Was thinking about how to have more switching in the same place & came up w/ this idea of stacking them on some kind of apparatus to move them up & down. My friend Jim Fuhrman of the Orange County Module Club came up w/ doing it by a having a large threaded rod turned by an electric motor. It will need some kind of guides on the ends. My original idea was to use the Sipping & Switching Society of NC waffle frame module design to keep the weight down while being super strong. But Jim did suggest using 2" Styrofoam but wonder if they would sag. Maybe use the S&SSofNC waffle frame on the sides. The modules, guides & rod will be mounted on a 4' x 6' board doubling as a backdrop.
The Los Angeles Junction RY is an industrial switching RR about 3mi. SE of downtown LA. It has about 64 miles of track in a 2mi. X 5 mi. area. There are 22 switching "Leads" coming out of 3 yards in Commerce, Maywood & Vernon CA.
Given my layout room is 10' x 14' will only be doing 9 leads & one yard on 78 sq. ft. of modules arranged in an "E" shape. There will be 4 2' x 6' modules plus a 2' x 8' one. The stacked modules will be on the middle leg of the E. Not sure yet if there will 4 or 5 stacked leads.
All comments & suggests are welcome.
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This is certainly thinking outside the box and an very interesting idea Andy. I know I've seen some articles about "train elevators" in some publications over the past few years, but can't recall which ones. I think one of them was in one of those model railroad planning mags that MR publishes. Something like "More Layout - Less Space" as I recall. The same concept could be used for your idea. Trickiest part would be to keep the sections level as you move each one into position, but it can certainly be done.
That 2 inch thick styrofoam is pretty hefty stuff and I doubt it would sag. I've got some 1 inch thick and even 3/4 inch around here and even stored leaning against the basement wall for a couple of years, it's still just as flat as the day I got it. A few years ago, I laminated two 48 inch long by 12 inch wide pieces of 3/4 inch thick styrofoam to make it 1-1/2 inches thick for a display I was making and I can tell you it will break in two before it will flex. And of course it weighs practically nothing.
Will be very interested to see if you proceed with this idea. By the way, that LAJ is one interesting railroad operation!
On Lostock Junction, Mike has a cassette system using the metal version of 2x4s (the construction type) which are actually a C shape and big enough to run HO track down the 2" side. His layout is big enough that there are 3 stacked loops with straight sides long enough to take an 8' cassette that the trains just run through. And another section where the spares (empty and full) can be stored.
I think Mike is still the only operator brave enough to change over a cassette with 7 feet of train in it.
They have some sort of fancy wiring connections in them.
Is there any way to enlarge the photos/diagrams, please?
shortliner Wrote:Is there any way to enlarge the photos/diagrams, please?
With "solid" bench-work, how would handle the lighting between modules with only 8" (203mm) of available space?
To raise and lower it you could use a system similar to woodworking planers which has threaded rod in the four corners connected by chain and sprockets. It is actuated by a crank or motor.
Mark
Here it is only 4 high w/ "backdrops".
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At 10" wide not too worried about lighting etc as any structures will be building flats on backdrops. Just have to figure a reliable way to power tracks.
Andy - many thanks for doing that
I think the question with this sort of thing always comes down to execution. One issue is that if there's no basic layout, how likely is it that you're suddenly going to build something as complex as a tape storage unit for a first-time project?
ow... I may be lazy
but I wouldn't go to all the trouble of building the "rack or E" as you say. I would build the individual shelves as modules and just slide (or drop) them into the cutout on the layout as i wanted to.
All you would need is a few wooden or metal supports on the layout - cutout - to support the individual cartridges (shelves) and you could store the shelves under the laout within easy reach....
ngauger Wrote:ow... I may be lazy but I wouldn't go to all the trouble of building the "rack or E" as you say. I would build the individual shelves as modules and just slide (or drop) them into the cutout on the layout as i wanted to.
All you would need is a few wooden or metal supports on the layout - cutout - to support the individual cartridges (shelves) and you could store the shelves under the layout within easy reach....
The point of having the stacked leads (shelves, modules) is for the cars to stay on them & to stay put w/o any handling. Learned from my module club days the less handling the better!
The "E" is the shape of the whole layout & has nothing to do w/ the stacked leads other than being against the middle leg of the E.
Oh.. OK --- i missed that somewhere
If you want to keep cars on the different modules, then yes, your way is better
I was thinking you just wanted different track plans, but you want plans and storage.
Now I'm anxious to see construction pics and of course, finished pics!!!!
I think the bottom line is what's involved in other "planning" threads on many forums -- show us some photos of progress on the actual layout! A paper mockup ain't a layout!