Lift up shelf

[abbieleibowitz]

Working in HO on a Walk In, around the walls layout in a 21'x13' space. I built a lift up shelf for access, hinged on one end and it aligns well. But I can't get comfortable with the idea of having to lifting up (or worse, duck under) a gate everytime I or my guests want to enter or leave the room. So I am thinking of converting the trackplan to a dogbone with 2 "loops" and an open aisle space in the middle. Just wondering if anyone else has "lift up shelf" anxiety, or am I describing a new medical model railroading condition? If you share my fears (?phobia?), how did you solve or overcome them? All input is welcome!!

Lefty

[mlehman]

Lefty,

Oh, there are issues when it's not a walk-in layout, so your concerns are valid. Maybe defining the issues better will help. Whatever you end up deciding for now, anything other than a walk-in doesn't get better with age.

If there are reason why you are thinking lift up versus drop down? because drop down is easier to build and maintain. The main thing is which direction the track swivels into place from. It's straightforward if the crossing is hinged on the bottom. When things are dropped, the ends of the track rotate away from each other. When the crossing is hinged up, you'd have to use special hinges in the bottom or regular ones on the top of the section to let the ends of the track move away from each other. There are then issues of disguising the top hinges or figuring out how exactly you'll make that work. Kind of hard to put into words, but think about how things move on the surface when you open doors while you imagine the track mounted to it to help you visualis the difference.

Another consideration is the deck height of the layout. If low, you'll defintely want anything blocking the entrance to move. If something like 48" or above then it becomes a "duckunder" and is a lot less a PITA to have to move through. You may still want a removeable section, but could leave it in most of the time...until you get older.

 

[7j43k]

Seems to me the normal state of a lift-up across the door to a layout room is "open".  And the only time you would close it would be when you want to run trains across the door.  And if you're doing that, you don't need to use the lift-up until you're done.  Or need a break.  

OR.

You can build two loops.  Nothin' wrong with that IF your trackplan is still to your liking.  And the room doesn't get too full.

I suggest you design a new trackplan with the two loops.  Compare it with the one with the lift-up.  Is it worth the trade??

Also look at the two plans and figure if the room is too crowded with the "extra" loops.

All things being equal, I'd rather just walk in and out of a room without the lift-up, too.  But I'm not sure I'd be willing to sacrifice a superior track plan for it.

 

 

Ed

[abbieleibowitz]

Thanks. Good points, although I don't think my issue is related to whether the gate goes up or down, or swings open and closed for that matter. Deck height is a good issue to think about. Thanks. 

[abbieleibowitz]

I know there are always trade offs, but as you said, I think all things being equal, I'd rather be able to just walk into the room. Thanks!

[Phoebe Vet]

I have a swing gate.  I always turn all track power off prior to opening it.  

[mlehman]

I'd say you have the beginnings of an answer then.

I agree, sketch out what the alternative is. It will be more crowded, but if that tradoff still leaves you with room to maneuver, then go for it. Keep in mind that narrow aisles are very bit as irritating as what brought you here, so keep something like 3' in mind as a minimum.

Here's something else to consider. It sounds like you have in mind a continuous run plan. That's something that's worth having. I operate mainly poiint to point, but like having the option to just go round and round (which is restricted to my standard gauge, though.) If you haven't considered point to point, it could eliminate one or both loops.

You don't really have enough room for a helix IMO (it would crowd other things, but some would say sure, why not), but something else that might work is to consider some form of "nolix" where the layout gains height as it goes around the room. You must figure the grades carefully to make it work in a room your size, but it should. That way you could start out, traverse the room around, then loop back to eventually begin a second deck that is above the location you started.

Another possibility is to do that and stack the loops over each other at the end.

So lots to think about, but probably you'll know better what will work for you.

[Medina1128]

I have liftouts at opposite ends of my layout. The key was to run power to the liftout, and feed the approaches from it. When I unplug the feeder wires to the lifout, it kills power to the approaches on either side. No worry about running a train off the "cliff". The other key is to make the approaches long enough to accommodate your longest train, so you can't back a train off the cliff.