I was messing around with track plan ideas, and one I came up with has very little area for staging. My idea was to have a lift gate that could both lift above one’s head (So about 75’ Inches) and drop below to a small staging yard (About 40’ inches). Are these kind of mechinisms possible?
David,
Maybe. Sounds like a job for one of the elevator designs I’ve seen used in various ways to connect levels without a helix or to access staging. The problem is that most of them presume the back side is against a wall, rather than being a walk-under as you desire. Depending on the length or mechanism, you’ll need to build something with a free span and two separate lift mecahnisms that can operated in tandem. That will be a little harder to do in order to compensate for any seasonal changes in the gap/alignment between the ends across the aisle it spans.
I have seen a display layout that had a lift bridge for access to the interior. There was a deep doorframe like structure with the lift part between two wide boards on either side of the opening.
So yes it can be done. You’ll have to do some research and probably some experimentation to get one that operates realiably with multiple stops. Sorry I don’t remember who had the layout I saw.
Good luck
Paul
I’m planning something very similar, although it will likely only have a single track on it, and will be more like 48" to 75". As long as the supporting structure is solid and doesn’t move, which could pinch the moving portion and jam it, and the moving portion moves evenly - doesn’t get tilted to one side, which again would jam it, I see no reason why this shouldn’t work. Some very long drawer or rack guides are the sort of thing that are needed, mounted vertically, to guide each side of the moving part.
–Randy
So, is this to be a “train elevator” that lifts a whole train in one piece? Think about how long your trains are going to be.
Yes, it can be done, but to keep that kind of thing smooth and level throughout its range of travel, and to provide for reliable alignment at the top and bottom, it’s going to be a pretty tricky piece of engineering. I would use a screw mechanism as the transport. I think MR had one of these in an issue a few years back.
Before starting on something like this, consider other alternatives. Could you set up a temporary staging area, or perhaps a roll-around that sits on a tea cart? I think I would go with a helix to a lower level for staging before trying to build a train elevator.
Oh wait, mine is not a train elevator, it’s simply a liftup for access to the layout. My thinking is, since you will be coming down 2 steps from the landing to the floor, having the whole thing slide up to walkunder clearance is a better option than having somethign that’s hinged on one side and swings up. No trains will be on mine when moved.
–Randy
I think the OP is talking about simply providing access to the layout for a person to walk through, so it doesn’t have to be any wider than 30 inches and just deep enough to hold the scene. But the bridge has to be able to go down to under layout staging.
I’m not sure why he just can’t use a lift out section to bridge staging, but rather wants it to be slid up on guides.
Are there tracks at both the 75" and 40" heights and the lift gate slide up an down during operation to bridge the gaps?
I think what you want to do is doable. There are some unique lifts shown on You-Tube (might take some searching). Depending on how handy and creative you are it should not be too difficult. You should be able to get metal tubing at the scrap yard and with counter weights, have it easily slide up and down on those. Have something to lock it in position.
Good luck.
the idea for the layout is an Industrial Switching layout so it would only be about 5-6 cars per train. I actually thinking of trying to write an article for this layout so I wanted to make sure I was doing something feasible 
I think it could be fairly simple. I wou ld use four pieces of conduit with one verically in ea ch corner of the lift up. Clearance holes would keep things alligned. A cable on each end over a pulley with appropriate weight attached would make it weight neutral and a latch of some type could lock it at the appropriate heights. Should cost under $50.00.
Like this?