Thanks for the kind words, Simon.
Sorry about the delay in updates on this project. I intended to show it at our local train show (Lincoln Square Train Show, scheduled for March 28 & 29) that we (the Illinois Terminal Division, NMRA) but...you know the story...CANCELLED. Eventually, when "normal" returns it will go on display. For now, you're stuck with the virtual tour.
Putting legs on worked well, as they interlocked with the corners to provide a pretty stable result. Here's a view of the frame with legs, with the end crossmember pulled off to allow the panels to be loaded.
These end views show where you load your panels, sliding them along the slot in the framework that holds them.
This does require some attention to keeping the legs upright, as removal of the end does make things shaky, but it's easy enough to load. Here's a close up of the end panel going in place.
More later after breakfast...
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
I oriented the middle panels perpendicular to the end panels, as this reduced the number of required cross-panel connections simplifying track construction. This also allow the mid panels to drop in without the need to slide the whole way in along thr groove in the frame.
Once assembled with the scenic divider in-place, there's a nice canvas on which to execute the sidings, scenery and other aspects of model railroading.
I should've taken more pics once the spurs off the main were added. You can see some of it behind the Millertown station.
But the whole thing with the track/tabletop is that it doesn't take much space, a seen here with all 4 panels stacked up tioegther, so this will allow us to get pics of the trackplan. Notice how little space the actual layout takes up without the frame. Any place with suitable table top can substitute for bringing your frame if need be. The wire draped over the top here is the sole power connection, all other connections between panels are made by the Kato connectors.
That's one of the end panels. You can see a spur track on it's left side and the slightly meandering line on the right side is what connects to one of the HOn3 modules built by Bob Miller.
These next two are the two mid-panels, where most of the added spur trackage went. I plan some logging and mines to privide traffic from the sticks down to the Miller module, which will host a sawmill and a ferry dock.
This one is Millertown. The station site sits next to the swicthback that gets the logs from the woods.
This mid-panel is Tam Junction, where the line for Loon Lake and its ferry takes off from the main on the 4x8 roundy round.
Here's the second end panel, with a short section of the switchback at Miillertown.
That's it for right now, but I have more details to post.
Nifty Mike.
I had not realized the panels would come out of the frame for transport. Interesting and innovative.
It looks like it is all good quality craftsmanship.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Kevin,
Thanks! It did come out well in general. There were numerous small issues that came up, but all had solutions after a little thought.
Part of the inspiration for this came from T-trak:
http://www.t-trak.org/
And part from Free-Mo:
http://www.free-mo.org/about/
In the end, what's really standard for my project is the use of the Kato Unitrak connectors and the Genesis PVC panels. This should work in scales from N to On30, basically anywhere there's track that supports the Unitrak end connector. The Genesis panels actually need no support or framing, it's more about making it convenient for the operator. Since I planned stand-alone operations and want to conect with a series of non-standard or standard modules, having the frame made sense. It's also the case that in HO (or larger) scale, you need most of the four foot width to stand on its own because most of that width is needed to support 18" or larger min R.
In the end I failed to be as precise as needed to allow the end and mid-panels to swap locations. I came close and it is doable, I just feel it wasn't worth the trouble once I got to the point of realizing it wasn't qute right.
Mike, pardon me for adopting the role of a devil´s advocate here, but I still fail to see the benefit of your benchwork idea versus a much simpler, light weight construction method using 4" Styrofoam, clad in 1/8" hardboard for protection. That stuff is incredibly strong, doesn´t sag amd weighs next to nothing. It does not require a complicated support, in fact, a couple of saw horses and 1 by 4s would do the job.
I have seen layouts built that way in all kinds of scales.
Happy times!
Ulrich (aka The Tin Man)
"You´re never too old for a happy childhood!"
Ulrich,
The main advantage is that the layout is less than 1" thick (with the Caboose throws being the only high points) although most of it is only 1/4" thick (the thickness of the Genesis panel itself) to 1/2" (the Genesis panel plus the Protraxx/Unitrak) thick. The stack of 4 panels for the 4x8 is less than 2" thick, so significantly less volume than foam would be.
The PVC Genesis panel is also structurally much easier to mount various items to, like the screws I use to reinforce the sections of Protraxx that form the end connectors for track across the gaps between the panels. The Caboose throws can be similarly screwed tight to the Genesis panels. Trying to similarly mount items on foam of any kind can be an adventure.
The Genesis panels do not require any support or edge framing to protect their integrity. Foam kind of needs a frame around each panel to protect it being mashed or gouged, although you could get away with omitting it if you're careful about storing and using it. Any table top at a suitable height will support Genesis board. My frame is somewhat more complex than sawhorses, but this was in part an aesthetic decision. I just wanted it to look good for public display and to be self-supporting. Now that I have the frame, I could easily make an entirely different layout (N, HOn30/HOe, or On30) from another set of Genesis panels, so that investment in the frame's materials and labor can serve multiple needs.
And if you do use foam on sawhorses, then the layout will tend to need to be all on a single panel or on multiple panels larger than the 2x4 Genesis panels. A set of thin 2x4 panels is easier to transport that a 4x8, of course, but also easier than a 2x6 or 2x8, especially if 4" thick foam was used. I'd tend to think that most of those could actually get by with using 2" thick foam, though halving the extra space needed to store and transport the foam vs the Genesis panels.
In the end, the user will choose what suits their needs best. I'm sure that foam will continue to work well for many, especially where storage space isn't at a premium. My home layout is mostly foam, I've got nothing against using it, but the reduced need for space for both storage and transportation for a portable layout works better for me than foam does. The Genesis panels simply provide one more option with several advantages if they fit the needs of the user.
Hi mlehman
A thought on the sculpty mould question try mixing some PVA glue with it slop it on a piece of scrap and see if it sticks PVA seems to stick to anything so might help.
But it may mess with the chemistry and take longer to dry.
regards John
Hi John,
That could work. I think it would require building and shaping the Sculptamold into the needed landforms off the layout, letting it harden, then gluing it to the PVC Genesis board. Otherwise the moisture in the still damp Sculptamold could interfere with the PVA drying (I like Titebond III Ultimate.)
Low relief land forms might work for me, but my actual plan is to build them, then simply lay them in place when the layout is displayed in iorder to minimze storage space and provide some flexibily. Others may find this works well to take some of the look of Nebraska "off the table" so to speak.
Changeable terrain what an interesting idea.
In that case it might be worth looking at how the wargames fraternity do their terrain and adapting that to something usable for model railroads they seem to use a lot of blue and pink foam no idea what the difference between the two is
It has to be light weight for easy transport to games and resiliant to cope with all those Ork's, Goblins etc tramping all over it so may be worth some investigation.
John,
Great tip about wargaming. Our rental house tenant is a big wargamer, orcs everywhere. I'm not sure he does 3D yet, but he does cast a lot of stuff somehow. I should ask to sit in to learn next time I get the opportunity. Might be some gold to mine there in that regard.
I actually was already planning on using foam, with it forming the bulk of the scenery while Scupltamold formed a layer over it. My layout is mostly like that, except it's stuck with a heavy permanent frame. Here I just want hills I can easily throw around.
I think the color difference is only brand name, with blue being Dow and pink being whoever owns the Pink Panther brand (darn ol' CRS)