Has anyone used the mod-u-rail system? Is it worth the effort or better to build from scratch. I want to build a shelf layout.
Hi there
While this modular system appears to be a very good system , the modular rules by NMRA were in place at least 10years earlier .
The cost of the Mod-u-rail is high as well !
Do more research to see if this system would work for you !
Mod-U-Rail is not a set of modular standards. It’s a pre-packaged kit sold by Woodland Scenics that includes foam board, scenery materials, etc. There are also accompanying benchwork kits.
For a shelf layout as the Original Poster is contemplating, there are a lot of other solutions that might work better, cost less, and be more versatile.
Byron
I have seen ads for the system, but have never run into a layout build from the system. I’m sure it has its place, probably a good, but slightly pricy place to start for some. Personally I think a 2’x8’ sheet of 2" foam board and a light frame, along with a couple of good scenery books. But that’s me.
Good luck,
I agree with the above poster there. I DO use the Mod-U-Rail system, how ever my HO lay out is a custom and freelanced design that is about 21’ x 24’ rather then an “Shelf Layout.” Also because I am mobile (university student who rents at the moment), the nature of the Mod U Rail system allows me to build my layout in bit by bit pieces as well as move it when having to move places (until I get my own house). The system is good although expensive (and that is not taking into account the exchange rate between the New Zealand Dollar and the US Dollar) and personally I would not recommend it in the original poster’s instance Hope that helps
It depends on what you prefer. You can build the benchwork faster with mod-u-rail than you could from scratch but you are also limited to the shapes available from them. You also will find the minimum width you can work with 18" which isn’t so bad so long as you have the space.
Irv
I use the Mod-u-rail wooden modules for their speed of assembly, light weight and portability. My carpenter’s skills are below normal and I have no saw anyway. To me, the price is right for the fast shipping to my front door and a five minute assembly. I do not order the scenery products, though, only the module stand itself.
For what its worth, here’s how I use my modules:
I purchase four modules at a time for convenience. After assembly I screw on a Masonite backdrop and paint each module green.
I then add my own Styrofoam and cut in or stack the contours. The track goes in next. The tracks cross between the modules using a two inch section of Atlas RR code 83 track.
The last step is to finish out the scenery.
And now I have an easily transportable layout which can be rearranged at will.
I second the notion that it all depends on your needs / preferences. If you need true modularity or portability, and cost is not really an issue, then I think these modules may be exactly what you need. I’ve found the type of styrofoam WS uses in their products to be a little sturdier than extruded insulation board (more resistant to dings).
On the other hand, the more prefabricated something is, the more it stifles creativity. If you don’t need to be modular or portable, then my feeling is that you’re investing money here that is better spent on other layout materials.
I don’t think it stifles creativity. It may provide a bit more structure for thos of us who have no idea of how to build curved benchwork and haven’t spent their lives as carpenters.
Irv
Actually, I retract my previous statement. I just watched the How To video on the WS site, and it is very adaptable.
Cost is still extremely high, though.
I’m afraid I must disagree with the “stifling creativity” view as well. Using the module’s portability I can rearrange my layout as the fancy strikes me. I would venture that this puts the Woodland Scenic’s module stands in the same category as David Barrow’s highly mobile dominoes. You can’t do that so easily with standard benchwork!
Having and an am using Mod-U-Rail, I do not think it stifles creativity when not off us a great carpenters or have access to one.
I’ll show a few picks of the Mod-U-Rail System I have going
One set of Modules under way (Synthetic-Oil Refinery)
Second Set of Modules (Engine Terminal) nearly complete (wiring and some finer landscaping)
So yes, around 24 modules to be built approximate with bench work and all entirely mobile until the wife and I find our own place
I am not setting out to bash these modules, but I’m still trying to overcome my sticker shock and my inherent resistence to the marketing comcept (sell WS product).
The previous poster is making 24 modules – so if I assume half are “straight” and half are “corner”, the total outlay is $3600, not including benchwork. Throw that in, (another $780) and you have a whopping $4380 invested, and you don’t have any track or structures yet. My own 10x15 layout only cost about half that, including track and structures (although my sample selection of modules would yield 162 sq ft of actual layout space, compared to my own 112).
Yes, the modules come with scenic materials (according to WS, a 20% savings over purchasing separately). But looking at the materials list, it looks like you would end up with a lot of stuff you didn’t need (3 gallons of scenic cement!), and roadbed in either N or HO scale (because the kit comes with both), as well as missing some key ingredients (poly fiber, for example).
Also, can someone comment on whether the benchwork is an “engineered wood product” or actual wood (hard or soft)? Does it really only stand 36 1/2" high (my laout is at 48")?
I haven’t personally seen that layout but I can coment on what you’ve writen based on my own layout which is really s mofifie Mod-U-Rail based system. While it may be more expensive than it would ahev been if I hadn’t used Mod-u-Rail chances are that it wouldn’t have been built at all. You see I have no one to help me and woden benchwork can be very heavy and usually requires two people to build. So Mod-u-Rail was really my only alternative.
Second of all 36 1/2 inches in height is about right when you are dealing with a flat area to begin with but you aren’t limited to that height because you can stack any foam product on the benchwork you might want to use. Thus you can easi
Corsair –
I guess I’m not being clear. With a couple of minor differences, we are in violent agreement about the benchwork modules.
The benchwork modules, while if not made of real wood might not be quite as strong as homemade, seem to be quite reasonable price-wise. While my carpentry skills are pretty good, and I have a teenage son to help with the lifting and holding, I still think benchwork construction is a lot of drudgery, I considered Sievers pre-fab benchwork for just that reason. The cost, though, would have been more than $900, as opposed to the approximately $400, I spent on my own so ultimately I decided to suck it up and build my own. The price is pretty good for the WS product – it’s about half what Sievers sells for. The only unknown is that Sievers benchwork is made of real pine and stainless steel, but I’m not sure what the WS ones are made of.
Also, as I commented previously, I watched the how-to video on the WS site. I see exactly how they can be used and laid out. No issues.
My comment about them being low is just that: the measurement from the floor to the bottom of my layout is 48". Unmodified, the distance from the floor to the bottom of a WS module is 36 1/2". Give me the benefit of the doubt here, and assume that after 15+ years in the hobby, I can figure out how to raise the level of any terrain or track above the benchwork. From my point of view, the obvious drawback to the WS modules is that I have to add a foot of something, either under the legs or on top of the module, to get the layout up to where I want it, which adds both cost and time to the process.
My issue on the price is not with the benchwork modules, but with the terrain kits themselves. The ones that go on top of the benchwork modules. These ar
We seem to be operating ont he assumption that benchwork MUST be high. FOr some peope, even 48"is too low. However, if it weren;t for the fact that my layout room is a spare bedroom with rather deep pile carpet, I would have definitely made it lower and designed it to operate using rollign office chairs. I would have gained at least a foot of extra width that way - one side of my room has a sloped ceiling. Covering the room in palstic chair mats is out of the question as is altering the floor (I livein an apartment). So it was back up to 48" (originally I had planned for a base track level of 54", and built the first section that high at my previous place. I had to lop some off the legs before reattaching them here. 54" is better suited to my height but that lost me just too much width in the room so I dropped back to 48"). 36: height would not be bad to sit and operate and in a room with sloped ceilings on BOTH sides that could gain you 2 feet of additional layout space - or make the aisles that much wider.
Extra stuff,maybe - if you model in N. In HO I’d use both roadbeds, like I did on my previous layout. the HO under the main, sidings used the N. I think the cost is a bit illusionary, not saying the stuff is cheap, but pretty much no oen giesout and buys the whole works at once - you buy wood, build benchwork, buy some roadbed and track, lay the track, buy some ballast, buy some scenery materials - all over a relatively long time frame. The approach here is building the layout a few feet at a time rather than building all the benchwork, laying all the track, then doing all the scenery.In fact the approach appeals to me, I get bored if I do nothign but benchwork all the time, so I switch off and sometimes lay track, sometimes do wiring, and then go back to build the next benchwork section.
The stands are 1 1/2" pine legs with MDF rails, sill $29.95 and the feet are agustable, pretty cheap, the feet alone would put you back $5.00.
Seems a debate has got going on Mod-U-Rail, I noted a couple of people commenting on my Mod-U-Rail System and the cost.
Yes it would cost that amount for 24 modules in US Dollars, then to make life more fun I have to sent by post all the way to New Zealand so I have the exchange rate to worry about (NZ$1 = US$0.70c average), then there is the legs and track and structures and the rest.
While it all seems costly and I will have excess of materials (that I can store for my next layout which would be a more “traditional” bench work OR I can flog off on TradeMe (NZ thing for Amazon.com)), the premium pricing of the Mod-U-Rail system allows a novice like me to enter the Model RR world while still having an extremely portable layout due to the fact I am still a university student and rent (thus prone to moving). Also as the above poster said, can build the layout bit by bit by bit - and with careful planning get a very interactive layout that can operate even though it is not fully completed.
As for the legs, I am lucky I have a farther and farther-in-law that has access to wood and tools to help build my layout so that cuts costs.
For a look at my layout and how I have used the Mod-U-Rail this is the place: Ben’s HO Layout
Lucky I go back on break tomorrow so I can do more work on my layout [swg]
I’ll grant you that. There could be more items provided but since this isn’t being sold as a complete layout more would be needed but what that is will depend on what you are modeling. Most people see the modules as starting and not ending points. 2" thick pink or blue insulation foam board is usually put on top of the benchwork modules so it doesn’t have to cost as much nor does one have to buy Woodlands Scenic scenery kits.
AS for height 36 1/2 inches is perfect since my layout is supposed to be double decker. This will put the upper deck 15 inches higher than this one or 51 1/2 inches off th floor. Of course that is probably going to require a helix to move trains from one level to the next but Aslin makes kits for that and I plan to buy one at some future date.
By the way my layout is N-Scale.
Irv
I haven’t built a Mod-u-rail layout but spoke to someone who did and after seeing his layout I had changed my o/p of the system. It has some limitations granted and some may consider it rather elementary but there are many out there who just want to run trains an not get into all of the other “stuff” that comes along with it. This guy told me he was able to complete a single module in one week. Which when u think about it is pretty impressive.it was his first attempt at the hobby and he said it was very easy to learn and figure out how to adapt it to his basement. What started out life as a 4’x8’ just something to do layout turned into an entire 35’x45’ basement empire. It’s only short coming that I noticed was the size of the minimum radius curves. When you build a layout that large the conventional way most build in nice sweeping curves with large radii track his did not maybe it is possible to do so but like I said it’s the one I saw.