Greetings!
Can anyone advise me about a swinging gate for access to my model railroad. ( I don't want a duckunder) I want to install this gate on a corner that has two curves, one leading into a yard and the other continuing down the main. The gate will be about 32" wide and it will need to taper from 12 to 24" because of the way my benchwork tapers. If the track is properly laid will I have any trouble building this gate on the curve? How about some ideas on how to build a gate?
As always any information would be great.
Thanks
Ron
cncarinspector wrote: Greetings!Can anyone advise me about a swinging gate for access to my model railroad. ( I don't want a duckunder) I want to install this gate on a corner that has two curves, one leading into a yard and the other continuing down the main. The gate will be about 32" wide and it will need to taper from 12 to 24" because of the way my benchwork tapers. If the track is properly laid will I have any trouble building this gate on the curve? How about some ideas on how to build a gate? As always any information would be great. Thanks Ron
Howdy, Ron,
Might I humbly suggest you enter swinging gate in the search box below? I did, and got 78 hits on posts - many of them to a couple of threads that ran about a year ago which pretty well explored the subject.
There was also an article in RMC at about the same time which described a gate for three tracks on two levels. I haven't looked for it.
At one time I contemplated a gate. Then I was given title to the whole two-car garage and the need went away.
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
It should be fairly straightforward. Build a sturdy, but light, frame mounted on a robust and good quality hinge well fastened to its own frame member. The frame height should allow you to place a custom-cut sheet of (name the material) that will hold your tracks and any roadbed materials at the correct grade/height, and securely so that the gate in closed position has the tracks nicely aligned at either end of the gate with the rest of the tracks they are to meet.
Good solid hinge on one side, perhaps a deadbolt, wooden cam-type blocks, or barrel locks at the other for positive alignment. Even so, you may have to live with door jamb shims shoved under the frame here and there to get seasonal alignment just perfect.
And yes, do the search as Chuck suggests. Lots of good reading there.
cncarinspector wrote: Greetings!Can anyone advise me about a swinging gate for access to my model railroad. ( I don't want a duckunder)
Can anyone advise me about a swinging gate for access to my model railroad. ( I don't want a duckunder)
Why do we continue to call them duck-unders when in reality they are really crawl-unders with typical layout heights?
Mark
markpierce wrote: Why do we continue to call them duck-unders when in reality they are really crawl-unders with typical layout heights?Mark
Because you have to be Daffy to have one. You know, like really Quacked up. Wait till you get the bill from your chiropracter. For more info, search the Web.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
markpierce wrote: cncarinspector wrote: Greetings!Can anyone advise me about a swinging gate for access to my model railroad. ( I don't want a duckunder) Why do we continue to call them duck-unders when in reality they are really crawl-unders with typical layout heights?Mark
I can assure you that I do crawl some after scaping or banging my head or back on the nether side of my craw...er...duck-under. Groan!
MisterBeasley wrote: markpierce wrote: Why do we continue to call them duck-unders when in reality they are really crawl-unders with typical layout heights?MarkBecause you have to be Daffy to have one. You know, like really Quacked up. Wait till you get the bill from your chiropracter. For more info, search the Web.
OW!!! Qua-a-a-ack, quack,quack!!
Best take on this was a track plan/operation article in MR back in the day... Bill McClanahan sketched a cartoon of the easily recognized spot where the track plan had a duck-under. In his cartoon, the space under the benchwork contained a large, full washtub - and a large, contented-looking duck.
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - with clear aisleway access)
The benchwork has to be very solidly built and anchored on either side. One of the problems with removeable sections is that the benchwork can breathe or shift with changes in humidity, temperature and use. So the more anchored either side is the less chance that the opening will change dimensions.
For a swinging gate the free end normally has a slight angle to it so it has clearance.
Use good quality hinges that are very secure. A hinge with a lot of slop in it vertically or side to side won't work.
Dave H.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
Here's mine.
Notice that it rests on a ledge on BOTH ends and is latched solid when closed.
The hinges only support it when it's open.
Dave
Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow
markpierce wrote:Why do we continue to call them duck-unders when in reality they are really crawl-unders with typical layout heights?
...because it is like saying you're tickled "pink" and then forget to turn pink.
Conemaugh Road & Traction circa 1956
markpierce wrote:Why do we continue to call them duck-unders when in reality they are really crawl-unders with typical layout heights?Mark
Typical layout height I see around here with duck-unders is ~50"
As for a swinging gate, the geometry is not trivial, especially when curves and gates wider than a couple of inches are involved. I gave up on mine, the issues and complexity were beyond the amount of time and effort I was willing to put into it.
Just my two cents.
Joe Daddy
Notice Phoebe's gate is solidly braced and has positive latches to keep it in place.
Phoebe Vet wrote: Here's mine.Notice that it rests on a ledge on BOTH ends and is latched solid when closed.The hinges only support it when it's open.
Phoebe Vet, Thanks for the pics...I have to do something similar for the lower level as you can see in my pic. And I do have a duck-under that is at 54" off the floor--so far no crawling required . Jamie
CLICK HERE FOR THE CSX DIXIE LINE BLOG
Phoebe Vet wrote:Here's mine.Notice that it rests on a ledge on BOTH ends and is latched solid when closed. SNIP
SNIP
Phoebe, the real GENIUS of your implementation is the marvel of your geometry, avoiding the need for an arc of any kind. Oh, that I would have seen this picture a year ago, there would be a swinger on my layout! Great engineering. To the uninitiated, the Phoebe way uses an offset to prevent swing gate binding at the lock points. Sounds trivial here, but until you tried to make one work otherwise, this is simply genius.
Joe-daddy:
Obviously the room is a two car garage. Before my second retirement, it was a photo studio. It is fully insulated. The floor is epoxy painted so it is mopable because I pulled backdrops out on it. It still has overhead tracks with softboxes on pantagraphs. My backdrops are still mounted on the ceiling.
The layout was designed so that I can still use the camera room for personal photography when the mood strikes, thus:
The gate is big enough and swings far enough that I can still bring large items into the center of the room. The "around the room" portion of the layout dimensions were calculated to not interfere if I roll the backdrops down and out onto the floor.
Those lettered yellow panels are electrical panels that are hinged at the top. They swing down for easy access when I need to work on the wiring, and swing up under the layout, out of sight otherwise.
The gate is about 2 years old, and works perfectly. If I was starting over, I would use tongue and groove plywood, but this system works perfectly so far.
Great job on the gate! Very nicely done, and obviously not an easy design to implement without a great deal of planning.
Just a thought, from reading someone else's post about the lightness of steel studs used for benchwork, it might be preferable to build larger swinging gates using this material for the structural frame, since the weight will be problematic for many designs.
I may incorporate a gate into my plan, though I've really not written aything in stone yet.
KCole:
If you refer to this photo:
Notice the triangular braces on BOTH sides of the hinges. They make it very strong and keep the vertical panel from moving when the gate opens. I considered metal studs, but elected to use wood for stiffness. The deck is just 1 inch blue foam to keep it light. For what it's worth, that makes it a little noisy when the train is on the gate. I might put some insulation up under it to see if that helps.
Howdy Ron!
Maybe my information can be of assistance to you, however, your situation seems a bit different and unique in shape and requirements. When you say 32" wide, are you meaning that is the "gap" from one area of benchwork to the other that the swing gate will span? And the taper from 12" to 24" inches across the gate too. Here is my perception of the top-down view of what that would look like:
My swing gate is still in perfect condition and alignment and has been in service since March of 2007, so that makes 16 months and still counting.
I have run several tutorial threads following the building of my swing gate and I also have two pages on my web site dedicated to the endeavor.
Here are the links to my tutorials on my Piedmont Division web site:
Part I - http://piedmontdivision.rymocs.com/swinggate.html
Part II - http://piedmontdivision.rymocs.com/swinggate_2.html
And here are the links to my trains.com MR threads on the same topic. Many good ideas have been offered in these two threads from folks who have built them and from some who have not but offered their thoughts on how it might be done and some of the considerations on construction and how they hold up to frequent use and abuse.
MR Threads:
Swing Gate - alternative to the duckunder - BUILT IT! - http://cs.trains.com/forums/1059625/ShowPost.aspx
I was approached by Dave H. (AKA ppuinn at TrainBoard.com) to come up with an FAQ list for building a swing gate, so I posted it in this thread as a part of my follow-up after reaching the first anniversary.
Swing Gate ~ A year Later and Follow-up FAQ http://cs.trains.com/forums/1403963/ShowPost.aspx
Ryan
Ryan BoudreauxThe Piedmont Division Modeling The Southern Railway, Norfolk & Western & Norfolk Southern in HO during the merger eraCajun Chef Ryan
About a week or so ago, I was watching a video of the Louisville N-Scale convention that featured something very different than a swinging gate. The club that created it has alot of folks that wheelchair bound and thus neither a singing gate nor a duck/crawl under would do. This one was raised on all sides on four poles so that those wheelchair bound folks could gain entry or leave. Once they either got in or got out that section was lowered into place. They called it a geezer-gate. Unfortunately I don't remember the URL to get there. Hopely someone reading this will have it.
Irv
Here's my swing gate. Similar to others on this post. Alignment is no problem. I fastened a 90 degree bracket to the door frame and tapped 2 holes for machine screws that I use for horizontal adjustment. So if there is any mis alignment when the gate closes I can adjust it by turning the screws. If it is built solid the adjustment screws are almost never used.I have to say I am satisfied with it. Trouble free.