wires.

[Stourbridge Lion]

Sbakker - Welcome to Trains.com!

[Sbakker]

I'm planning a layout with a trap door entrance which track will lay over. I use old fashioned tubular track.  How can I get the track to conduct with no track pins at the trap door?  I know this has been done in restaurants that have trains running down the counter to deliver food to customers, but don't know how it's done.