I never see any posts here on modular railroading, I was just introduced to them, I knew they existed but paid no attention. I have a few questions, does the scene have to match the next module?? and are the track connections standardized??(they would have to be eh?) Just how popular is this??? Can anyone direct me to a site or organization for more information???
I’ve seen lots of modular clubs modular layouts and none of the scenes really match. Still most look really nice.
If you are interested in joining a Modular club you need to know what their standards of modular construction is. As for a general standard the “National Model Railroad Association” http://www.nmra.org/ is the best place to start.
I can point you in the direction of my club…
http://pages.suddenlink.net/bvmrra
Look on the “standards” page for the track and wiring standards that we use. Ours are modified NMRA standards (mostly the height and electrical connections between modules). The mainline tracks must be at 5" and 7" from the front of the module, and must be cut back 4.5" from the end of the module to allow a 9" piece of track between the modules. Any other trackwork is at the discretion of the module builder.
As far as scenery, we don’t put any kind of constraints on it, as long as it doesn’t interfere with the running of trains. We’ve had people build everything from farms to rural towns to industries to river crossings. I’m working on a module of the Canyon Diablo Bridge on the Santa Fe, myself. [:)]
I love the modular concept, personally. It gives someone who doesn’t have a layout (or room for one) to build something, and it’s a good way to show off for the public, if your club can get in with local shows (be they train shows, craft fairs, county fairs, or whatever).
Although the terms are often misused, “modular” means that the trackwork and electrical connections between benchwork chunks are standardized. “Sectional” layouts may not be standardized and thus may fit together in only one way.
Sometimes a modeler will decide to build several sections that have non-standard connections, but put standrds-based modular interfaces at each end of this multi-module set. Then the full module set can still be used with a modular group.
N-TRAK is the Grandaddy of the standarized modular systems. In HO, there are NMRA-centered module recommendations followed by some groups, and Free-Mo is popular in the US and in Europe. A collection of links related to HO modules is found here.
Some groups require a common theme of scenery for all modules in the group (as shown in Great Model Railroads 2005), but most allow each module builder to choose the theme and scenery.
Modular groups have been featured fairly often in the commercial press.
Byron
Model RR Blog
Other standards are FREMO (Very operations based) and in n-scale Bend Track which our Chapter of European Train Enthusiasts adopted in slightly modified form. Bend Track is an outgrowth of N-Trak and allows for the construction of modules of any shape and length, provided the end profiles meet up. Track is double-track on both sides of the module. In essence, what it does away with it the pit associated with most other modular layouts. There are pictures of my modules at http://www.philobiblon.com/eisenbahn/pvmodule.shtml.
Image of module end showing track arrangement
Hope this helps,
Peter
Our club FCSME (Four County Society of Model Engineers) has one of the largest modular layouts around, our layout routinely will be over 100ft by 60 ft. We have standards which were developed based on the NMRA specs with some variations. Modules are expected to be have scenery that is consistent with the area around Hagerstown, Maryland in August of 1955. Our modules transistion from one to another by using common colors for foliage and ballast. We have standard track (six inch bridge tracks at 5" and 7" from the front for mainline) and standard electrical connections between modules.
We are the modular group that was in GMR in 2005 and had an article in the October 2007 issue of Railroad Model Craftsman. Our website is FCSME.ORG
You can see where my module ends and the next one starts by the seem in the backdrop, but the scenery blends pretty nicely.
Are there any photos of dissimilar scenes? as mountain logging next to a prairie grain farm layout then a steel mill, I would think this might look odd, or not? AND, with a one topic scene, do you mix these up occaisionally? as you can see I really have no idea of this concept, but does sound fascinating, enquiring minds eh?
I would suspect that if you do a google search on model train modules, you might find dissimilar modules.
I belong to a Free-Mo group (not club) in southern Kansas and all the modules represent either real location in Kansas or generic scenery from the area. Free-Mo has strict standards for end plates, track placement and electrical connections but this standardization allows us to connect our modules in a nearly unlimited configurations. We just had a meet here in Wichita with 14 modules sets (a set can either be a single module or a group of modules needed to accurately represent on scene), the operation was loop to loop and we had nearly 3 scale miles of mainline run. The modules ranges in size from 4 feet to 5 module set of 24 feet, we also had 90 degree and 45 degree modules. The nice thing is, we are taking 3 of our modules to the NMRA show in Anaheim this year and our Kansas modules will mate right up with the California modules and we have plans to make sure we have a decent scenery transisiton.
Someone posted the www.free-mo.org in an earlier post, here is our website (for about 2 more weeks until revision) www.trainweb.org/freemosoks
Rick
The most obvious mismatch in our layout comes from members unfinished modules. Since modules must be consistent with scenery that would be found in the Hagerstown, Maryland area we don’t have prairie scenes. We do have urban scenes next to rural and they do flow together. Again by using consistent colors, having standards as to module height at the edges means no big mismatches in height. Some of our members modules are made to be next to one another, i.e we have a set of 2 - six foot modules that represent a more urban area. These modules have track work that deviate from the standard setback at the left end of one and the right end of the other so they must fit together. They have the standard setback at the outside ends. The same builder has a farm scene that is usually next to this city scene and it looks fine.
Here’s a pic of the left side of the city scene and the very edge of the right side of the farm.
I thinkthey work pretty well together.
I belong to the Boeing Employee RR Club-St Louis & we have a HO (see photos) & a N scale modular layouts.
Boeing Employee RR Club-St Louis
The USA-fans at the FREMO have choosen a western setting. But it’s the job of the designer to do not mix modules which have different styles. This is not always possible. You can see our examples at my meetings site. Click at the different meetings. You will see the layout plan, timetable and pictures. Sorry, text most in German, but the pictures will tell.
Wolfgang
Danke, I’m begining to get the idea, so probably I shouldn’t start on a large mountain logging scene with huge wooden trestles, then go around and try to find others modular setups and try to hook up with them eh? I will do a bit more investigation into this facet of MR. thanks to all for the information, this seems like a lot of fun(isn’t that we are supposed to do, have fun???)
thanks again
IMHO the real fun is the ability to run more prototypical length trains, a 40 car freight is not a large train on our modular layout, 70 and 80 cars are not unusual. It requires the engines to be well speed matched and the cars to be properly weighted, good couplers and careful operation but it’s lots of fun.
Here are some pics from this past weekend Free-Mo setup in Wichita.
Rick Keil
http://www.pbase.com/superfleet93/wichita_air_capital_train_show_2008&page=all
Tatans, I got into the Free-mo movement for the following reasons: I love the effect of big curves and turnouts, I am into prototypical operations, Making realistic scenes worthy of displaying the precision modellers efforts gives real satisfaction as I believe the trackwork and scene are models, too! Also I think the end to end or end to loop operating is way more realistic than mindless roundy-round caboose chasing oval racetracks. By all means check out some Free-mo groups near you and their website at free-mo.org. jc5729 John Colley, Port Townsend, WA
You can check out pictures and specs for the Rails on Wheels module at www.railsonwheels.com. We are in southeast Michigan.
Doug