I am planning a L-shape, or dogbone-type layout. I will move a bit(military), every 2-3 yrs or so, and will need it to be moveable, without breaking stuff. What should I use to be sturdy, and lightweight? Any help is appreciated!
You are a prime candidate for Dave Barrow's dominoe's methodolgy. It is too hard to describe here, so go to your local excellent train model shop and ask there for old Model Railroader magazines which carry articles on this idea. Basically you are building your own modular units that can come apart easily and go back together. Perfect for the military family. Captain Rick Nicholson Canadian Army Reserves 2573 6th Field Army Cadets
I have this all thought out being in the military myself. I am going to keep my layouts in 4x8 units. when it comes time to move, make riser blocks and screw them to the 4x8 sheets and cover them with 4x8 sheets of 1/4" laun ply wood. I just mad a 2"x4" frame around the 3/4 plywood. I think this will hold up to the moving companies. But we have all had those goverment moving night mares.
I thought about my post and realize that you are probably new so I would suggest you put this same post in another forum, in Yahoo. The forum is the layout design Group (SIG). Type NMRA (national model Railroad Association) in a major search engine like Yahoo. When the home page for NMRA comes up, look on the left as you scroll down. You will see a spot that says something like - "Special Interest Groups." Hit on the Special Interest Groups... then scroll down to Layout Design Group and then bounce over to their site from there. The reason I recommend this is that this group specializes in layout design and Dave Barrow is well known there. Many will actually be able to tell you what issues of Model Railroader you need, and there might be a site or two they can bounce you to. Also if you do sign up with the Layout design group at Yahoo, specify you don't want to receive emails, you'll read the postings on the web site. If you don't do that, you will literally end up with 25-40 emails a day in your mail box. [ 15 March 2001: Message edited by: rsn48 ]
Go to The Model Train Magazine Index select search "by keyword" and enter "BARROW,DAVID" - this will give you a list of back issues to look for - as well as issues that feature his layout so you can see what it ends up looking like.
Hemi, Sir!, may I respectfully suggest one of several possibilities, Sir!? Get a large trunk of a size you can afford, but as large as will be practical for your type of travel. (A General could have a A Steamer Trunk moved for him, you may have to move your own.) Be that as it may... Stand the trunk on its end and open it up. Measure the inside of the large side, then measure the small (lid) side. You can obtain fairly stiff modules by making a frame from 1/4" plywood strips about 1-1/2" by length of trunk, with cross strips the length of trunk width. Do not use glue, use epoxy to "glue" framework together and bond blue or pink extruded foam board inside the frame. You may have to forgo scenery like houses, mountains, etc. if you wish maximum trackage, because the trunk will hold more modules with just track, than modules with houses on them. Say your trunk is 18" deep on the large side, by 18" wide, by 30" long. You could then figure 9 modules 2" thick x 18" wide x 30" long, could fit. This would leave the lid side available to pack engines, transformer, cars, and track cleaning, and some repair parts and a few magazines in. The modules would connect locking together with suitcase latches. All wireing would be plug-n-play. Basically you should by now get the idea that you can have a railroad in a trunk and take it with you. Your N scale equipment can have a complete loop, and a number of switching operations. You have choices as to how you connect these modules, and where you run track, depending upon the expected space to set it up at your possible locations. If this sounds like something you could use, e-mail me and I'll help you set it up, if you can get hold of tools and a place to work. The trunk should be fairly sturdy since it will probably be shipped by the Military, so will probably also be the most expense, the rest is not expensive. However you lay out the 9 modules, you would have 33-3/4 sq.ft. of surface to work with. It can be 4-1/2 ft x 5 ft or 2-1/2ft x 13-1/2ft, see? Like dominoes, you don't have to have that many modules, but that would be the theoretical max for this trunk. Think about it.
You can also check page.....114 I think, not sure.... of the Jan 2001 issue of MR. The story was on a Nscale layout built in a closet. Might be what your looking for since you PCS alot.
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by TC: I have this all thought out being in the military myself. I am going to keep my layouts in 4x8 units. when it comes time to move, make riser blocks and screw them to the 4x8 sheets and cover them with 4x8 sheets of 1/4" laun ply wood. I just mad a 2"x4" frame around the 3/4 plywood. I think this will hold up to the moving companies. But we have all had those goverment moving night mares.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> BE careful with the 4x8 size. I'm in the military too and have tried and failed with 4x8. That can work if all you ever do is move in CONUS and always move via van (truck). Ir you're willing to leave things behind if you go overseas or Hawaii etc. 4x8 is probably okay. The crates used for a crated overseas move won't handle anything as big as 4x8. I've got some 2x6 modules the stack up pretty well and fit in the crates used for oversees shipments. They made it to Hawaii just fine. Check out the NMRA webpage for links to their modular standards and you can use those. You might even get lucky and find a club that uses the same standards. Good luck.
Actually, I revised my ideas: I think I'll do a modular deal, and make it have collapsible legs, add-able risers/cover and side plywood sheets. I appreciate the feedback!
Where do I find Ntrak/oNetrak standards online? If I do the modules with a standard, I may be able to bring a module to a show or a local club. That would be flexible, an universally connectable to other Ntrak/oNetrak layouts.
Hemiadd2d, there have been a couple of articles that mentioned having started with a module to standards, that were incorporated into the home layout. At odd occasions the module was removed and set up at a show. You could do the same thing, make modules, then having planned ahead, your home layout would be partially completed by the time you can start your home layout.
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by HemiAdda2d: Where do I find Ntrak/oNetrak standards online? If I do the modules with a standard, I may be able to bring a module to a show or a local club. That would be flexible, an universally connectable to other Ntrak/oNetrak layouts.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Try Ntrak Home page You should get a good start there.
