We are moving into a new home, which will require me to move my hobby into the garage. I would like to explore what options I have for my layout to be stored in a position ( hoist to the ceiling?) that will allow the garage to be used for our autos and my layout.
In the past, I have seen systems that raise and lower the layout to the celiing of the garage, any susgestions or ideas?
Thank you
Michael
Michael, I did it with a HO slot car track many years ago. I installed I bolts to studs in the celling, then hooked pulls to the I bolts. Anchored a wench from a boat trailer to the floor and ran ropes to it. It was hard as heck to get up, if I where to do it again I would use a electric host.
When track was down, it sat on milk plastic milk cartons.
Cuda Ken
There are a few of factors to consider that will make your life easier:
Geometry. What shape are you planning? (Rectangle, donut, E?) Depending on shape, the hoist cable arrangements can get ‘interesting.’
Ceiling load. Is your ceiling strong enough to take the weight, or will you have to do some structural reinforcing? How good is your access to the space above the ceiling in the garage?
Counterbalancing. By arranging a counterweight (or several) which will go up when the layout comes down and vice versa you can reduce the load on the hoist from Magilla the Gorilla to something a 13 year old gymnast can handle. Cunning trick - use boxes, so weight can be added as the layout loads up with scenery, structures and rolling stock.
How does your garage door open? If, like mine, yours rolls back across the ceiling it will severely restrict hoist cable locations and overhead clearance under the raised layout. That might not be a problem if the tallest person who will have to move around under it is 68" tall, but anyone taller might find the situation perilous.
Don’t get me wrong. It can be done. Just be prepared to get creative.
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - in a Mojave Desert garage)
I don’t realy have an answer, I am just puzzled by the above statement… [:)]
How often do you plan to raise and lower the layout, and how big is it going to be?
If you mount a hinge on the wall opposite the garage door, then you can lift the other end up and drive the car under. This is a lot simpler than a 4-point lift. With a normal car, even tilting the layout up only 30 degrees or so will give you enough clearance to get the nose of the car under the layout. The trick with this one is that only the front of the car has to get under. With the layout on an angle sloping up, by the time you get to the middle of the garage, it’s up high enough to get the rest of the car below it.
This has a big disadvantage, though. You can’t leave trains on it, because they’ll all end up at the bottom. So, if you’re willing to remove the trains, you can greatly simplify your lift mechanism. Something you might consider is having part of your layout fixed and horizontal, where you could park the trains before hoisting the rest of it.
A drawing of the garage geometry, with measurements, would really help here. Any chance of that? Also, what kind of car do you plan on parking there? There are designs that would work for your Lambourghini that just won’t do for an old VW bus.
Sorry. Can’t help it…
What happened to the wench?
Cudaken is whipping the wench to make her pull up the layout!![oX)]