I'm moving upstairs into a previously unfinished room that now is well insulated, and very nice. The catch is that it's about 11.5 by 11.5 feet and must do double duty as hobby and office space. I've been pouring over Kalmbach book on multi level layouts, and I'm seriously considering a ro-ro train elevator. Do any of you have experience with one?
Thanks, Lou
Hi Lou,
While I don't have experience with a train elevator like you describe, I do know you could, depending on your mechanical aptitude, build one using linear actuators, precision guide rods, and any hobby microcontroller, such as an Arduino. If your layout was secured into the wall as a shelf, you would need to reinforce the surrounding members since you couldn't mount to wall studs in the area of the elevator. One issue you'll run into whether you build one or buy one off the shelf is that you will need to calibrate the elevator to your specific application so that your trains aren't derailing.
What's the length of the longest train you want to run? An alternative idea would be to implement a "manual elevator" in that you are physically switching out removable staging tracks. The effectiveness of this idea will depend on your physical condition and how long of trains you want to run. Assuming you weren't running trains longer than 5 ft in HO, you could make a lightweight single staging track using foam. In the same wall space in which you have the removable staging track connected to the layout, you could mount additional shelves up and down that wall section to hold additional sections of the removable staging track. I would recommend you leave any cars connected to a locomotive when you move the section so that the cars don't easily roll off should you tilt the section.
John
The scale is sorta all wrong for your size of room, but here's a couple of pics of a ro-ro elevator that might give you an idea or two -- once reduced in size. Made by Locomotive Lifts Ltd, it only handles one piece of rolling stock at a time, though...
They're not close-ups, but in the 2nd pic you can see most of the mechanism. The motordrives a chain over to a sprocket. From there, a long chain goes completely around at the bottom. Each corner has a screw with a sprocket that this long chain drives. As the long chain is driven, it raises all 4 corners simultaneously, up or down.
It worked well from the limited observation I had at a semi-local live steam op the Illinois Terminal Division, NMRA, visited for one of our monthly meetings this summer. Smaller scales require greater precision, but the basic mechanism should be capable of that.
My take on this is that you should have some skills to do such a thing. Designing, building and maintaining one isn't a beginner's project.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
Thanks for your post, and the really incredible pictures! I beleive there is a commercial builder in Califironia who makes these in sizes appropriate for O, HO and N. My oldest son is ready to step in if needed to help in fabrication of his own design. right now I am exploring the sort of experiences people have had with them. I was planning on using it for a lower staging yard, and an upper level. Given the size of the room I don't plan on very long trains.
Once again thank you for the great pictures!
Lou
If you are modeling in a scale that will fit in a 'not quite twelve feet square' room, a train elevator doesn't have to be an over-complicated electromechanical device with sensors, linear actuators and so forth. Mine was whipped up out of steel stud material (frame, guides and car,) has positive stops (contact with immovable objects) and is actuated by using the trusty 0-5-0 to move a lever.
Mine is used to close a vertical mismatch in a load/empty swap at my top of the valley coal mine. Loads go up, empties go down, accompanied on the elevator by the colliery switcher. Unfortunately, the drawing (quick sketch) I made before I assembled it was stuck in the same book as the basic design (John Armstrong's 'dehydrated canal lock') and the book has since gone missing.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - with a train elevator)
Thanks John,
One of the reasons I've been considering a purchased unit is because I know I don't have the skill sets for the first project you describe. But, I certainly do for the second. A serious consideration that has occured to me about the high tech version is the inevetible maintainance that will be required when something breaks, and I won't be able to get parts. A carefully mde homemade unit I could repair.
Thanks Chuck, the comments I am getting form the forum members are great, and are giving me ideas. As mentioned in my post to John repair of a high tech unit that I neither understand nor can repair (or maybe get parts for) could be an issue.
i'm in the process of building my own and researched some construction articles in magazines and contacted some on the web.
I believe the biggest problem will be to maintain track alignment between the elevator and layout and that this will require constant maintanance as temperature and humidity vary. I believe alignment will shift laterally and vertically and unless the height of both ends is somewhat independent, I don't think you can assume both ends will be vertically aligned at the same time.
greg - Philadelphia & Reading / Reading
You might try to use Atlas rerailers at the joints to make the connection smoother. Nonetheless, you'll need a way to make sure each track lines up correctly.
My LHS already promised to "reserve" my supply. They are IMHO one of the best things Atlas has in track supplies.
After much thought, study of articles, and reading of all the great advice people offered we proceeded to buy a Ro-Ro Train Elevator. As of this evening we have completed the basic installation, and have it going up and down. We now have to build the layout to it; final adjust shelve heights, and generally fine tune the device.
My two sons did most of the work ( being much more competent than I in mechanical/electrical things). It took about 18 hours of assembly time. I have taken some photos of the partially assembled mechanism. If we had had access to similar photos we could have shaved a number of hours off the time. The instructions, while comprehensive, could have benefited from the skills of a writer familiar with manual prep. That being said the elevator is expertly engineered. If anyone is interested in the photos, or the video I'll be glad to upload them/
I'd like to see it, Lou. I'm curious about how long it is, among other things.
Here is a short video via embed.
Lou,
Thanks for the informative video. Now I'm curious how much vertical travel is possible? And if it can be extended?
The only potential gotcha I can see is if you have an upper deck that is close to the ceiling and you want to take full advantage of the travel to get the bottom slot up to it without running into the ceiling first, but there are ways to deal with that in the planning stage.
The Main level of my layout is at 39" above the deck. That's the referance point for the mounting. when the top shelf is at the 39" level the lowest is at about 12". the highpont for the top appears to be 62". These ranges are very adequate for my needs; allowing for service to the upper level, main level, and lower staging. the additional shelves will allow for a certain amount of storage on the unit.
Big caveat!!!! We'll see haow everything actually works out when I have trains running!
Mine is the four foot version. There is also a six foot version.
I think I might have made a hole in the wall next to the door first for the trains to run through into the next room prior to mounting the vertical lift
Negotiations for space in the bedroom where the bed is failed.
Thanks for the info. So the travel is 23"? Seems like it might be more or possibly there's an add-on for extra travel? Just trying to visualize the possibilities.
4' is plenty for N and might work well for HOn3 where I've imagined the need for such a thing. Some might consider it too short for HO, but it's longer than most car floats, like the Walthers, so still a substantial cut of cars.
A 6 footer, though, would really be in the lap of luxury