I have my 4X8 layout on wheels and I was wondering if anybody else does this. It makes working on the back side easier and stores well against a wall. Some problems do occur however. Mine is in a basement and the floor slopes in various ways. Therefore, it is essential to put it back in the same place every time orstrange things happen with track alignment etc.
My 5x12 layout is also on wheels. I’ve got 6 legs on mine. My layout room is finished with a flat carpeted floor, so I don’t have any of the uneven floor things to worry about.
I used triangular gussets to brace the legs, so no additional leg bracing is needed at the corners. I did put cross-bracing in for the center legs, because I only had one dimension of stability from the gussets there.
This used to be very light, back when it was just a frame and a lot of foam. I’m actually kind of surprised how much weight I’ve added to it with the track, scenery, electronics and trains.
Absolutely, I have done the same thing. My backdrop is permanently attached to the wall and I push the layout up against it. The backdrop assures that it goes back as intended.
This works well to provide access to the backside and also takes up less floor space, as opposed to keeping it in the center of the room.
Many people have a hard time with this concept. They believe you need 24/7 access to all sides of a 4x8, 5x9, etc. This proves you do not.
Jim
I agree with you Soo…but I went a step further on ours. We’ve got our 5 X 7 on casters, and it folds up when we’re done with our sessions.
I mounted a marine actuator used on speedboat engine hatches on the cart to fold it up for storage in the garage
Makes life simple. The backdrops are removable and get stored when we’re not using them. Pardon how it looks overall, these shots were taken almost 1 1/2 years ago
Mine is 11’x12’ and on wheels. I can roll it our away from the wall (with some help) to get behind it.
Here’s one section under construction 15 months ago.
Bob;
That looks like a layout worthy of John Armstrong’s book, “Creative Model Railroad Design”.
Very ingenious.
Jim
| My old layout had wheels. This might be OFF TOPIC but it had a 5% grade. It was nasty! |
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My N scale layout is on wheels…I am in a wheel chair and it makes it much easier to pull out from wall to work on…The top folds down and right now the Christmas tree is on top of it…I have close down operations till New years but thats one of the things that go along with having your layout in the living room…Cox 47
Bruce,
I too have a 4X8,in the basement and in “the Peg”. Mine however is on a carpet and as that is on a laminate floor, I just grab a corner and skid it in order to get access the other side.
I must have missed that book Jim. I’ve read his layout design book. The layout doesn’t show it…[:)]
The table was born out of a need for space in the garage. Structures and trees suffer when someone tries to squeeze by. But it’s nice to open it up outside and get elbow room to work all around it.
Cox;
That’s a great setup you’ve got there…I like the tool caddy/shelf on top of the layout.
Luvadj thanks the tool caddy work shelf was my brothers idea he also built the folding top…Another regular in the Dinner Inch built the base of the layout and the wheels were his idea…He salvaged the lumber from my last HO layout…The 2 drawers on the front are crisper drawers from a old refrigerator…Its not very big but it helps me pass a lot of time and keeps me active in the hobby…Cox 47
Very cool ideas folks.
cooltech[8D]
Very cool ideas folks.
cooltech[8D]
My previous layout was a 5x8 on wheels.
Had the same problem with floor slope.
As I moved it around, it would flex ever so slightly.
Didn’t harm anything, but the eye can tell when a building is sitting even half-a-degree off of vertical. It drove me nuts.
For me there was no fix (short of fixing it to the wall) as I built the benchwork to exact 90 degree angles w/o thinking about the less-than-level floor. No matter where I rolled it to there was that ever so slight off-kilter feel. Most people didn’t notice it but I did – and that’s all that matters! [8D]
I didn’t see the crisper drawers…great idea! I’ve resorted to those stackable sterilite rollaround drawers for our supplies.
One question, and it’s just curiousity…what’s that black box next to your lamp?