Right now, I am in possible transit mode with my house. Don't know what the future may bring.
I have about a 10 foot X 2 foot section modular layout, (two 5 foot modules), I'm fooling around with, in a corner of the living room.
It is sort of a yard / industrial section, and I work on it when I have time. As anyone knows who has a switching only setup, mainline runs are out. I was thinking of constructing some 1 X 6" or 1 X 4" modules with a single track, at various lengths, so I can latch them into the yard quickly, across the house, (when no one is looking lol), and maybe a return loop to come back into the yard. That way, I can quickly set up the mainline modules, run some mainline action,let the locomotives run full throttle, instead of yard speed, and get it out of my system every now and then and quickly unlatch and break down the modules as needed, and stack them in the corner till next time.
Anyone ever done something like this?
Iwell, yeah, the clubs with modules that they take to various shows do this all the time. What you will need is some way to store the modules so tha tthe scenery doesn't get damaged. Maybe some shelves onto which you can slide the modules when not in use.
I personally think that even the "minimal" effort toset up and take down that you envision will become tedious very quicky. However, it doesn't sound like you have much choice. Just make sure that this is really your best option, and not something you are looking to justify which will annoy your significant other.
Connecticut Valley Railroad A Branch of the New York, New Haven, and Hartford
"If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right." -- Henry Ford
CTValleyRR Iwell, yeah, the clubs with modules that they take to various shows do this all the time. What you will need is some way to store the modules so tha tthe scenery doesn't get damaged. Maybe some shelves onto which you can slide the modules when not in use. I personally think that even the "minimal" effort toset up and take down that you envision will become tedious very quicky. However, it doesn't sound like you have much choice. Just make sure that this is really your best option, and not something you are looking to justify which will annoy your significant other.
I've been to the shows, and don't remember such narrow modules.
Won't be much scenery, just a mainline with minimal flat materials like open desert plains.
The size of the module doesn't matter as much as the geometry. You need a fixed standard for where track exits the module. The narrower modules places more limits on what you can put on them in terms of structures and scenery after you've got the track down.
If you were asking me whether I thought 1 ft was an acceptable width for a permanent layout, I would say no, but you're talking temporary arrangements to give you a fix while your life is in flux.
I would consider a 2'width, though, especially if you desire to incorporate one or more of these modules into your permanent layout (although with careful planning, you could use 2 side by side).. EDIT: FWIW, my son and I designed 4 geomorphic modules for his HO scale toy soldiers 2×4 sections), so that the hills, water features, roads, etc., all line up no matter how they are butted together. He can make 2 parallel rivers with terrain on either bank, a large area between two rivers, a long shoreline or river bank along one edge. It takes some imagination and planning, but very doable.
The problem I see with such small modules is stability. You need to make sure what you set up is solid or your trains will spend more time on the floor than on the rails.
Good luck,
Richard
cowman The problem I see with such small modules is stability. You need to make sure what you set up is solid or your trains will spend more time on the floor than on the rails. Good luck, Richard
Fold up aluminum legs, one main support, branches into a 2 leg upside down Y, with adjustable threaded pads on the bottom.
One on each end.
Scott Perry´s Heart of Georgia HO layout basically follows the construction principle you envision. The layout is built with different 1´by 6´ sections. You can see how it was built in this link.
A long straight string of 1' wide pieces will be tippy, no matter how you brace the legs. The ned where it hooks to the larger parts will be stable enough, but as it extends it will get wobbly. If the far end then squares around to connect to another string, it will provide some stability.
The narrowest parts of my previous layout, I ended up attaching to the wall with an L bracker, just one on each section. It went all the way around the room and was wedged in pretty well, but I had 2 removable sections at the room door and to get back to my work area, with one short section that was 1 foot wide between them. That section was one that got a screw into the wall. On the other side of the door, the benchwork was 18" wide and then a final section 1' wide - that's the other one that got screwed to the wall. Everything else was freestanding and solid, mostly made up of 2'x8' sections. Technically they were 2'x4' sections, but when I put the extruded foam on top I just left them as full 8' sheets without cutting them at the section joints. Moving in had proved that a 2x8 section was easily carried up the stairs and around the corners, as long as the legs were off.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.