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Construction of modules?
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[quote]QUOTE: <i>Originally posted by electrolove</i> <br /><br />[quote]QUOTE: <i>Originally posted by tomas1</i> <br /><br />why not simply take the rail right to the edge and join them there .never had any trouble , i take my modules apart every evening ,just align and glue the track down rigid . <br /> <br /> <br />[/quote] <br /> <br />How do you adjust the track every time you take it apart and join it again if the floor is not smooth? <br />[/quote] <br /> <br />1. If you can use any small metal cutting saw gently you can lay your track right across <br /> all your board joints and leave the track complete until you come to move. <br /> This will also mean that you don't have to do any aligning at all when you build... it <br /> will do ititself... so it's the better way to go any way. <br />2. I would agree and disagree with Tomas. Yes, fix your track down firmly... which may <br /> depend on what sort of track underlay (if any) you are using. But, it doesn't want or <br /> need to be rock soild. <br /> If it is rigid (in fact only the fixed ties will be rigid) it will be more vulnerable to damage <br /> in transit. Anything that touches or hooks a rail end will tend to rip the rail from the <br /> ties. A little movement can avoid or reduce this... especially if you are moving it <br /> carefully and feel the hook-up. <br /> You can in fact get away with the last inch (25.4mm[:)]) or so being left to more-or- <br /> less float. [This will mean that you have to make more of a point to hold each rail <br /> firmly secure while you cut it (which is better than relying on the ties to hold it while <br /> you cut it anyway).] However, with the floating ends realigning with the aid of long <br /> metal rail connectors will be a lot easier. This leads on to the next point. <br />3. DO NOT ALIGN YOUR TRACK TO CONFORM TO THE FLOOR! <br /> Have you ever been up the mast on a big boat or a ship? A single degree of <br /> movement on deck is a whole different thing from 30 or 40 feet up the mast. To <br /> make this rail related I suppose I should quote the example as 30 to 40 feet up an <br /> old and rickety lattice post signal. I used to lamp (replace the used/empty paraffin <br /> lamp with a full one) once a week at my 1st Signal Box (Tower). In a high wind it <br /> SWAYED. It also showered you with rust and paint flakes. Just to add interest it was <br /> on a 30 foot high embankment... so the drop was 60 foot or more on one side. <br /> Anyway, you've probably got the idea. <br /> <br />3A. I DON'T THINK THAT I CAN STRESS ENOUGH THE IMPORTANCE OF DOING <br /> EVERYTHING IN YOUR POWER TO ESTABLISH A FIRM (VIRTUALLY SOLID) AND <br /> LEVEL FLOOR BEFORE ANYONE STARTS BUILDING ANY SORT OF LAYOUT. <br /> <br /> CONCRETE WITH A SELF LEVELLING SCREED IS PROBABLY THE BEST OPTION. <br /> <br /> (IF YOU ARE GOING TO BUILD ON ANY SUSPENDED FLOOR (WOOD PLANKS OR <br /> ANY FLOORING BOARD SHEETS) THERE ARE TWO THINGS TO DO:- <br /> 1. ENSURE THAT YOU HAVE ANY TRAPS TO ACCESS PIPES OR CABLES <br /> IN PLACE BEFORE YOU START BUILDING LAYOUT FRAMES AND THAT <br /> THEY ARE AS FAR FROM EACH OTHER AS POSSIBLE. <br /> 2. IF THE SUPPORTING JOISTS OR THE PLANKS ARE UNEVEN GO TO THE <br /> TROUBLE OF INTRODUCING A LAYER OF 3/4" HIGH GRADE <br /> BLOCKBOARD OR PLY AS A CONTINUOUS SURFACE UNDER ALL YOUR <br /> LAYOUT FEET TO GIVE YOU AS MUCH CHANCE OF A STABLE BASE AS <br /> POSSIBLE.... This may flex but it won't shift around as much as floor <br /> boards.... also... boards that move under your weight as you walk around <br /> will only be a disaster. <br /> <br />THE SIMPLE FACT IS THAT IF YOU DON'T ESTABLISH A FIRM FLOOR YOU MAY AS WELL TRY TO BUILD GOOD TRACK AND LOOK FOR GOOD RUNNING ON A JELLY. <br /> <br />Put it another way. When you're out railfanning would you set up you video on a tripod with one foot on a rock and the other two in soft mud? <br /> <br />So.ANSWER TO THE MOVING HOUSE PROBLEM... <br />IF you have started with a solid fllor/base in your first home and built everything carefully in the first place... then <i>when you've ensured that you have a good solid floor/base </i> at the new house any adjustments that might be needed in the track will be minimal ... and probably easily within the scope of the couple of inches of floating track suggested above. <br /> <br />OKAY modules and layouts regularly moved are a different matter. <br /> <br />You want to build your layout with good quality track and decorate it with good scenery probably including ballasted track? <br /> <br />So you don't want to be poking about at your track to align it every time you set the layout up? <br /> <br />The start will be in making sure that your module (layout) boards are engineered to not just support the track but to withstand the rigours of being transported... which is bbeing carried in and out (possibly up and down stairs), stood on their sides and maybe even dropped. <br />You don't want to need a fork lift truck to move them... but you do want to make them robust... in particular you want good joints that won't distort or displace. Different people have different preferences. Whatever it is I would "screw and glue" the joint. <br /> <br />Okay, so you're going to have a good solid board. Next thing to do is to make the board ends that mate in pairs AND NEVER LET THESE PAIRS PART. A1.ALWAYS GOES WITH A2, B1 ALWAYS GOES WITH B2. (May be slightly different for a fully modular design.... {where you don't always join the same modules together} make a steel end board template at least 1/4" thick and make 100% certain that every end board conforms to standard...) <br /> <br />PEOPLE ACTUALLY GIVE UP THE HOBBY AFTER YEARS OF EFFORT AND HUNDREDS OF £/$s JUST BECAUSE THEY HAVE NEVER GOT THIS RIGHT. <br /> <br />Mating your board ends (board to board NOT opposite ends of the same board) applies just as much if (as you suggest) you are only planning to move the layout maybe once in its life. Get it right once and it will remain right. <br /> <br />There are DOZENS of ways of joining board to board. I still haven't decided on which way Ilike best. So long as any two board ends that may be mated are matched I don't see why you shouldn't have as many methods as you want to try out. Make sure that they are robust though AND that the way they attach to the board is robust. It's obvious but there is no point in linking connectors with a 1/2" bolt if the connestors are fited to the boards with 1/2" NAILS. <br /> <br />You can get board joiners with built in adjustment. My view is that it may be useful to make very fine adjustments to draw (not pull) the boards together as pretty much the last adjustment to align your track(s). <br /> <br />NOTICE THIS! <br /> <br />I am aligning the track by aligning the boards! <br /> <br />How do we align the board? Not by the board connectors! <br /> <br />The board connectors are there to connect boards THAT HAVE THE ENDS DESIGNED AND MADE TO MATE CORRECTLY. <br /> <br />SO if the ends aren't mating the whole of each board to which they belong can't be aligned correctly. SO ALIGN THE BOARDS CORRECTLY! <br /> <br />How do you align boards correctly? <br /> <br />Start off by having a good level floor as above <i>if possible</i>. If it isn't possible you proceed in the same way as if it is BUT you <i>have </i><i>to </i>keep checking back that things haven't gone out of adjustment more often. <br /> <br />Okay. Decide on a datum (fixed point). Locate it, fix it and keep checking that it hasn't gone AWOL... not even by 1mm (If you are able to work that acurately... which may depend on more than just your own skills. Great news! these days you can get laser leveling devices and measuring things from DIY stores at not-too-bad prices (I think you'll be able to get them in Sweden as well). (If not have a weekend in the UK and go to B&Q... or maybe B&Q on the internet?). Set up the first module and get it right. Then you work steadily along from the datum extending the baseboards... making each board true and square in its own right and then making sure that it connects correctly. <br /> <br />(I have to add...LASERS NEED TO BE USED SAFELY... keep children away in particular). <br /> <br />If you don't work from a fixed point you will be back on the wobbly jelly. <br /> <br />So, anyway... you BUILD the thing right on your solid base from your fixed datum. Then you take it apart and put it back together enough times for it to go right BEFORE you ever lay any track...'cos doing it without track means that you can bash it about as much as you like/need without damaging any track AND THEN ,when you put the track on, you are putting the track on a base that is right... so your track laying isn't either trying to correct for faults in the baseboard/module or correcting them by default. This will not only mean that you can take things apart and put them together again with few problems but that you will get better results in everything all of the time MORE EASILY [:D][:D][:D] <br /> <br />TIME SPENT NOW WILL SAVE YOU TIME FOR THE LIFE OF THE LAYOUT. <br /> <br />If you are building a module or a portable layout you may be getting into a situation where you will be setting it/them up on all sorts of floors. <br /> <br />The thing to aim for is a layout that is as level, straight and firm/secure when it is set up on a wobbly floor as when you built it on a good floor. <br /> <br />The way to do this is to design adjustment into the legs NOT to waggle the layout about. <br /> <br />You want your track base and track to be as they are supposed to be. If you start to adjust the track and/or the module you are... doing all sorts of things... that (among other things) will mean that it ain't going to match up when you take it home... or to the next place or... and all the time you're messing with your track and scenery. So... <br /> <br /> DON'T POKE THE TRACK ABOUT! <br /> <br />There are loads of ways of making adjustable legs. Even wedges of card can work. <br /> <br />If you want you can even put a spirit-level bubble into one long side of each board. It is probably useful to design a location on each board where you can fit a reasonable length spirit level easily....'cos what you will be trying to do is to set the whole thing level. <br /> <br />Whatever system you use adjusting the legs is pretty much a matter of lumps of wood and large nuts and bolts or screws... which are robust, easily replaced (take spares with you... then you won'ty need them) and you're not looking at them when you are palying trains... and the trains don't fall off on them... unless you leave one on the track when you're setting up. <br /> <br /> <br />Okay. I hope that has covered that. <br /> <br />The above has been tried and tested by the Epsom and Ewell Model Railway Club (Surrey, England) (If you can get to their Exhibitions during a visit they are some of the best in the country)... on their Nonsuch layout which has been not only in existence for more than forty years but for at least thirty of that was stored on a balcony all week and passed down ovet the edge to be set up each Monday night... and, of course, taken down and pushed back up into storage. if you want to keep doing that you want something robust that can be put together quickly. <br /> <br /> <br />Additionally.... especially where you are moving a layout/module regularly it is worth making up protecting ends for both ends of every board. <br /> <br />That could be a whole subject in itself. <br /> <br />The least you want to do is to protect all the rail ends and board joiners. Locating cable links can be useful. <br /> <br />It will depend on how your boards connect on whether your end protectors are held on by them or by a seperate arrangement. If you are going to use the end boards to lift (via handles?) you need to be very sure that this won't damage the board connectors OR move them. <br /> <br />...and have fun <br /> <br />Oh yes... and put identifying marks on everything... there is notheing worse than spending hours juggling things round to see what fits where... except having to wait to set up your layout while someone else juggles with their layout. [banghead] <br /> <br />AND NONE OF US HAVE ANSWERED YOUR WEBSITE QUESTION... Try the NMRA. they have standards for modules.
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