In another thread I’ve asked for feedback on my trackplan.
Here I want to ask for suggestions on how to cover my layout when it’s not in use. The idea is that the modules (3 of 80x40 cm) will sit on a buffet-style cupboard and when not in use, the structures will be removed and a hard wooden cover will be put on top of the modules, covering the tracks and other (very) low scenery.
Has anyone designed such a cover? Care to post some pictures or a link?
Thanks,
Colin
Is the purpose of the cover to minimize dust and dirt, or is it to give the room a pleasant finished appearance when the layout is not being enjoyed? Either way there is a certain psychology involved here – the more difficult and awkward it is to remove that cover, and store it when operating, all the more reason there will be to very rarely enjoy your layout.
if I was to attempt such a cover my first thought would be to try to make it out of foam core. With careful work a foam core “shed” or box can be neat and clean looking. White looks great on an architectural model but if this cover will be moved often. white can show finger prints and smudges over time, so I think I’d go with black foam core board. It would take just a couple of small “handles” on the top to make it easily removable. The only problem with foam core is that it is easily dented.
If it needed to have a furniture-like appearance there are some wood-based foam products around, but I’d almost be tempted to go with balsa wood, perhaps treated with sanding sealer to fill the deep grain and stained. Balsa also shows dents of course.
The common element is that foam core and balsa are both light enough that you could simply lift the cover off, the way a restaurant waiter would remove the cover from a fancy plated dinner. Lightness of construction is important unless you get into an elaborate set of pulleys.
I have also seen layout covers that are in essence a series of horizontal window shades, pulled from a sprung loaded roller which also retracts them when not in use.
And at another layout a series of very subtle holes in the layout would hold removable U shaped steel rod braces making a sort of circus tent frame over the layout, over which sheets of plastic or a tarp would be carefully placed. But it looked like more trouble than it was worth, and was NOT attractive or “living space” worthy bu
Years ago I made a switching layout built on two 2’ x 4’ sections, each with a low “backdrop” (a 1" x 6" board painted sky color). For storage or transport , the sections were disconnected and the one section was flipped upside-down and placed on top of the other so that the backdrops served as the sides of the resulting box. The track and scenery were protected inside the box.
You could make the exterior of the box with finished surfaces if desired.
The construction was plywood on a 2" x 2" frame with peg board covering the bottom of each section to protect the wiring and switch machines. The control panel was split between the two sections so only two electrical plugs were needed, one for track power and one for switch control.
I hope this provides food for thought.
Jim
John Armstrong, in his Murphy Bed and Credenza design, had the fixed yard rigged with a fold-down lid which served as the upper two thirds of the backdrop when it was vertical. The whole idea was to give a furniture look to a finished room layout. It also answers the question, “Where do I put this thing while I’m running trains?”
He did recommend that the lid/cover be sloped, to discourage people from using it as a parking place for odd ends of whatever. Don’t know about you folks, but in my house horizontal surfaces are junk magnets.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
I have a layout it’s only 32" X 72" and it sit on a table in a Small room. I noticed after a while not being used dust built up. So every time I wanted to run my trains, I would need to clean the track and buildings. The grass wasn’t as green as when I first built it because of the dust built up. So I bought some Plasticglass and built a cover. Now I can run the trains and keep the cover on. It keeps it clean and the cover can be remove if I need to work on it.
Hi Colin:
About ten years ago I built a garage layout along one wall. The width ranged from 2 to 4 feet. I wanted a cover, being that the layout is in a non-climate-controlled garage that had its share of unwanted pests and bugs, not to mention dust. I also wanted a cover that could be quickly and easily removed or set in place.
I built a cover using hardboard for the vertical front pieces, each 2 to 4 feet in length and of sufficient height as to clear any structures and scenery. The layout was topped by large 1" foam board sections that simply sat upon the edge of the hardboard and leaned against the garage wall to form a slope of about 25 degrees. The slope cannot be so small that the foam board slides down the far side (the garage wall). These pieces were easily removed. The hardboard pieces on the other hand were kept in place using wall hanging brackets. These are the type where one bracket is attached to the wall (layout fascia) and the other attached to the hardboard. To remove them, I simply lifted the hardboard pieces vertically out of the fascia brackets.
This method covered all 22 feet of my layout with success. It kept the layout relatively clean during the long periods of inactivity. Granted, it did not look the best with the pink foam core boards covering the layout, but it was in my garage.
Mike
Yes, I believe Model Railroader should occasionally feature shelf layout on its cover.
More often than occasionally, if you ask me! 
Random suggestion - have an two part lid that is fastened by hinges at the bottom of the front fascia, which folds up to go straight up at the front, and to slope backwards from the upright part to the wall, clearing structures on the layout, and fastens to the wall/backdrop with a magnet.
Hanging down like an apron while railroad is being worked on or trains run: 
Folded up when layout is not in use - might be smart to have a neat finish on the side being out when layout is covered:
Having something that could stay attached to the layout while you use the layout and which could be opened or closed with one hand would make it a lot more likely that a cover would actually be used when you are not working on the layout.
OTOH - I don’t know if it would be a showstopper to have an “apron” hanging down in front of the cupboards below the layout when you are using the layout. One obviously should do something to prevent damage to the cupboards below - maybe some kind of padding on the corners of the lid.
Or put a shelf over the layout to hold lights etc, and then add a slatted door like on a rolltop desk (i.e. vertical slatted doors) or on a tambour desk (i.e. horizontal slatted doors). Might take a friendly furniture capenter to make it look good, but it will look really furniture quality.
Smile,
Stein