Thanks for that suggestion!
BED each section will be fastened to the next with bolts.
Seeing as how you will have dowels for alignment, may I suggest 10/32 machine screws and T-nuts to secure the joints. They can be undone in a flash with a drill. I have used this method on several projects with great success. The T-nuts will always be in place and it will be fewer bits to lose.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
I want to thank all of you for your exceptionally detailed posts. I also appreciate the distinction made between a "module" and a "section", and will thus ammend my vocabulary moving forward.
After reading your responses, and doing quite a bit of internet wanderning, I am going to use a dimentional lumber/plywood "under box" benchwork for each section with foam attached above as the base. Additional layers of foam and/or WS grade ramps will be used for, well the grades. I've laid this project out on a CAD program, and after considering your experience and what I have read on the internet, have subsequently modifiied the layout several times for ease of construction and the least complicated track connections between sections.
I've decided to use a butt joint for the track at the break between each section, with PC boards glued to the base on either side of the butt joint and the track soldered to the PC board at each butt joint. Alignment between sections will be accomplished with aluminium dowels, and each section will be fastened to the next with bolts.
All sections will be wired with fast-connectors for the main bus and aux bus lines (excellent point).
I too have planned to make each section and fasten them together, THEN lay the track roadbed. The track itself wont be laid until the roadbed from adjoining sections have been separated and a 1/16-1/8" spacer has been placed between the two adjoining sections. With that prepared I will lay the track across the gap and cut the butt joints into the rails. Using this approach, when the spacers are removed and the sections aligned normally, there should be nice tight butt rail junctions (after some flat file work).
Lastspikemike For those interested an Excel razor saw blade is 0.019" thick including tooth set. The teeth are set for cutting on the pull stroke, Japanese style. Having used a number of Japanese hand saws I can vouch for their superiority in that they use a pull stroke to cut which means the blade can be very thin. The standard Dremel cut off for metal is 0.044" thick. The "thin cut" Dremel blade is 0.032" thick. Dremel makes smaller cut off blades from some sort of ceramic which are thinner but quite fragile in my experience. Xacto has discontinued making these razor saws. Zona makes good ones. Atlas sells a robust looking track cutting razor saw, with a plastic spine rather than metal, and an offset handle which is clever. I do not know the kerf width but I intend to buy one and will measure it.
For those interested an Excel razor saw blade is 0.019" thick including tooth set. The teeth are set for cutting on the pull stroke, Japanese style. Having used a number of Japanese hand saws I can vouch for their superiority in that they use a pull stroke to cut which means the blade can be very thin.
The standard Dremel cut off for metal is 0.044" thick.
The "thin cut" Dremel blade is 0.032" thick.
Dremel makes smaller cut off blades from some sort of ceramic which are thinner but quite fragile in my experience.
Xacto has discontinued making these razor saws.
Zona makes good ones.
Atlas sells a robust looking track cutting razor saw, with a plastic spine rather than metal, and an offset handle which is clever. I do not know the kerf width but I intend to buy one and will measure it.
Well, I was interested, it was lingering in the back of my mind since I posted. Thanks for looking into it.
At least when I designed and built my new layout, I build and assembled the sections first. (If the pieces can be assembled one way, they are sections rather than modules which can be assembled in any configuration.) Then as I laid the track out, I made note of where the track sections overlapped the section breaks and changed pieces as needed. Once I attached the track, any "joint track" I put gray (or grey as the case may be) duck tape on the bottom. (My ballast is gray/grey color.) That way the track can be ballasted without having to be attached to the framework and the piece doesn't have to be cut. This was adapted from the idea of putting duck tape on turnouts to make sure that the ballast doesn't gum up the points. The layout has moved once in the process (I hope never again.) without a problem.
Slightly off-topic but related: I would also suggest putting some quick disconnects of some sort on any wiring that cfrosses sections. Makes it a lot easier to keep electrical connections together for mobile layouts.
Kevin thanks for the tip about the PC board. I've since checked out Free-moN, and that is exactly the system they use. The advantage of that approach over a short removable section of track would be the ability to ballast all the track permanently. I would imagine permanent ballast would also increase the stability of the track.
Thanks for that point Batman!
Thanks so much for your input. The Woodland Scenics system is close to what I was planning, but it looks a bit flimsy. You have used this system? If so, how durable has it been over the years?
SeeYou190We are all eagerly waiting to see demonstration pictures of any of these "My method(s)" you speak of. Will we ever?
Really? Give it a break already.
BEDMy question is whether it is feasible to glue/tack the track down for the entire setup, and then use a track saw to sepate the track along module boundries (wiring appropriately). Would this not work?
Yes it will work, and in N scale.
That is almost exactly what the Orlando N-Trak club did for their new modular N scale (not N-Trak) layout.
They did solder the 2" section of rail across the joints to PC Board clad sheets for added durability. The layout is a few years old now and still works perfectly when they set it up at train shows.
We are all eagerly waiting to see demonstration pictures of any of these "My method(s)" you speak of. Will we ever?
-Kevin
Living the dream.
If I were doing this I would do it with a Dremel cut-off disc. Not sure how thick a track saw is. I think it would be just fine.
I've designed a Christmas layout of the Polar express for my granddaughter in N scale. My thought is to make the benchwork modular, so I may break it down and store it if I wish, as the layout will consume most of my workbench areas. To be clear, the modules will only fit together one way, as an exhibition layout would. I have explored with interest other modeler"s approaches to maintaining track alignment between modules in these setups. Many involve brass screws at the cut track ends, which the rails are soldered. I fear this may be difficult in N gauge, and question if it is even necessary. My question is whether it is feasible to glue/tack the track down for the entire setup, and then use a track saw to sepate the track along module boundries (wiring appropriately). Would this not work?