Structures

[Anonymous]

Are the structures on your layout glued down or just sitting in place.
Beeline

[Anonymous]

Most are just set in place but I have glued down a couple near the edge of the layout to prevent my shirt cuffs from catching them and sending them disaster! I recall a neat idea from an article in MR about setting structures over blocks of soft foam that are positioned inside to hold the building in place but flexible enough to tolerate bumps without damage to the model.

[thirdrail1]

EVERYTHING (except the trains) is glued down on my model railroad, because I take it to shows. Didn't stop some little thief from stealing a glued down truck, though!

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the info, since I don't expect to take this layout to a show I will just let them sit there. Easy to modify if I decide to change things.The train show I went to last month that my local train dealer put on all the Z scale layouts were protected by glass or plexie glass you could look but not touch and about half of the N scale layouts were protected and even a few of the HO scale, it's hard to imagine that someone would steal from your layout but I guess it happens a lot. I have a horse truck from 1989 in all the shows I've been to I have only seen one other like it it was only $15.00 but it could not be replaced today. If you model N scale you should be able to come up with some protection for your layout. Good Luck
Beeline

[Anonymous]

Since my layout is "permanent," I just set my structures in place. I am very careful, though, to make sure the bottom edges are hidden with sifted dirt, foam, weeds, etc. To me, nothing spoils the appearance of a layout faster than seeing structures just "plopped" on top of the scenic base. It's just too toylike!

[ReadingBob]

I'll end up with a mix. I build craftsman type kits right on a base that's mounted on the layout. Others I'll put down with the foam block method. If you get the opportunity check out the Allen Keller video on Bob Hayden's layout. They cover this topic quite well. He even has a pier that comes apart and can be removed (except for the pilings) so he can clean under it.

[Anonymous]

To me, the biggest factor is if the building is lighted, you may want to make sure it's removable if you are running the lights at 12V...it's far better to wire the lights so they only get 4 to 6V, as they will last for years.
The last few years I've been mounting my buildings on small rectangles of Foamcore or Masonite, then bringing the surrounding scenic terrain over top of the edges of this base.It is quite easy to "friction-fit" the building onto such bases with strips of Foamcore or balsa wood, if you wi***o leave an easy-off option. regards/Mike

[Anonymous]

Beeline, I use a combination of what others have stated, gluing,corner blocks, foam inserts. I also, for my larger areas that are medium size buildings ( my feed mill area, plainer mill and soon saw mill area) I cut out a piece of what ever it is that you use for a base, foam, homosoate, fiber board, and do my building lighting etc at the workbench, then I cut out a piece, the same size off my layout and put in the one that I have been working on in the hole. I then can slip it out and work on it again at the work bench. If it is lighted I just make a half inch or so hole in the plywood sub base and when I put down my project I just put the wires down the hole and connect them to connectors under the layout. I also have an area near the "Y" that is close to the table edge, there I use thin plexiglass and a couple of screws so it is quickly removable if needed. Ron..

[Anonymous]

Mike I have burned out so many light bulbs in my structures that I have given up lighting them. My MRC power packs AC output is 19 volts and my Spectrum packs put out 18 volts AC. How do you get it down to 4 to 6 volts.
Beeline

[douginut]

Beeline,

use two or three bulbs in each application, wire them in series that will mean that the two 12 volt bulbs will each get 6 volts. ot if the bulbs are just too low a voltage (like 4) then in series three of them will, in series split the volts and last a long time. or use the much more costly fibre optics for passing light to needed places where a single bulb will light the entire area.
Doug, in Utah