I just used a cheapo Black and Decker jig saw. My dimensional accuracy comes from the 1 x 4 MDF pieces themselves, so the top just needs to cover them. I always run a disk sander around the top to ensure that nothing hangs over that would interfere with the mating of the modules or the installation of the masonite facia. Good luck!
Forget the door layouts, im gonna build one of these modules; an amazingly good, versatile idea, and when I move, can just add more modules! 11" deep is plenty to add a background industry and 1 or 2 sidings too, for those of us who may be so inclined. Seeing these loooong straight stretches of railroad dosent make the "model moderns!" urge any less intense, though I should be able to model a stretch of the C&O "somewhere along the New River" easily with this method. Versatile, beautiful, and easy; probably the best layout method Ive read about. Thanks so much for sharing this! Amanda
You're very welcome! Thanks for the kind comments. I really need to get going on the current "MUC" (module under construction).
Although this is an old discussion, this came up in another conversation in the layout design section. I am curious to know what the final outcome was on this layout. Where are you Norseman Jack? Is this no longer a layout?
Ha ha, you guys beat me to it. This was one of my favorite threads and I was just going to ask him if he has any more pics on the finished layout
Thanks for the kind comments gentlemen! The layout, like myself, is still here but really just a few years older with not much to show for it. :teeth: I started down the path to some more elaborate modules (with crossovers and a small yard), but after a bit of progress I kind of lost interest. When my hobby starts to become just another "to-do" list, I try to just let it be (which I have for probably too long). I have a concept in mind for a next generation shelf layout, that will be in many respects even simpler than what I did with the layout in this thread. It will still be a shelf configuration, but likely two layers with a supporting layer (also acting as a "duct" for wiring) and drop in layout panels that will be very simple and free format. At risk of opening a can of thread worms, I intend to use 100% Unitrack. I really liked the Atlas code 55, and had plenty of components to "finish" the layout, but I just don't really enjoy the trackwork. I'll be sure to post photos once I get going, but it might be another year or two. I still fire up the layout and run trains periodically, which is great!
Good to know the old layout is still intact. We'll look forward to seeing how the next endeavor progresses.
Note: this is a restored original post. My original photos were all hosted on a Comcast server. Unfortunately, Comcast removed personal webpages from their internet service several years ago, so despite my best intentions for a robust host, the photo links throughout this thread were lost. I may restore additional posts as time permits. My home N scale layout is a bit unconventional. It combines the shelf layout approach with the modular approach; resulting in a portable, easy-to-build layout that consumes very little space. I've been using this approach for several years and have found it to be both enjoyable and very reliable. Although based upon proven layout design concepts, this particular approach is of my own design and bears little resemblance to more conventional approaches (such as the Ntrak standard). As I am now beginning construction of a pair of new modules, I thought this would be a good opportunity to share this approach through a sequential, photo-enhanced overview. Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF) is the primary base material in my module construction. This material comes up from time to time in these forums, and is usually given a thumbs-down for usage in general layout construction. Relative to other materials, it is heavy and soft. While these are certainly concerns in building larger items, they are of little concern in small (e.g. 11" x 48" or 11" x 72") shelf modules. The advantages of MDF are its workability (easy to cut, lack of splinters), uniformity (absolutely flat and straight) and availability (my Home Depot has sheets and dimensional pieces in many sizes). The two modules I'll be addressing are both 11" x 72". Home Depot will cut MDF sheets to any size, so I had them cut a 4 x 8 sheet into four 71.5" x 10.5" sections. By having them do it, the pieces are much more uniform than I could generate with my saber saw. The other materials at this point are 1x3 and 1x4 MDF strips and a tube of Liquid Nails Panel Adhesive. My modules are basically upside down boxes, and the “box” construction is what I will be addressing with this post. My only real investment in tooling to support module building was the purchase of a good quality miter box. Mine is a manual one that cost less than $40, but it makes great cuts in the MDF with little effort. I used to use both adhesive and deck screws, but have found that it is easier to just glue most of this. Only the ends of the modules experience any real stress, so that is the only place I reinforce with screws. I’ll add the screws to the end after that adhesive fully cures and proceed from there. The next photo depicts cutting a piece of 1" extruded foam to exactly match the top of the 3" box. By setting the box on top of the foam, and cutting around it with a long, flexible blade the top of the foam will match the perimeter of the box very closely. This will be useful when I add profile boards later on. The second photo shows the foam in place, bringing the sub roadbed up to the nominal 4" height used on all of my modules. A few notes worth sharing at this point. First, that pink Owens-Corning 1" foam is the best I could find here in Tucson. It is sold at my Home Depot only in 1"x2'x8' sheets with tongue and groove features on the sides. Unfortunately, the forming process of the tongue and grooves causes the thickness to be irregular (typically thicker than 1") for about 4 to 6" from each edge. That's why I have the box positioned in the middle of the sheet. The other, taller box shown in my previous post will not have foam on it. This will be the only one to date with the MDF directly forming the sub-roadbed. The reason for this is that this module will have a number of turnouts mounted on it to form crossovers and sidings. By skipping the foam, I'll have only a 1/2" sub roadbed to route the switch linkage through, plus I have fully 3.5" of depth on the underside to accommodate mounting of tortoise switch machines. The tortoise's require slightly less than 3" in height, so this should work well. Now I just need to wait for Atlas to come out with the longer switches for the crossovers. Earlier I mentioned that the ends of the boxes would be reinforced with deck screws (actually, coarse drywall screws) and those are shown here. The pilot holes must be countersunk prior to screw installation to ensure that the screw heads are below flush with the surface.
The final task at this point is to run a sander around the perimeter. 1/4" masonite profile boards will be glued to all four sides, and this requires that the MDF top not protrude beyond flush with the dimensional pieces. A belt sander would be ideal, but a cheapo disk sanding attachment for an electric drill provides fast material removal and works well for this.
The next step is attachment of the end profile boards. First, it's back to the miter box. I use 1/4" masonite for profile boards and the local Home Depot does a great job cutting sheets into strips. A while back, I had them cut some 4" strips to make this step really easy. The miter box finishes the job with nice, square corners. The strips are cut to the exact width of the module, which should be 10.5" at this point. The next step is to layout some dimensions prior to attaching the end profile boards. This could be done later, but is much easier when they can be laid flat on the workbench. I use a square and center-punch all hole locations for later drilling. The second image is a scanned portion of the plans I use. It depicts a 2" foam depth, but is otherwise standard. The next step involves gluing the end profile boards onto the "box". You'll notice that I've set the box on top of two 1/2" MDF sheets to ensure that the profile board protrudes exactly 1" above the base when finished. Things are pretty straightforward at this point. First, I drill the 3/4" and 1/2" holes in the ends of the module. The modules are mated to each other by running 1/4" bolts w/washers through the 1/2" holes. That extra clearance allows for final alignment prior to tightening. The 3/4" holes allow for routing of wires from one module to the next.
The next step is to sand the end profile boards to ensure that they are flush with the sides, followed by a good once-over with a tack cloth. This is followed by spray painting the bottom and ends with flat black paint (were this the module without foam, this would also be a good time to paint the top to protect against moisture). The sides later have pre-painted profile boards glued on. Finally, the foam that I cut earlier is glued into place. If all went well, the fit at the ends should be very good. That’s pretty much it for the basic construction. At this point, there's not much time and money invested and the work can move into the air-conditioned house. In part two, I'll cover wiring, attachment of track and rough scenery work (including the side profile boards).
Here's the "standard" plan for a corner: The 33 5/8" dimensions on the sides are entirely determined by my specific room. It's coincidence that with 4' and 6' connecting straight modules that my corners wound up being square. The minimum radius on the curves works out to 25" on the configuration shown. Broad curves are a priority for me, so that is a plus. I should add that the corner module near the door to my room, has an irregular shape (just the back sides) to accomodate the room door opening. The construction approach is otherwise identical
Here’s a bit more info on the prototype area that this module will be based upon. As mentioned previously, this is a simple rural area where the CB&Q Aurora-Savanna line parallels US Highway 30 in Northern Illinois. This is the same trackage that crosses Daryl's C&NW mainline in Rochelle, but about 20 miles further East. Although the prototype is mostly single tracked, I'm taking some liberty and double-tracking it. Here's the basic scenery again: The two primary features besides the track and US30 will be the crossing of both with the DeKalb-Sugar Grove C&NW spur and the University road crossing: So, just how far apart are the tracks and US30? To help put this into perspective, the following is a link to a map of the prototype area showing the features I've described: Link To Prototype Map
