IS your layout Upgradable/Expandable?

[Anonymous]

When I decided to build a layout in my basement there were some things that I wanted it like

I wanted it to be built in about 8 sections for two different reasons.
#1 so if I ever decide to move from here I wanted it to be in seven or eight sizes that would fit out of my basement door. Also so that it would not be around the wall of my basement so when I move I will not have to use a chainsaw to remove it.
#2 If I wanted to add onto my layout it would be just easy to add a new section as I just recently did to make room inside of the layout for friends who may come over. If I really want to I can remove a section and build another one just the same size but different scenery. My layout is semi-modular, but only to fit my building style not to the NMRA

I also left two sidings on areas of my layout that appeared to have room in that area to add on at some point later on if I decided to.

Is your layout built with similar things to be made easy to upgrade or move or is yours built to be Destroyed upon moving? What things have you done to make your future expandings much easier?

[Anonymous]

Mine is plywood an 2X lumber with 2" of pink foam. The plywood is cut in 4' X 68" sections, reinforced with 2X, and built as individual sections. I screw the sections together through the 2X lumber from underneath. I will need to cut some track pieces, but that's all I need to do to move it.
I am on a limited budget for Model RR'ing, so I built a service area first. I have a turntable, roundhouse, freight car repair bldg and a small 2 bay loco shed that I use for my crane and tender, and a rotary plow. I also have a 2 track sand and fueling pad. A small yard is between the freight car repair area and the loco shed. On 1 end, I have a pair of turnouts. One leg on each of the turnouts face each other, and about 30" apart, and form the end of a loop, while the other leg on each points away from the loop, waiting the construction of the next phase, which will be industries and such.
I know a lot of people here have thought that a service area takes up a lot of space with not much interest, but mine is all railroad related. I prefer this to a town, which also takes up space and is not railroad related. On my empire, the town is always out of sight, except for the industries.

[simon1966]

I have a siding, that conveniently points towards a temporary wall that could quickly vanish in a land grab as I take over my wife's silk ribbon storage room [:D][}:)]

[rrinker]

Yup, designed it that way from the start. The current section is made of of four tables bolted together, each 2'x8' . It's not modular, the track is laid continuously over it, but if I had to I could cut at the joints and remove it. As the expansion works its way around the rest of the room, I will continue building these same 2'x8' tables except possibly in the main yard area where more width is needed.

--Randy

[cwclark]

my layout is built so that it cannot be taken down and moved...if i do, then most of the track will get destroyed because i'lll have to disassemble the entire benchwork to get it through the door...(that's one thing about Texas..there aren't any basement houses and everything must go thru a door) but, the only consolation to my layout is that I don't plan on moving ever again..i'm going to retire in this house (unless i'm too old and feeble and end up in a rest home) so the layout is going to be a permanent fixture...after i die i feel sorry for the poor guy that does take it down...it's in there solid as a rock!...Chuck

[orsonroy]

My last layout was built in 2x4 or 2x6 sections. I'll never build another sectional layout again! Too many severe, unpowered track joints, too many seams to effectively hige, the sections actually cost more in material than a traditional layout, and I had huge track problems every time the humidity changed. And I ended up throwing the whole thing away anyway when I moved and ended up with a completely different basement space. Nope; normal layout construction is the way for me from now on.

[FThunder11]

Mine will grow after i add sections

[Big_Boy_4005]

Not really. I designed the house I live in, and chose the size of train room that I wanted. I actually drew the track plan before ground was broken for the house. That plan consumed almost every available square foot in the alotted space. I have been doing a little tweaking during construction, but the layout is basicly maxed out. Even though the plans were drawn more than 6 years ago, I am still very happy with layout's concept. l never plan to move, though the benchworh was built in sections.

By the way Al, it's nice to see you making positive contributions here, keep up the good work.[8D][^]

[vsmith]

Mine is based on a 5x7 base layout then added on 2x8 section and then another 2x10 section. All are built table like with legs that were then pushed against the wall and screwed into place, The whole thing can be taken apart, I planned it that way, but it would be messy and would destroy alot of the eventual scenery in some places, but it could be moved.

[RMax1]

There are always days in which I dream of taking over the entire house so I leave places on the layout open for expansion. I can add a wing on just about anytime and make it different lenghts as needed.

RMax1

[twhite]

My Yuba River Sub is a garage railroad (California Basement) and pretty much takes up everything except the one wall where I have my tools. However, it is expandable to that one wall, and my Spring Project is going to be laying out a large 8-track staging area, accessable by a lift-out bridge section from the layout. Just finished negotiations with myself, and about the last of March, I'm headed over to Home Depot armed with my trusty ATM to raid their lumber and extruded foam insulation sections. There's also room to put in that roundhouse and turntable that I salvaged from my first layout, so I'll be a busy, happy camper for a while. Egad, it's FUN being an Empire Builder, isn't it?
Tom[:D][}:)][}:)]

[ClinchValleySD40]

Nope, not expandable. It's as big as it's ever going to be.

[Jetrock]

I'm building a sectional layout. I started out by building an extremely sturdy shelf, so I could mount the sections on the shelf, and thus avoid some of the problems associated with modular building like dead track sections. Right now I only have two main segments, linked together by a length of 6" sectional track--and the join between the two is probably the most reliable part of the layout. I have a "prototype" section as well, but because it was a prototype there were a couple mistakes on it that I hope to correct before attaching it to the rest of the layout. Eventually the layout will go all the way around my 8x18 no-car garage, but that could take some time...and if I ever move it will be relatively simple to move the layout components.

[BRVRR]

Yes. I built it to be separated into two sections by cutting through the top and the long elements of the frame. There are short pieces of track in the crucial areas that can be cut or removed. Once split in two the layout can be packed in two matress boxes for transport. If we ever move into a house with a basement the BRVRR could be used as a branch line. I am currently planning to add a staging yard. This is complicated somewhat by the fact that the yard will have to 'roll' with the main table. I'll work it out.
Again, in a word, yes. The BRVRR was planned and built to be expandable and movable with a little work.

[Anonymous]

What kind of things do you do to make a layout expandable with a minimum amount of destruction to the existind layout? Track, landscape and scenery wise I mean.

[Anonymous]

Hello today Blue

When it comes down to scenery track and all I do nothing different in the case that I move or break it down. The track rolls right over the sections as if they were not there. If I have to I will just cut the track with a dremel and easily reattached. I plan on cutting on on side about three inches so that when I reattach it the cut is not over the section that is removed. As for scenery you need to do nothing. The ground foam will just easily come away from just the line that is screwed together to make another section. As for scenery it is so very easy to reapply plaster cloth that you just cut it with a razor (expandable boxcutter) and it will separate. The only real reason to do it in sections is to avoid having to hack it up in many different pieces that will never go back together just to remove it. You just have to unbolt or unscrew the 3" screws to hold each section. Your only worry is to cut the track and some scenery but thats all. Those are cosmetic fixes when putting back together.

I went as far as to not use a solid buss line underneath my layout. The buss line DOES NOT need to be one complete length and side by side. Mines is about five different pieces and they are just twisted and have those yellow screw caps from the electrical department holding them together. I have no electrical problems and never have. when I separated my layout I unscrewed the caps and then the screws or bolts and boom was done.

I will gladly walk you thru my steps taking if you request and provide pictures also. You can do it though!! Good luck

[steveblackledge]

Simon 1966,,,,,i like the land grab approach on your wifes empire[}:)][}:)][8D][}:)][}:)]

[CP5415]

My layout was built to be removed is needed.
8 sections held together with nuts & bolts.

The track plan is also built so that I can expand the branch line another 9 feet into a bookshelf with 2 identicle staging yards underneath.
Providing of course the better half allows for expansion.

Gordon

[Jetrock]

I use a six-inch section of sectional track as a joiner between layout sections, rather than butting track between sections. I also try to put natural scenic divides like streets on the edge of a section. I don't really mind having a narrow "gap" of sorts between my modules, although since mine is a city-based layout I have lots of ways to hide long, straight lines.

There are tricks one could use--such as a row of bushes or other foliage. Two sections of fake-fur grass would me***ogether pretty well if they were applied over both modules, then cut apart--just bru***hem together to hide the seam between them.

[Anonymous]

When I started out on my 1st phase of the layout I was making the steel tables in 8ft. sections & at the time(about 2 years)I was planning on selling the house. With the way everything was bolted together I could take it down in 4x8 ft.sections.
Well, since then I have decided to live here the rest of my life. The 1st phase was 18 by 18ft. I was retired for a year & a half & all I did was work on the layout, about 8 hrs a day,
5 or 6 days a week. Then I got hard up for spending money & decided to go back to work.
I built some more steel tables(welded together) & added another 18 by 18 ft.
Now, the size is 18 by 36 ft.
It would be almost impossible for me to seperate it in sections. The front door to my building is only 12 ft. wide wide & 14ft. high. I might be able to wedge it out corner to corner of the door, but would need a crane to accompli***hat.
I do have a table that is 2ft. wide by 36ft long that is going to be phase 3 when I expand.
Then I'm planning on adding phase 4 by adding another expansion in the center & then phase 5 will be the ultimate expansion, but the easiest. I hope to live long enough to get all this done. I'm 66 going on 67 this year. I also have a full time job w/Wal-Mart working in the warehouse, which is tough on the bones. I only get to work on my layout
on my days off(2). I'm heavy into scenery, lots of track & switches & like to run trains at least an hour each train day. Plus I make all the train shows in the season(sept. to April).
So, I have a lot of room for expansion & hope to fini***hem w/in the next 4 years.

Larry66

[jrbernier]

Al,

I can understand the concept of being 'move' ready, but I also realize that the that perfect design somehow will never fit on the section joints. I spent about 3 years after I built my house trying to design something that could be made at least modular for each town, and gave up. I have my benchwork attached to the walls(most of it is 24"-30" wide) and it will have to be destroyed if I ever move. The good news is that I have been in this house for 21 years(the layout has been here 18 years). Most layouts that have been designed/built for a possible move that I have seen, fall apart during the move and the owners tell you they would rather start over!
That said, I do have a small branchline terminus that can be moved intact, and my turntable is a self contained unit that is attached/dropped into the existing benchwork. If I ever tear down the layout, I will just flea market the track and any buildings that I do not want.

Jim Bernier

[grayfox1119]

My setup is in the construction of the room in the basement stage, but rapidly approaching the table construction and design of track stage. I am in the house that I designed and am retired in, and will stay in, so moving the layout is not an issue if it ever came down to it. All the doorways are 36", and I do not plan to have any layout section/table wider than 30", but in the event I change that rule, I will have removable legs on the tables/benchwork so that the layout could be turned on it's side 90 degrees and carried out the doorways.
And as Big Al has done, I plan to use butt connectors for the electrical connections between tables, which can be removed very easily, and are trouble free. I agree with Al also on breaking track connections if you ever have to expand or move...it should not be a big deal at all. Design is the key, plan for any eventuality, model railroaders are creatures of change .

[Anonymous]

The real big issue of the layout in my situation to be movable is not mainly so if I move I can take it with me. I may as you stated decide to start all over and build a new empire but I would hate to see this current layout go to the trash or be ripped up. Id want to pass it along to a modeler without the time and/or skills to build a layout themselves. So in this case it means I can sell it rather than destroy it upon moving. Thats the point of it. Someone will be able to enjoy what I built if I decide I do not want it anymore. Oh and Lastly if I was to die in a short period of time it will be easier for the family to disassemble it and get rid of it. I do not plan on dying anytime soon though, Hopefully

[Anonymous]

Biggie Smalls- I appreciate the detailed response.

My question is, say, I build a 3' x 12' layout. WHAT little tricks can I do to make an expansion easier in the future?

I'm in the construction industry and when I was building houses we would design a house to have hallways and closets to end on exterior walls so that if the homeowner wanted to add on in the furute there was a natural opening into it. That was how we incorporated for future expansion of those little ranch houses.

WHAT little tricks can I do to make an expansion easier in the future for a model railroad layout?

[Anonymous]

Well Duck When you strat your layout and have it all planned on the size you have to ask yourself these few questions

1. Will I ever move from here?
2. Will I ever decide to start a whole new layout from scratch one day?
3. Is there more room for expansion in the future in a open area or if you clean out an area will that be available?
4. Do I want to make this layout bigger someday?

If you answer yes to one or more of these then you can start to plan on doing a layout that is expandable or "removeable". The things tht you can do that will make for easy expansion or moving is

1. Make your layout in sections that will fit out of a doorway or basement door if you move or sell. In your case 3'x12' is not too bad because it is 36" wide. If you remove the legs you would be able to get your layout out of a door or basement. so two pieces is good 3' x 6' bolted together or 3' screws into the sides.

2. Your wiring is a big deal too. You do not want to have a buss cable that is one length all around so when you rmove the pieces you will have to cut them anyway. Cut them at the joints and use caps to rehold them there so its ready at any point. Also watch for the other wires for houses, accessories etc. try not to let them go from one side of the layout to the otherso you have to cut alot of them and never find which is which.

3. When you have your track plan done and ready to go down. Look atthe benchwork and the room it is in. IS there a corner that is about 4 or five feet away that one day the layout could go there? Well if so then you add a turnout that points in that directions and is just a dead siding 'for now'. Then one day if you want to expand you willnot have to cut the track , ruin the ballast and try and add one in then. If there are a few sections like that you add a few switches.

Those are a few things that make expansion easier when doing a layout. Even if you want to add a piece in the middle it will be fairly easy because it is bolted together and you will only have to dremel away the track, pull them apart and measure the distance inside. Cut and add the piece in the middle and you made an expansion. There other little ideas that you will come up with as you build keeping in mind that you may expand later one or move. I built mine with that in mind and thats how my expansion was so easy. Good luck

[Anonymous]

Thanks mister Big... or Smalls... or whichever [;)]