There is a modular system for N scale called Bend track that I am very impressed with. Is there an equivilent system for HO scale??
Free-mo does not have track on both sides as Bend track does, but it is very flexible and works well…
The Free-mo site seems to be down right now at:
There is also a Yahoo group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Free-mo/
Here is an active club or two with some examples, standards, etc.
http://www.trainweb.org/freemoslo/
http://www.geocities.com/NorCalFreemo/
Jon
I am looking for a standard very similiar to the N Bend track specifications…including double track on both sides. Push comes to shove I may just take the Bend track spec and scale it to HO, but am hoping such a standard already exists.
Short version: no.
BeNdTrak takes advantage of N scale’s ability to fit a lot of railroad in a small space to put double-track mains on each side of a 2-foot wide module. To do the same thing in HO you’d need modules at least 3 feet wide, and 4 feet would be better. Then there are the turnback “balloons” at the ends - they’d have to be at least 4 feet wide to even give you an 18" radius on the inside main. To get a more typical modular-layout radius (30 inches) would require a turnback module almost 6 feet wide and long. That’s simply too big to be portable enough for most modular groups.
You could design such a system, but be aware that they’d be incompatible with any existing modular layouts in your/our area, which all most of which use some variation on the NMRA module spec - modules are 2’ by 4’ with a double-track main line at 2" and 4" from one edge of the module. The exception - the "Free-Mo "inspired UMG - use 2’ wide modules with a centered single-track main.
If you’re thinking of using a modular system to build a home layout that can be moved from house to house, it’d be better to use your own design,. The existing standards are designed for a much higher degree of mobility than is required to make a home layout convenient to move.
Hope this helps!
With HO there is so little space for scenery on a 2 foot wide module, so that trying to put two sets of tracks on is really going to limit any scenic effect. I suppose if all one wants to do is assemble modules and run the trains in loops it would be OK. The balloon modules are going to have to be a minimum of 40" wide just to fit an 18" radius turn on it. We have a balloon for our single sided module units, that take a whole 48" just so we could get a 22" radius curve out of it. They are NOT fun to transport. That is why most modular HO layouts have the standard 36"x36" corner modules with one double set of tracks on them. It takes four of this type of module because they each only turn 1/4 a circle. But that way one can get 31" and 28" radius curves repectively on the two lines.
Here are two of my children’s HO modules. Note how shallow 2 feet looks. The N-Bend concept would suggest halving that.
as usual click on the photo to enlarge