For a while there was a bunch of guys in Germany building micro layouts in Z, under the name of SKA, super kompakt anlage (Anlage means layout, the rest you can figure out ). See here: http://www.schwellenhopser.de/SKA3.htm And particularly here: http://www.zettzeit.ch/SKA.html And here: http://www.heinepedersen.com/briefcase/ (okay, he's from Norway... great set of layouts!) Hope you'll get inspired. Love to follow your progress here.
I’ve wanted a briefcase layout since I saw a coworker’s back in the late 1980’s. I believe it was a Marklin set at the time. I’ve made a couple of custom wooden briefcases as part of my woodworking time and buying some used Z scale equipment a couple years back helped make the dream reality. Overall it’s 29” x 23” x 5”. The lid detaches and has storage for rolling stock and the power cord. The hill in the back, right corner houses a step down transformer, filters, and regulator to keep the voltage under 9 volts so I don’t have to watch “guest” engineers as closely. This is all screwed into the case. There is a hook up for a 9V battery also. The track is glued down to foam insulation with wiring ran in grooves in the bottom side. I embedded a few pieces of plywood into the foam and drove screws up through the bottom to retain the foam board. It’s been a fun built so far and a first time using static grass. A few structure adds are my focus now.
Found my HUGE block control switch. 1-3 will be the train blocks and 4 will be any lights on the layout. Tested it already and it works!
Building a tool shed kit. The block control will be hidden in the building and will be in the corner where the switch picture is(right front). I have the Medved controller coming and it will be installed on the side of the case. Also I have a spare NCE plate I will install in the side of the case also so I can do DCC.
I got an idea just now. I will put the switch just inside the garage door of the shed. That way you just reach in with a small tool and throw the switches.
Got the walls built. Cut out a piece of styrene for a foundation and painted it with aged concrete. Will set the frame on top and look how the switch looks. A light will be put into the "office" and a wall will keep the light off the switch.
Got a 12v rechargeable battery pack and a 12v to 9v converter. 9v for DC and 12v for DCC controllers.
Did some more work on the case. You will love this modification. I added hinges to a piece of wood so it fits in slot in the back of the case. So the layout will lift up to access the bottom compartment. And if you really need to, remove the layout from the case still for working on it and not have the case get in the way. Everything will be attached to the bottom of the layout so it will function out of the case.
