02-23-2021, 12:03 PM
Frank, my comment was on the lift bridge in the link which Tom posted, but your swing bridge looks to me to be perfectly serviceable, too. It's also something that any of us with some carpentry skills could create.
While my carpentry "skills" were sufficient to build the house in which I live, I opted for a couple of lift-out sections at the entrance to my layout room (my layout is partially double-decked).
Each lift-out is 3/4" plywood and each fits snuggly into U-shaped 3/4" plywood brackets, screwed to the layout's fascia. There's no "play" in the fit, so track alignment is guaranteed, without need for periodic adjustments.
The on-layout track is cut back from the edge of the layout, so when the lift-out is not in-place, there are no rail-ends protruding into the aisle, so no chance of someone's clothing catching on anything, and damaging either the track or clothing.
The rails do overhang the ends of the lift-out sections, but when not in place, they're stored, on-edge, leaning against the layout, out of harms-way....
Here's one of the brackets on the upper level's fascia....
...and with the lift-out in place...
Each lift-out is equipped with a 5-pronged plug for providing power to the section of track on the lift-out, and when unplugged, and the lift-out removed, also kills the approach tracks on either side of the aisle...
Here's the end of the track at the aisle near GERN Industries, showing how the rails and ties are cut-back to protect them from damage...
...and the mating lift-out which fits into that bracket...
...and with the lift-out in place...
Wayne
While my carpentry "skills" were sufficient to build the house in which I live, I opted for a couple of lift-out sections at the entrance to my layout room (my layout is partially double-decked).
Each lift-out is 3/4" plywood and each fits snuggly into U-shaped 3/4" plywood brackets, screwed to the layout's fascia. There's no "play" in the fit, so track alignment is guaranteed, without need for periodic adjustments.
The on-layout track is cut back from the edge of the layout, so when the lift-out is not in-place, there are no rail-ends protruding into the aisle, so no chance of someone's clothing catching on anything, and damaging either the track or clothing.
The rails do overhang the ends of the lift-out sections, but when not in place, they're stored, on-edge, leaning against the layout, out of harms-way....
Here's one of the brackets on the upper level's fascia....
...and with the lift-out in place...
Each lift-out is equipped with a 5-pronged plug for providing power to the section of track on the lift-out, and when unplugged, and the lift-out removed, also kills the approach tracks on either side of the aisle...
Here's the end of the track at the aisle near GERN Industries, showing how the rails and ties are cut-back to protect them from damage...
...and the mating lift-out which fits into that bracket...
...and with the lift-out in place...
Wayne