I have a 15x21 foot, tiled floor room where I have a little photographic studio… kinda left over from my wedding photography days. Since retiring I don’t use this equipment that much, maybe once or twice a week… but I still need it now and then. I’ve been trying to devise a way to do a layout in the room yet keep it for the studio also. I need to keep the 21 feet dimension but can sacrifice about 5 or 6 feet on one side, leaving me roughly 10 feet. The best thing I can come up with is a 5x… oh… 10 to 12 foot table… on wheels that could be pulled out for railroading and when I need the space, pushed back against one of the 21 foot walls. As anyone ever mounted a layout of this size like this, or seen it done? I’m planning on layout about 45 inches tall, 2x4 legs, 1x4 frame, solid plywood top (with about 4 inches of foam on top of that), legs cross braced very well.
Jacon
Bob Smaus did an article in MR (I think?) several years back, about a module that he could wheel in- and out of his garage. I don’t have the issue myself anymore, but maybe this is the one:
http://index.mrmag.com/tm.exe?opt=I&MAG=MR&MO=12&YR=1987&output=3&sort=A
Good luck
The Smaus layout was an 11x3 foot layout with two wheels at one end so it could be scooted around like a big wheelbarrow.
15x21 would be enough room for a dilly of an around-the-room layout, set against the walls. Shelves a foot or two thick would provide plenty of operating room while not taking away the functionality of the room–if the layout is set at a suitable elevation (48" or higher) one can put shelving, desks, worktables or other useful items under the level of the layout.
A wheeled layout would be fine too, but even wheeled against one wall it would still eat a big chunk of room.
Well if you are going to put it on wheels my concern would be the stability of the legs. I would want to build the legs so they could withstand a nuclear attack. Also if you are going over any kind of bump at all you will want the largest wheels you can find so they smooth that action and don’t hang up. Is it possible to build an around the walls layout? That is a fairly large space. One area could be kept with your darkroom equipment in the foreground and the railroad running behind it. A tunnel entrance at either end would make a logical scenic decision.
Thanks for the answers guys. I think I’ve just about talked myself out of the rolling layout, like Jetrock says, it will still eat up a big space even pushed to the side. Right now I’m leaning toward a 4 foot section in one corner that narrows down to about 30 inches and it runs down one wall, turns the corner and down that wall, turns the corner and goes about 8 feet to another 4 foot section. Like a folded dogbone kinda.
Jacon
Like this, but with 4 foot ends…
Jacon
jacon,
It looks like you have already decided, but my 4’ x 10’ BRVRR is on wheels. Originally it was on legs and casters which worked but caused problems in my confined space. (10’ 6" x 9’ 6"). Now it is on garage door rollers with the tracks mounted on the walls. There are pictures on my website. Link is in my signature. Once on the site, pu***he Layout button.
I wish you luck with your new railroad.
Allan
All my layouts from the 70’s to today’s have been on wheels. Today’s layout is a 20 x 28 walk-in using caster wheels from kitchen tables. Height varies from 49" to 68". It’s double track mainline with about 500 feet of track and 53 turnouts. It’s in my basement, and I can easily move it myself. I have no trouble or any problems for that matter with stability, track or even scenery cracking. I use 1 x 4’s for the table frames, with homosote for flat areas and drywall mud over blue foam for the mountain areas and 2 x4’s for the legs, which are indented about 1 foot from the table edges to avoid kicking them. Legs are well braced to the 1 x4’s and each other. Walk-in sections have swinging arms that I raise to lock the island sections together for movement and lowered when not in use. Yes, I move the whole thing at one time. I’ve probaly moved the layout back and forth at least a dozen times in the last couuple of years.
When a drain pipe developed a leak, I just moved the layout out of the way to fix it. Otherwsie, I would have had to smash and rebuild. I have 2 sections along the wall that are 3 feet wide and I just move the entire layout when I am working on them so I don’t have to overreach. However, I do plan when the layout is mostly scenicked, to anchor it to the concrete floor and walls. But, that may never happen as I’ve been working on this one for over 2 years and I have A LOT yet to do.
Ken
I have two layouts on wheels. An N scale 2’ x 7’ and a 4’ x 8’ S scale, my HO scale is so large and odd shaped it is a permanent,unmoving lump. I built the S and N scale as a movable table with 2 x 4’s and 3\4 in.ply. It really makes additions and landscaping changes easy when you can roll the whole thing around. When not in use I roll the layouts against the wall and have plenty of space to move stuff around my basement. Be sure you don’t buy those cheapo casters, get good ones that will support at least 150 lbs. each and if you’re building a layout more than 6 ft. long use at least 6 casters. That way you won’t have to worry about one or more of the casters failing, that would be a horrible job trying to replace a wheel after you’re done.