07-26-2009, 09:36 PM
Russ Bellinis Wrote:Also, if you don't install some sort of protection for the rails at each end of the module, you will need to have some sort of set back from the ends with joiner tracks. If you run your rails right to the end of the modules, the rails will tend to snag on things and be damaged. This brings up the point that even if you don't have switches and complicated track work at the module ends, if you have a lot of tracks coming to the end of a module, you will need a lot of joiner tracks that will take a lot of time to install every time you want to operate the module. Our club used to have a set of yard modules that made up 20 feet on one side of any set up. The yard was made up of 30" x 4 foot modules with 8-10 tracks per module. That meant that we needed to install 40 joiner tracks at every set up! The yard tied up 2 people an hour to an hour and a half at every set up! We now have a new yard the has rails going right to the end of the modules with aluminum or wood protector plates installed at each end for transit.
Thanks for the info Russ. Tracks on the edges of the modules has been one of the many things ive been thinking about. I would like to hear and know more about the protector strips that you guys put on the ends of the modules. This would be somthing i would be very much interested in doing. Do you have any pics or somewhere where i can read more about how to make them and such? Most of the modules ill be doing will have minimal track joints on the edges, at least im going to try and do this with the revisions LOL. Problem is, i wanna keep this as close to PROTO as i can, and this is going to mean in some cases that track joints on ends are going to be needed and wont be able to be modified lol. I wont have to worry about the yard, i plan on having the entire yard as part of the layout section of the plan....
Russ Bellinis Wrote:I think you are also still living at your parent's home. I would suggest building a couple or three modules that you can enjoy, and leave the construction of the yard and other modules for when you leave home and move into your own place. I know the temptation is to want everything now, but it just won't work as long as you share your parent's home.
Thanks for the advise, your right, it is hard and very tempting to just dive right into this and go all out, but your right, it would be best to wait until i get a place of my own with the room for this beast of a layout LOL. Im not even sure if i should build any of the modules right now, it might be overwhelming and i might start other modules while building the first ones LOL. I already have a few modules hanging on my walls that still need work, maybe i should work on them again for the time being and keep the M&ET plans open for a bit. I would like to be able to just work on this continuously rather then working on a couple modules and then having to stop for a while till i get a place big enough to house this layout lol. We'll have to see...