Raising/Lowering system

[Anonymous]

I am looking for anyone who has any drawings or specifications for building a raising/lowering system for my layout, it is currently 6' X 13'.
I have already purchased some heavy duty pulleys and plan on using braided cable for safety reasons. I was also thinking of using an old garage door opener to power the system. By the way I live in earthquake country good ole Cal.
Thanks for any help in advance.

[mhdishere]

There was an article in Model Railroad Planning 2001 about using an elevator instead of a helix to get trains from one level to another. It's called "Going Up". Seems to me somewhere there was also an article on a vertical staging yard too.

Hope this helps

[Anonymous]

Are you trying to raise up the whole layout to get it out of the way?

[Anonymous]

Yes, that is my intent, I am kind of new to the hobby (4years) The only place I coulkd build my layout was in the garage. I have a good supporting structure in the garage and two son-in-laws that work in construction so installing should not be a problem. Just need some guidance and direction in getting started. I don't want to loose the last three years of work.
Thanks for your reply
firestorm2

[Anonymous]

That's what I thought you were talking about. I've thought about doing something like this, never really tried it. Two things about it bugged me:

1. Keeping the layout stable while you were using it - you'd need fold-down legs or something, just can't let it swing in the wind.

2. Keeping it level when up or while going up and down. If you don't you would have to remove all your rolling stock before raising it and replace the rolling stock after lowering it, which sounds like a real pain, or run the risk of a lot of stuff ending up on the floor.

I think what finally soured me to the idea was that my garage would be a terrible environment. It's unheated, so the temperature extremes here in IA would be a problem, not just due to the effect on the equipment but on me! (I know SoCal's different.) Also the amount of dust, grime and general yuck that would end up on it all the time.

bill

[douginut]

Not to mention cats...

seriously there are units for hanging up the removable hard tops on some SUV's and hanging them from the ceiling also asking a nearby marina about rigging to raise boats to work on them might be a helpful thing too.

Doug

[Anonymous]

I currently have a 4x8 suspended over my wifes car. We moved in April and I told her I wasn't giving up my trains. I lower it by hand right now but as I add things it seems to be getting alot heavier (either that or I am getting older)
so I have been thinking of a way I can hook a winch to it. The system is supported by 4 cables that go through pulleys at the corners. this worked out pretty good because the pulleys lined up right on the roof trusses. I used 3/8" eye bolts screwed into the trusses. all 4 cables go accross the ceiling to a set of 4 pulleys that are lag bolted to the top plate of the wall. Then the cables go down the wall and loop around a ring that is about 2" diameter. This ring goes over a hook that is in the wall stud about 2 feet above the floor. It is important to have all the cables go to 1 ring. That way when you raise and lower it the layout will stay level. As for legs.......I have a fold up ladder that can bend into all different shapes. I set it up like a saw horse and drop the layout on top of it. I screwed blocks of wood to the bottom of the layout to position the layout and keep it from sliding off the ladder. I also marked the floor with tape so I can get the ladder in the same position every time. The one thing you might have to do is stiffen the under structure of the layout. I used eye bolts in the sides of the layout. This way I can lower it to the ladder and then unhook it from the cables. This allows me to pull the cables back up to the ceiling so they are out of the way when I am railroading. And make sure the pick points of the cable have plenty of backing so you dont pull the eye bolts out of the layout.
If you are interested I might be able to take some pictures and post them or send them to you. Let me know. [e-mail]

Keep em on the rails

Kevin Schultz

[Anonymous]

As a general rule, n-e-v-e-r mention c*ts in a model RR forum. Any thread about c*ts has a tendency to produce sick attempts at humor, which upsets some people, which cause the whole thread to degrade into a smoldering heap. (Only halfway kjidding.) :) :)

[edo1039]

Some years ago MR ran a good story about this as I recall they used weights at the four corners to counter balance the weight of the layout at the time I was impressed about how simple it was and how easily it was raised and lowered.You might want to check with Andy S who was with MR at the time he might recall the article or contact MR and see if they still have it.

[Anonymous]

Kevin
Thanks for the info, It is a help. I have already purchased some adjustable saw horses that I will add an extension peice to so the layout will be at the right height to work with. I didn't think abour removing the cables, thats a good idea thanks. Orginally I was thinking of using a come along to raise and lower the layout but that only works one way, I will be experimenting with an old grage opener in the next few weeks to see if that may be the answer for the mechanicl function, I'll let you know how it turns out.
Firestorm2

[douginut]

I remember a setup like that once in O-tinplate Lionel.
The counterbalance weights were set during an operating session. as folks removed their Engines and started to replace them with others
a few too many were removed and the operating layout slowly started to rise to the ceiling.
The panic led to one of the better laughs of the night.
I was twelve then (am a Grandfather now) but remember them taking everything removable from the layout and THEN they adjusted the weights.
Doug