I have the Walthers Modern Roundhouse kit and Machine Shop Kit. What is the best way of attaching the stall floor segments together? Do I have to build it in place? I plan on placing it on a piece of sheet cork to match up to the TT. Also does the machine shop built per instructions share a wall with the roundhouse or does it just attach to one wall.
Do the sections merely but together (no tabs, slots, etc.)? I have the older, smaller Walthers round house and that is how its floor sections go together. I placed a clean, smooth piece of waxed paper on a very smooth, flat surface and cememted the sections together with liquid plastic cement. They require gentle handing thereafter but so far I have had to move mine around several times as I work on different sections of my layout and none have separated yet.
There are tabs that align the floor pieces. But they dont maintain vertical alignment on their own. I can just flat mount the whole thing because i want to but in the inspection pits. Im also trying to figure out how to move a 9 stall roundhouse after assembly (workbench to layout).
Ooops! I had forgotten about the little allignment tabs so that the fron and back edges would line up correctly. But as you point out they don't aling anything vertically. As I said earlier, I put them down on a smooth (ie unwrinkled) piece of waxed paper on a smooth, flat surface (in my case a plastic laminated 24" shelf I use to top my modeling table. If I recall correctly I placed them upside down, and flooded each joint one at a time with liquid plastic cement (Testors I think). I pressed them down and together by hand for a couple of minutes, then let the joint cure for at least an hour. Then did the next one, etc. Some of the cement may bleed through to the waxed paper. By using waxed paper it peels off easily. I touched up the floor pieces that the glue got to with very fine sandpaper. Then spray painted the floor with a rattle can. No linger sign of the glue bleeds.
This is as far as I have gotten with the round house. Other projects beckon. In the interval I have had to move them from place to place, keeping them out of the way of the project du jour. With careful handling I have had no separations.
I have nine stalls of the roundhouse and built mine completely on the work bench. Put together correctly with the proper solvent cement, it is very strong. I used Ambroid Pro-Weld, exclusively. All the lights and detail and rails were added at work bench. I did not install the bottom's of the pits until at site, so it would sit flush at work bench. The floor and pit are two pieces, so you can do that. The Machine shop attache's to side of roundhouse if you choose, you leave off one wall of the machine shop and there are pieces in kit to match up with roundhouse wall. Tip: If it is in fact the roundhouse with the double walls, be careful when you assemble them, you could wind up having the inside part of the windows on the outside, because they will fit either way. I found that out on one of extention walls of the pit. I was able to correct it fortunately, with out a complete disaster, the pro-weld is that strong. I have thirty incandesant bulbs in mine, running at 10volts. I did not want LED's
Good Luck!
Enjoy!
Frank
I've started on the modern roundhouse as well, but mine is a 12-stall version.
I put down the cork underlayment, then glued the floor sections together in place. They're not attached to the cork, and I use the radial tracks from the turntable to hold the floor in the correct location (that's spiked to the roadbed between the turntable and roundhouse floor). Here's a photo of the area on my layout:
Mark P.
Website: http://www.thecbandqinwyoming.comVideos: https://www.youtube.com/user/mabrunton
zstripe Tip: If it is in fact the roundhouse with the double walls, be careful when you assemble them, you could wind up having the inside part of the windows on the outside, because they will fit either way.
Wow thanks, glad I havent started yet. I have a tendancy for unmitigated disasters like that when directions are ambigous. I didnt realize that you didnt need to use one wall of the machine shop, i will have to go re-read the directions. I think they might have modified the kit some, I (think) got one of the new boxes generic boxes with the slip over the top cover art instead of the printed on the box version.
Brunton I've started on the modern roundhouse as well, but mine is a 12-stall version. I put down the cork underlayment, then glued the floor sections together in place. They're not attached to the cork, and I use the radial tracks from the turntable to hold the floor in the correct location (that's spiked to the roadbed between the turntable and roundhouse floor). Here's a photo of the area on my layout:
Looks great, you pre answered my next question about bringing the roundhouse up to the level of the pit. Also did you use code 83 everywhere?
BMMECNYC,
Regarding the Machine shop. I don't believe they changed the design, maybe the packaging, what they have done on many kits. Anyway, the long wall opposite the boiler house part, you leave that wall off and there is a girder type top piece that has notch's on it to fit on the side of the round house brick facade, that will keep the building square and roof will fit properly. I fixed all the roofs on mine so they can be removable with lighting attached, just have to disconnect two wires.
Have Fun! Take Your Time. I also kept mine in the molded color and applied vinyl Spackle with my finger for mortar lines on the brick walls, outside and inside. Let dry and used a dish washing sponge that has the scuff pad on one side, to just scuff off the excess Spackle on the brick.I USED THE SPONGE/SCUFF PAD DRY. Just used a brush to remove power and brush painted a coat of dull-coat over it, to protect the Spackle, weathered the whole thing, when it was on site. Came out perfect, so I've been told.
Take Care!
BTW: I should mention, I did the Spackle thing and dull-coat, before I put the walls together. Lot easier when they are laying flat and nothing to scrape off of it when gluing.
I used code Micro-engineering code 70 track for everything leading to / from the turntable. The ties are close enough in thickness to hold the rail tops very close to the bridge rail tops. There's practically no vertical bump.
I did not attach the rails to the turntable lip. There's a very small gap between the rail bases and the lip, so if I have to disassemble the layout, I won't have to worry about breaking a glue bond with all those rails.
Thanks for the advice, I have been considering detaining the inside and making the roof removable. I also pre -paint all of my parts before assembly. For this one and the roundhouse I decided to go with scale-coat II B&M Maroon for the brick color. I will probably use a white or off white color for the mortar. My method is to paint the whole thing with white acrilic paint, let it sit for 5-10 minutes, then wipe it off the surface of the bricks with a paper towel dampened with ordorless paint thinner. This usually leaves behind the mortar between the bricks and randomly leaves the red paint on the bricks for a weathered look. But i might give your method a try.
Andrew
I built mine in place (floor only) as I was concerned about getting the track/rails lined up with the tt bridge rails. I also found that I had to route slots in the plywood to clear the roundhouse pits. I made them a little oversize to allow for positioning the base assembly. Once I had all the stall tracks aligned with the tt bridge I cemented the floor segments down. Everything lined up and it works great. I also had to shim the tt pit with styrene to match the tie thickness on the approach tracks (using Atlas code 83 flex). I think it was .015 or .020 thick styrene. Just 'dry fit' everything before gluing anything down. I plan to have the roundhouse roof removable for access. Good luck on yours, it is a great feature on the layout.
-Bob
Life is what happens while you are making other plans!