I am a new modeler with a lot to learn. I am attempting to build a layout for my daughter and my hopeful her children so that I can pass on the hobby to them. It is going to be a 2 X 8 layout based on the David Barrow concept of dominoes that was published in Model Railroader many months ago. Its concept will be based on a switching concept. I am using ¾ inch birch for the sub roadbed and ¼ inch lauan plywood for the roadbed itself. I have placed Plexiglas bumpers on both ends of the two modules to prevent cars from falling off the ends. I have a nice shelf about 6 inches below the birch plywood frame to allow for storage. I have placed t-nuts in the bottom of each supporting leg to level the modules.
This is most confusing. Adjusting the nuts should be able to make them level regardless of the carpet or swelling or anything. Help me understand a little better. How are the modules held together? Are you leveling (with the level) from front to back as well as side to side? Are the legs slowly sinking into the carpet once they are set? And now a comment - For the bottom of my legs I don’t use hex bolts in the T-nuts. I use carriage bolts in the T-huts because of the round heads. That way the floor doesn’t have to be perfectly flat for them to work well.
That agrees with my observation. Atlas code 100 track can really take a beating. If code 83 is looked at cross-eyed it rips out of the plastic ties.
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I have wrestled for the last year with whet
First, I am sorry that I am confusing. I do have t-nuts in the bottom of each leg with a round head carriage bolt. I am holding the modules together with carriage bolts and nuts.I think the mistake that I made was that trying to obtain level at the joint of the two modules. I think my better approach would have been to get each separate table level first. Then do adjustment of the T-nuts and the carriage bolts in the leg. I do not have anything between the carriage bolt and the carpet. Do I need some of those rubber furniture leg holders in the bottom of the legs. The leg sinking into the carpet could have an effect on leveling.
I hope I made my issue a little more understandable. Please help.
What is the frame made of?
If you just have a flat sheet of plywood with legs and no frame, then yep, its gonna warp.
No dehusman. They are pine frame with legs that I have stained The framework and the legs strongly followed with some flexibility the Barrows domino plan that was shared in Model Railroader about a year ago…
Go to an ACE TRUE VALUE hardware store–don’t go to Home or Lowe’s because they dpn’t carry them–and get yourself what are called ELEVATOR BOLTS; these are flat approximately 1 3/8 inches in diameter and they come in a variety of shaft sizes designed to fit common size T-Nuts. These are the type bolts you find under stoves, refrigerators, washing machines, dryers, and machine tools–anything that needs leveled by ELEVATING the different corners.
Hang onto those carriage bolts–they will come in handy whenever you decide to build a carriage.
Thanks Poteet. I did not know about these type of bolts. My carriage bolts just have T-nuts to do the adjustment. i will give them a try.
Do you all think Atlas Code 100 custom-line turnouts are the way to go with my daughter’s layout since she or her kids do not have any railroad wiring for this type of modular layout? Or should I try insulfrog Pecos and hope we do not have to replace any feeders behind the points
I would value what all of you think? I would appreciate everyone’s thoughts.
My sectional layout also sits on carpet. Maybe the method I use will help.
The way I connect my sections together is with c-clamps. I line up two of the layout sections, then I clamp them secure with c-clamps. I repeat this again for each of the section connections and I adjust the leg bolts as needed.
I recently tried installing dowel rods as guides for lining up the sections of my layout to make it quicker and easier to connect the sections with the c-clamps. I am not sure what I did wrong, but it did not work at all and the sections were totally out of alignment. I removed the alignment dowel rods and went back to the c-clamps. I thought about connecting my layout sections together with bolts and washers, but my experience with the dowel rod guides convinced me to stay with what works for my layout.
You have to wrestle a little with the sections on carpet, but when they are clamped together the layout is level and in alignment. One-hand bar clamps would work even better (if you have the space to use them under the modules).
Again, I hope this helps.
Tom
Texas Zepher: If I may comment…
You seem to have forgotten that Atlas makes turnouts with NO motors attached to the side – eg: http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/150-285 (Atlas, Mark 4, code 100, # 8, left-hand). They are designed to work with motors mounted under the layout – eg: Tortoises, etc.
Yes, I have my own suggestion that builds on this one.
I’d personally use Atlas turnouts without the clunky turnout motors, and use hand thrown switches. It’s less expensive, and actually more realistic since many prototype switches are hand thrown as well. The switch can be lined by pushing or pulling the throwbar, or if your daughters are old enough, via Caboose Hobbies sprung (make sure you get the sprung, not the rigid!) ground throws.
These use a worm gear to move the throwbar with a level much like the prototype, except they’re a bit out of scale to allow for giant 1:1 scale fingers to throw them. They’re pretty rugged, just you need to make sure everyone knows that you have to use them to throw the turnout, not just push the points by hand, since it won’t work and it will destroy the ground throw.
I’m using these on my layout (click on the photo in my signature to visit the site) and they’re working beautifully for me. They keep the points from drifting out of position while a train is passing over them (it actually used to happen a lot), derailing the train. And throwing the switches with the levers adds a lot of “playability” to the whole hobby, since you’re emulating a switchman, except 83 times larger.
wcu:
Since you’re buying all new track, your best choice would be code 83. It’s no more expensive than C100, and it looks a lot better. It’s not flimsy at all. No HO track can really survive major trauma. 
The layout doesn’t have to be perfect. If it’s a little off-level, that’s okay, as long as the cars don’t go rolling all over the place. The T-nuts are a good plan, although my own railroad is resting on miscellaneous wood shims to compensate for a +/- 2" basement floor.
Have some fun with the trains. Since you want the kids to have fun with this too, you might want a continuous-run option, as well as switching. (Heck, some of us grown-ups like watching trains too, for that matter. [:)] )
Don’t bog down in overthinking stuff like I do. Often you won’t know what you should do until you’ve started it. Sometimes this includes things you thought you really wanted. Just don’t get super-heavily invested up front, and take small steps. For example, build part of your plan and run trains on bare plywood for a while, just to see how it works. At that point, changes are easy to make.
There should not be any “hope” to it. The Peco insulfrog should behave electrically identical to the Atlas.
I haven’t forgotten anything. I’ve been buying all types and styles of Atlas turnouts for 35 years. Every post can’t cover every possible combination of other products that could be substituted. In this case I choose a KISS answer. Neither have I forgotten that Atlas makes an under board switch machine too - in my opinion irrelevant to answering the question.
On the other hand, I would not recommend caboose ground throws for a children’s layout. The throwbar likes to jump out of its track or worse just break off.