When I decided to build a layout in my basement there were some things that I wanted it like
I wanted it to be built in about 8 sections for two different reasons. #1 so if I ever decide to move from here I wanted it to be in seven or eight sizes that would fit out of my basement door. Also so that it would not be around the wall of my basement so when I move I will not have to use a chainsaw to remove it. #2 If I wanted to add onto my layout it would be just easy to add a new section as I just recently did to make room inside of the layout for friends who may come over. If I really want to I can remove a section and build another one just the same size but different scenery. My layout is semi-modular, but only to fit my building style not to the NMRA
I also left two sidings on areas of my layout that appeared to have room in that area to add on at some point later on if I decided to.
Is your layout built with similar things to be made easy to upgrade or move or is yours built to be Destroyed upon moving? What things have you done to make your future expandings much easier?
Mine is plywood an 2X lumber with 2" of pink foam. The plywood is cut in 4’ X 68" sections, reinforced with 2X, and built as individual sections. I screw the sections together through the 2X lumber from underneath. I will need to cut some track pieces, but that’s all I need to do to move it.
I am on a limited budget for Model RR’ing, so I built a service area first. I have a turntable, roundhouse, freight car repair bldg and a small 2 bay loco shed that I use for my crane and tender, and a rotary plow. I also have a 2 track sand and fueling pad. A small yard is between the freight car repair area and the loco shed. On 1 end, I have a pair of turnouts. One leg on each of the turnouts face each other, and about 30" apart, and form the end of a loop, while the other leg on each points away from the loop, waiting the construction of the next phase, which will be industries and such.
I know a lot of people here have thought that a service area takes up a lot of space with not much interest, but mine is all railroad related. I prefer this to a town, which also takes up space and is not railroad related. On my empire, the town is always out of sight, except for the industries.
I have a siding, that conveniently points towards a temporary wall that could quickly vanish in a land grab as I take over my wife’s silk ribbon storage room [:D][}:)]
Yup, designed it that way from the start. The current section is made of of four tables bolted together, each 2’x8’ . It’s not modular, the track is laid continuously over it, but if I had to I could cut at the joints and remove it. As the expansion works its way around the rest of the room, I will continue building these same 2’x8’ tables except possibly in the main yard area where more width is needed.
my layout is built so that it cannot be taken down and moved…if i do, then most of the track will get destroyed because i’lll have to disassemble the entire benchwork to get it through the door…(that’s one thing about Texas…there aren’t any basement houses and everything must go thru a door) but, the only consolation to my layout is that I don’t plan on moving ever again…i’m going to retire in this house (unless i’m too old and feeble and end up in a rest home) so the layout is going to be a permanent fixture…after i die i feel sorry for the poor guy that does take it down…it’s in there solid as a rock!..Chuck
My last layout was built in 2x4 or 2x6 sections. I’ll never build another sectional layout again! Too many severe, unpowered track joints, too many seams to effectively hige, the sections actually cost more in material than a traditional layout, and I had huge track problems every time the humidity changed. And I ended up throwing the whole thing away anyway when I moved and ended up with a completely different basement space. Nope; normal layout construction is the way for me from now on.
Not really. I designed the house I live in, and chose the size of train room that I wanted. I actually drew the track plan before ground was broken for the house. That plan consumed almost every available square foot in the alotted space. I have been doing a little tweaking during construction, but the layout is basicly maxed out. Even though the plans were drawn more than 6 years ago, I am still very happy with layout’s concept. l never plan to move, though the benchworh was built in sections.
By the way Al, it’s nice to see you making positive contributions here, keep up the good work.[8D][^]
Mine is based on a 5x7 base layout then added on 2x8 section and then another 2x10 section. All are built table like with legs that were then pushed against the wall and screwed into place, The whole thing can be taken apart, I planned it that way, but it would be messy and would destroy alot of the eventual scenery in some places, but it could be moved.
There are always days in which I dream of taking over the entire house so I leave places on the layout open for expansion. I can add a wing on just about anytime and make it different lenghts as needed.
My Yuba River Sub is a garage railroad (California Basement) and pretty much takes up everything except the one wall where I have my tools. However, it is expandable to that one wall, and my Spring Project is going to be laying out a large 8-track staging area, accessable by a lift-out bridge section from the layout. Just finished negotiations with myself, and about the last of March, I’m headed over to Home Depot armed with my trusty ATM to raid their lumber and extruded foam insulation sections. There’s also room to put in that roundhouse and turntable that I salvaged from my first layout, so I’ll be a busy, happy camper for a while. Egad, it’s FUN being an Empire Builder, isn’t it?
Tom[:D][}:)][}:)]
I’m building a sectional layout. I started out by building an extremely sturdy shelf, so I could mount the sections on the shelf, and thus avoid some of the problems associated with modular building like dead track sections. Right now I only have two main segments, linked together by a length of 6" sectional track–and the join between the two is probably the most reliable part of the layout. I have a “prototype” section as well, but because it was a prototype there were a couple mistakes on it that I hope to correct before attaching it to the rest of the layout. Eventually the layout will go all the way around my 8x18 no-car garage, but that could take some time…and if I ever move it will be relatively simple to move the layout components.
Yes. I built it to be separated into two sections by cutting through the top and the long elements of the frame. There are short pieces of track in the crucial areas that can be cut or removed. Once split in two the layout can be packed in two matress boxes for transport. If we ever move into a house with a basement the BRVRR could be used as a branch line. I am currently planning to add a staging yard. This is complicated somewhat by the fact that the yard will have to ‘roll’ with the main table. I’ll work it out.
Again, in a word, yes. The BRVRR was planned and built to be expandable and movable with a little work.
What kind of things do you do to make a layout expandable with a minimum amount of destruction to the existind layout? Track, landscape and scenery wise I mean.
When it comes down to scenery track and all I do nothing different in the case that I move or break it down. The track rolls right over the sections as if they were not there. If I have to I will just cut the track with a dremel and easily reattached. I plan on cutting on on side about three inches so that when I reattach it the cut is not over the section that is removed. As for scenery you need to do nothing. The ground foam will just easily come away from just the line that is screwed together to make another section. As for scenery it is so very easy to reapply plaster cloth that you just cut it with a razor (expandable boxcutter) and it will separate. The only real reason to do it in sections is to avoid having to hack it up in many different pieces that will never go back together just to remove it. You just have to unbolt or unscrew the 3" screws to hold each section. Your only worry is to cut the track and some scenery but thats all. Those are cosmetic fixes when putting back together.
I went as far as to not use a solid buss line underneath my layout. The buss line DOES NOT need to be one complete length and side by side. Mines is about five different pieces and they are just twisted and have those yellow screw caps from the electrical department holding them together. I have no electrical problems and never have. when I separated my layout I unscrewed the caps and then the screws or bolts and boom was done.
I will gladly walk you thru my steps taking if you request and provide pictures also. You can do it though!! Good luck
My layout was built to be removed is needed.
8 sections held together with nuts & bolts.
The track plan is also built so that I can expand the branch line another 9 feet into a bookshelf with 2 identicle staging yards underneath.
Providing of course the better half allows for expansion.
I use a six-inch section of sectional track as a joiner between layout sections, rather than butting track between sections. I also try to put natural scenic divides like streets on the edge of a section. I don’t really mind having a narrow “gap” of sorts between my modules, although since mine is a city-based layout I have lots of ways to hide long, straight lines.
There are tricks one could use–such as a row of bushes or other foliage. Two sections of fake-fur grass would meogether pretty well if they were applied over both modules, then cut apart–just bruhem together to hide the seam between them.