Building a liftup

[NZRMac]

If expansion is a concern could you build it from steel? My layout is a round the walls design and I have to get into the centre. I'm going to build a gate with two levels of track on it, I figured on a steel frame and steel jam to hinge it off.

Still in the planning stages.

Ken

[loucad]

I made a lift up bridge two months ago for my N scale layout. I, too, have been concerned about alignment, humidty, shrinkage, and all that. As a result, I have not proceeded on the layout until I was sure that this, and other aspects of the layout are operating OK. So far, so good.

First, the wiring: I ran a wire from the rail to the hinge and from the hinge to the rail on the lift side. I did this for both rails. The hinge carries the current. Since the bridge is part of the staging area, I did not get too fussy about appearance except to paint the wires and hinges the same grey color as the staging area (dark grey).

Second, the plans: I went on instinct, drew some sketches free hand, tried hard to envision how things would work and how they should work, and proceeded very carefully. I made the bridge deck like a girder bridge. One-half inch plywood with a one inch piece of the plywood glue at either end and a piece of homasote set in and glued between. I glued and screwed a one-half inch piece of plywood along each side of the bridge deck. The side is flush with the bottom of the deck and rises about an inch and one-half above the deck. I also extended the sides about an inch or so beyond the length of the deck; these help to keep the bridge aligned to each side of the layout by neatly dropping onto the layout roadbed that was cut to the width of the birdge deck.

I dry fit the deck assembly in place using clamps and scrap wood at either end of the layout where the bridge would lay. I then began building and mounting the piers to the layout as the deck lay in place. It's like suspending the bridge in air and building the supports up to the bottom of the deck. I did this on both ends, eventhough, the hinges would hold up one end of the bridge.

I attached to the hinges. I purchesd a pair of small, but sturdy, brass hinges. Place a car on the probable track alignment to make sure that the hinges are set far enough apart to aloow the movement of a train. Mark the location for the hinges. Do not apply the hinged yet. Where the hinges are to rest, attach four pieces of wood (one-quarter inch luan), with glue and brads. Mount the hinges on the luan. When the bridge lifts, the tracks ends will swing away from the layout and away from the other track ends.

Now it's time to lay the track. With the bridge in the down position, I used one long continuous piece to span the bridge and onto the layout. I used caulk and nails to set the track. And, I used epoxy to affix the track alignment at either end of the bridge. I spread the epoxy along the outside of the rails and ties on both the bridge side and the layout sides. This can be a bit messy. Having toothpicks handy will be a big help in spreading the epoxy. Now, walk away from this project for a full day, to let the epoxy harden. No short cuts. The next day, use your rotory cutting tool to make your cuts at the bridge ends. The epoxy keeps the track in place on both sides and keeps the rails from moving.

Attach your wires from the rails to the hinges.

You may have to tinker a bit to make sure everything is aligned and the current is flowing. I tend to keep the bridge in the down position all the time, lifting it only to enter and exit the room. Every few days I run a train or two over the bridge to make sure that everything works. So far, so good.

The key for me was to keep the design and the mechanicals simple. I hope this helps.

[Susquehanna And Rimouski]

Jimmp55,

My aching back is killing me too, and it's only getting harder to negotiate that duck-under. If it's possible, go with a redesign and a walk-in layout that isn't any deeper than you can reach.

Here's the problem with lifts AND swing-gate sections. Depending on what part of the planet you live at, local weather conditions and climate control in your layout room are a hinderance to this concept. Temperature and humidity makes it almost impossible for seamless gaps in your rails at the connections, outside of the time of year of installation.

I made an enquiry back sometime on a site frequented by people from the UK all the way to Las Vegas and Australia and they all universally said NYET, forget about it. It's a nightmare you end up tearing out when you finally give up.

[tomikawaTT]

There is a good discussion of the requirements for lift-up sections on page 57 of 'John Armstrong on Creative Layout Design.' (Incidentally, he gives some very compelling reasons to use a drop-down leaf, rather than a lift-up.) Track on the leaf can be powered in the ordinary manner; just use flexible wire connections between the leaf and the fixed benchwork. Microswitches, operated by the latch that holds the lift in operating position, can be wired to kill approach tracks so unattended trains won't pull a Wile E. Coyote.

[jimmp55]

I'm not getting any younger. So, I'm planning to build a liftup. I would like it to hinge on one end. The questions are, are there any plans out there and How do I wire it.