BroadwayLion The LION is now well into his third layout since moving to North Dakota 30 years ago. After my second layout I decided to do rid myself of roadbed and ballast. Actually I do use some ballast, but I let gravity hold it in place that way if I want to move tracks, I just brush the stuff aside and get on with the project. Recently I tore out all of my staging yards and replaced them with four track main lines. I was able to salvage some track, but not all of it. In the end I bought another 300' bundle of track. But you do have to model to your own specifications. Subway trains are easy, most of the scenery is painted black. ROAR
The LION is now well into his third layout since moving to North Dakota 30 years ago. After my second layout I decided to do rid myself of roadbed and ballast. Actually I do use some ballast, but I let gravity hold it in place that way if I want to move tracks, I just brush the stuff aside and get on with the project.
Recently I tore out all of my staging yards and replaced them with four track main lines. I was able to salvage some track, but not all of it. In the end I bought another 300' bundle of track. But you do have to model to your own specifications. Subway trains are easy, most of the scenery is painted black.
ROAR
And by highlighting a completely unrelated set of circumstances, this is helpful to the original poster, in his current situation, how? Does he model the same thing you do, using the same construction methods?
To the OP, can you post up a track diagram, picture, bar napkin drawing or anything to help understand what you're willing to trade, for the effort needed to salvage?
I'm trying to model 1956, not live in it.
Well, there you go.
Chuck, just flood the Sun Room.
Rich
Alton Junction
Hi All: The Flood here in Northeast PA, Disassembled a layout that I had built for my 2 grandsons. It was in their cellar, which until that time had only about 2 to 12 inches in the cellar, and pumps could keep it down.
After / during the flooding, the water filled the cellar, so that the layout was floating, and hitting the bottom of the first floor rafters. It was under water for about 3 days. I salvaged all the turnouts, some of them Atlas & some of them Peco. Most of the Track was guled down with white glue, Most of the track was salvaged too. The water had disolved the white glue, and the only thing holding the track, was the nails that held it down while assenbling, that I didn't pull out after the glue dried. I used WS foam roadbed that was glued down with Laytex calk that the water didn't affect. but most of the roadbed was saved also.
That was the only time I dismantled a layout, and most of the work was done for me.
P.S. Both grandsons are not into MRRing anymore, the older one is into Cars and/or Trucks, and the younger one is stuck in front of his video GAMES. I don't know which game but he has several different game ?BASES? I can't keep up with them anymore.
Sam
A crowbar and a hammer works well to get foam off of benchwork, and then you can reuse the benchwork
"Mess with the best, die like the rest" -U.S. Marine Corp
MINRail (Minessota Rail Transportaion Corp.) - "If they got rid of the weeds what would hold the rails down?"
And yes I am 17.
Since we seem to have come to a consensus that reconstruction from scratch is the preferable approach, the only thing I have to offer is this advice from Edgar K. B. Montrose for making the process go swiftly:
"Dynamite, Red, and lots of it."
I have figured out what is wrong with my brain! On the left side nothing works right, and on the right side there is nothing left!
Having done this about three and a half years ago, I've god good news and bad news.
The good news: It can be done, as mentioned before you can cut the layout into sections that will fit throug the doorway, usually sideways. It helps if you kinda though you'ddo something like this and built in modules or, in my case, have a framework of 2'x4' boxes. Some sections can be fairly large.
The bad News: (notice this is a larger section) You will have to disconnet the wiring. If you have a main bus, this will require disconnecting each lead or patching all wires in the bus where you cut it. The track, base and sub-base will need to be cut at every joint. DO NOT expect these joints to match-up again. Each one will require shimming and re-adjusting. The track WILL GET DAMAGED, plan on replacing the track across each joint. Bridges can be their own problem depending on how they are attached to the layout. They tend to twist with torque when moving sections. Remove if possible. Scenery will take a hit. You'll be surprised how much you thought was attached isn't. Again torque causes cracks, which will need to be repaired. It will take longer than expected to put it back together. Other demands will get in the way.
Also, as mentioned, be sure you can use/fit the layout into the new space. If that's a problem, it might be quicker, or at least an oportunity to re-build.
Good luck,
I have always subscribed to the axiom that it you think you are ever going to disassemble a layout for the purpose of relocation you need to design it that way from the git-go. Otherwise the best way to disassemble a layout is with a 16# sledge.
Due to circumstances my under design layout is going to have to be portable (read: put up; operate; take down.) I intend to build it with the train platform suspended in an A-Frame rolling around on casters. The shed in which it will be stored is under a carport canopy and its operating area will be in the carport itself. At least if my situation should change and I ever find myself able to purchase a brick-and-mortar structure it will provide the basis for a new railroad. One thing I must remember to do is grab my Scorpion Light and do a scorpion check before rolling it outside.
NOTE: should I hit the $310M Powerball tomorrow night you can disregard this posting and look for me someplace besides Phoenix, Az. I'm even giving thought to moving as far afield as New Hampshire.
The last layout I built was a 4 X 11 which I moved from an apartment into a mobile home. I never got it functioning in the latter location and about five years ago I chucked it. Following some advice in one of the hobby mags I had assembled some of my switches using water-based glue. I managed to "float" these loose from the ballast and retrieved the switchpoints and frogs for reuse on this new layout.
From the far, far reaches of the wild, wild west I am: rtpoteet
My thinking is, don't even imagine that you can simply cut through track and have it mate up again. Find and mark the most logical places to cut through the bench work (I am thinking here of any support joists underneath. Then I would very deliberately cut through and remove some of the track in the immediate vicinity of those cuts, 6" to 8" on either side of the gap. Better to lay new track that connects them once the layout is re-positioned than to even try to keep the ends and match them up again so perfectly that they can be rejoined. just by slipping on a new rail joiner. Maybe it can be done but I suspect more guys have created headaches for themselves by trying
Perhaps the focus should be on preserving either "signature scenes" that you would like to reuse, or preserve the more elaborate trackwork. It may simply not be worthwhile to try to preserve an expanse of straight or curved track.
I have been told that some of the hardest things to move and reuse and have look nice are scenes that involve cast water features.
Dave Nelson
mobilman44 Hi! My first answer was "a reciprocating saw", but then I read the rest of the post.............. Seriously, I would give a lot of thought to building a new layout. You would be able to start from scratch, and tailor it to the new room - and incorporate all the new stuff you want in a layout at the same time.
Hi!
My first answer was "a reciprocating saw", but then I read the rest of the post..............
Seriously, I would give a lot of thought to building a new layout. You would be able to start from scratch, and tailor it to the new room - and incorporate all the new stuff you want in a layout at the same time.
I'll second Mobileman's opinion. If you have a couple of structures or scenery sections that you're particularly attached to, save them and incorporate them into a new design. But I'd take this opportunity to start over, and fix those things you're not quite happy with on your current layout.
Connecticut Valley Railroad A Branch of the New York, New Haven, and Hartford
"If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right." -- Henry Ford
ENJOY !
Mobilman44
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
Chuck,
There is a compatibility problem between Internet Explorer and this web site. And the problem is not unique to IE9. All versions of IE seem to be affected.
Try clicking on Tools, Compatibility View, and see if that helps.
definitely a new layout...the room is about 10x11 I like what I see in the January 2012 issue, the layout that was based on Hawaii. I would not model it as a Hawaii them, but I like the track plan...
off topic...when I try to post with I.E. 9, when I go to post it says I had no text in my message... I seem to have to use Safari on this site for some reason....has anyone had that happen?
Chuck
http://www.chuckcondron.com/CCLayout/index.html
VulcanCCIT I think after reading all of the posts here, it might be best to just start from scratch. I just wanted to save the track. It sounds like I can save the turnouts but the rest will be hard to salvage due to the ballast.
I think after reading all of the posts here, it might be best to just start from scratch. I just wanted to save the track. It sounds like I can save the turnouts but the rest will be hard to salvage due to the ballast.
Then, the next question is: do you rebuild the same layout or a new, different and better one?
most of the layout is L-girder with either plywood tops, or 12"x10' pine sections for the long sections of the track. it is a very long dogbone layout O________O <--- do you love my layout pic? lol the ends of the dogbone are sections...and then there are 2 sections for the straight part of the dogbone.. so I could dis-assemble and transport, but the other room is not big enough to hold all of it. so I might be able to keep maybe one straight section and the 2 ends ...but I think after reading all of the posts here, it might be best to just start from scratch. I just wanted to save the track. It sounds like I can save the turnouts but the rest will be hard to salvage due to the ballast.
I used wither a white glue/water mix or the woodland scenics scenic cement for the ballast. The track/roadbed/insulated foam was all glued with wood glue.
If you really want to salvage the layout the easiest way is to cut up the layout into sections that fit out the door. This includes removing the legs and/or other supports. Carefully cut or split track connections, mark and cut wiring then sawzall away. Reassemble in the new room. If you need to reconfigure the track plan make your cuts accordingly.
Lee
I just finished taking down my 25 year old N layout. It was all Shinohara C70 which proved to be the greatest purchase I ever made for all those years. But trying to save it would have been futile and a time eater for sure. I saved the turnout machines, stall motors etc., all structures and some tunnel portals and some of the 1X4's because I would use the clean pieces from them for risers on the new layout I am building now and other ods and ends. Otherwise it was demo time! The last thing wanted to do was make a career out of demoing a layout. Doug
Once you ballast flex track, it's going to be hard to clean it enough to let you lay it with a different curvature. Sectional track, like turnouts, is probably going to be more reuseable than flex track.
Phase 1 of my layout is a 5x12 foot free-standing table. It's in our family room, and the configuration of the house would let me remove the legs and walk it right out the kitchen door at the other end of the house. When I started with Phase 2, I designed it as 3 separate sections. They aren't "modules" in a strict sense, since the scenery overlaps the breaks and would have to be cut. But, I took some pains to place rail joints where the sections would separate, and even did some of the wiring through terminal blocks.
How much thought have you given to breaking your layout up into sections and moving them to the new room, as opposed to a complete tear-down and rebuild? Look for spots where you only have a few tracks, and not a lot of wires running beneath the layout. These will be the easiest break points, even if it doesn't look like it from the way the benchwork is designed.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
For some years now, as I have made modifications to my layout, I have had to remove ballasted flex track and turnouts.
I always carefully remove the turnouts to save them and, fortunately, I have more sparingly glued the ballast on the turnouts for just that reason. However, I have simply ripped up the ballasted flex track and thrown it away.
I have always used matte medium to glue the ballast and it is not water soluble. Recently, however, I learned that rubbing alcohol will dissolve matte medium. So, on my latest project, I was able to remove and salvage the flex track.
That said, it was still time consuming to clean up the flex track and make it flexible once again. Even though flex track is getting much more costly, I still prefer to buy new flex track rather than spend the time and effort trying to clean and restore existing flex track. Unless you plan to re-ballast with the same material, you will find it difficult to completely remove every trace of glued ballast. It was taking me about 30 minutes to clean each 36" length of flex track.
One of the reasons I went modular! 2x4 modules I can just unhook and move room to room and configure in a number of ways.
RMax
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
Sawzall.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
Will you be able to put your layout back together in the same or similar configuration?
How did you build the layout? (L girder, cookie cutter, flat plywood)
When you say glued, white glue, latex caulk, matte medium? What did you glue your ballast down with? Depending on what you used alchol might be a better solvent than water.
If you can put it back together as it is, use a rotary tool to cut the track and a saber saw to cut your layout surface.
When lifting track that has been glued, slide a putty knife under the track, gently wiggle it to remove the track.
Other posts with similar problems have made me decide that when I start building a larger layout, it will definitely be built with removal in mind. It won't necessarily be modules,, but framed sections that can be seperated by unscrewing (or unbolting) and the scenic surface easily cut with a long knife or saw.
Let folks know a little more about your construction methods and hopefully they can offer some more suggestions.
Richard
need to get my layout out of our "Sun Room" and into a spare bedroom. This is going to require a complete disassemble. I might be able to use parts of the layout table intact, but other sections will need to be completely removed. I have totally obliterated a layout before, but never tried to preserve the track. I have taken small sections of track out by soaking that section in water with a very wet towl and letting the glue liquify then I could pry the track off...same with the roadbed. However, the thought of doing this for huge sections seems daunting. Is there a fast method to do this? The though of having to ballast again saddens me lol. The track is glued to the roadbed. The roadbed is gluded to the insulation foam and that foam is glued to the plywood.
I am sure some of you have done this a lot, so I wanted your expert advice.
Thank you all!