Folding Layout

[Anonymous]

I`m getting ready to build a layout in the basement , However the boss[wife] suggestes that it able to fold against the wall. I1m trying to build a 4by14 but am in brainlock as to how to make it fold against the wall. Any help would be great

[Anonymous]

Try using a few door hinges. Fix a piece of timber to the wall, fix the hinges to it, then fix the layout to the hinges. 14 foot seems a bit long to have as a single board, so consider jointing it as 2 five foot and 1 four foot sections. This will make folding it up or down easier! You'll also need some kind out legs to help support the outer edge of the layout - they can either rest on the floor or brace against the wall.

[Anonymous]

4 feet is really deep for a layout against the wall. You probably will not be able to reach to the back for rerailing, or especially working on the layout. You might want to try a "dogbone" type, where the only wide parts are for the return loops at each end.

Andrew

[Jetrock]

The main problem with a folding layout is ensuring that everything that is part of the layout (scenery, buildings, etc.) is both able to fit into the fold-up and is adequately attached to the layout! Any rolling stock inadvertently left on the track will undergo a disaster.

One track plan you might look at is the "Murphy Bed & Credenza" in John Armstrong's "Creative Layout Design" by Kalmbach--it's a 4x8 foot plan that folds upward like a Murphy bed, with a "credenza" shelf layout on one side that fits snugly against the wall. This allows one to "park" one's trains off the folding section of the layout rather than having to clear them off by hand after every operating session.

What you might consider in your space is two fold-up 4x4 sections with a six-foot wide shelf 1 or 2 feet deep in the middle--a "dog bone" type arrangement that will allow you to make the layout hideable but still have a section for storage. Another plus would be that every part of the layout will be reachable.

[Anonymous]

Hi,

I saw a brief article about the "Murphy Bed & Credenza" type of bed, but I can't find John Armstrong's "Creative Layout Design" book anywhere. I saw the article last night, and my financial director - wife - is sold on this idea, as keeps the spare room still looking like a room. Going to build it in N-scale - 1m wide, by 2.3 long.

Does anyone have the plan online? If so, please can you tell me where. The book is not avalable here in South Africa.

Thanks

Evan

[lrfogle]

Hi Evan,

Give me an e-mail shout at [e-mail]. I might be able to help you out as my first railroads were fold-up affairs.

Larry

[jrbarney]

Rick,
If you hinge along the 8 foot rather than the 4 foot dimension, using plywood side struts similar to John Armstrong's design on the Murphy Bed and Credenza, but making the side struts 18 inches to 2 feet longer than the 4 foot side you should be able to have access at the wall side of the layout. That would move the pivot point further from the wall. I haven't done that myself, but think it might work. Might need additional drop down legs for more stability.
Bob