As i approach the finish of my initial layout build i realize i will need to pt some sort of skirt around the edge to hide the rough framing and How the layers are shown. this is purely cosmetic. on each of the 4 modules i am going to install handles so i can easily carry them when necessary. if i use a soft skirt it will fit around the handles. if it is a hard skirt the handles will attach to the skirt. a hard skirt will be made of painted wood and would not all the easy to the floor, but would be wide enough to hide the rough edges. the soft skirt could go all the way to the floor would hide everything under the layout including the take legs and wiring. it would likely be made of disposable table cloth material or similar. each has its own pros and cons. what would you choose, a hard or soft skirt?
Soft skirt.
You can attach it with Velcro tabs or clothes pins to a rope stapled to the bottom or shower curtan hangers on dowels.
Our club, not modular, replaced all the cloth skirting with wood panel to give the railroad a more finished look. It goes down to maybe within 18 inches of the floor.
Looks great.
Unfortunately it’s a pain in the behind when there is a problem that requires getting under that portion of the railroad. There comes a time in life when laying on one’s back and limboing under an impediment becomes an undesireable activity.
Definitely soft. Of course, I use the area under my layout for storage, so hard is really out of the question.
Besides, it’s tough to walk in a hard skirt![:D]
Our HOn3 Free-mo standard uses Velcro-mounted black skirting. Velcro is mounted at a specific height relative to the module end plates, and the skirts are set up to overlap each other by about an inch. With a uniform fascia color, it really makes our layout display well at train shows. Most of the modules have a shelf attached to the legs for storing stuff at the show, and the skirt hides the tools, rolling stock boxes, etc. Yet the soft skirt gives easy access when we need it.
Anything sticking out from the fascia is a liability on a layout being moved. I put handles on a 4x8 layout once - and never again. The club handles this by cutting hand holds into the end plates of the modules. It makes lifting modules easy and standardized - the hand holds are in the same place on all modules. The edges of the hand holds are rounded over with a sharp router bit for a smooth finish (additional sanding if necessary). The handholds are covered up when the modules are joined together. We have a couple of painted fascia end plates
LION uses a curtain as a skirt on his railroad. Nice is that you can reach past it to access “stuff” under the table. But I also attach “stuff” to the skirt.
Here is a power strip mounted right on top of the curtain…
Hinge one side and use cabinet magnets to hold the panel shut.
Steve S
Thanks for the recommendations, advice and ideas. The reason for the modular design is so it can be taken apart and either stored or transported easily. It has to be able to fit in the rear cargo area of my 2007 Jeep Compass, so it is designed to be broken down into four 2’ x 4’ modules. The control deck/console is also 2’ x 4’ module.
The type of handles I was thinking of are the nice looking polished nickel or brass finish garage door handles. If they are bumped into it will not, catch, stab or cut into clothing or the person who bumps it but will be a glancing “blow”. Not that I foresee anyone moving around the layout at any speed other than a slow walking pace.
If I were to use a hard skirt, it would be no more than 6" wide. It will probably be the left over lumber I used when I redid the outside trim pieces of my garage when the original ones rotted out. The draw back to this is there will be a visible seam where the modules fit together. With a soft skirt, as already suggested I can use Velcro to attach it and have it as one long piece with no obvious seam in the middle.
Any more ideas please keep them coming.
On a mobile layout or one that may be moved, I would use the soft skirt.
Soft skirt, with velcro, especially if you intend on moving the layout around. That’s what we use, inside and out, on our club modular layout. Goes up quickly, hides all the ‘stuff’ stored under there, and comes down just as easily when it’s time to pack up.
–Randy
OK a soft skirt it is. Now the question is what type of material do you recommend? I will likely use the self adhesive Velcro cut into strips. The one side has to be able to have the Velcro stuck to it and remain there. I know I mentioned a disposable table cloth but that will eventually not be very cost effective to have to replace the skirt and the Velcro.
I’m not sure of what the actual material is, but it’s fairly heavy cloth of some sort, but our layout gets put up and taken down many times a year, in various public venues like malls and exhibition halls.
If you get a bolt of fabric, you will need to hem the edges so it doesn’t fray. I would recommend sewing on velcro ‘loop’ sides to the fabric (so it doen’t stick to itself when you fold it up). If you make the sections no more than blanket size, you can just wash them to keep them clean. Attach the hook parts of the velcro to the layout edges - don;t rely on the self-adhesive, use a staple fun to attach the pieces more permanently so they don’t pull off when you remove the skirting.
–Randy
randy, i know what you mean with stapling the hook side of Velcro. i have had to do so before with other projects. it looks like i need to get my sweet heart mrs. involved as i am lousy at sewing especially with a machine and i want this to look nice. I’m sure if i “butter” her up and ask nice she will help me.
Shop around for the material. Check the Home Depot, china mart and a large fabric store for sales.
i just realized something else. the insulation bored will sick up above the wood framing. i will either need to attach some firing strips around the soft edges of the insulation board or directly sick the Velcro to it, which could cause the insulation to break when i remove the skirt if the Velcro starts to peel away from the pink board.
I use the soft landscaping fabric you buy at the Home Depot or Loews Watch what you buy because some are kind of like plastic sheeting. The rolls I buy are more like felt. It comes in a charcoal color so that works too. I attach it behind the fascia on Velcro.
Dennis
Use a piece of paneling to cover both the wood and foam. This will protect the edge of the foam also.
dennis if you sewed the Velcro to the landscape fabric, how did it hold up,? if i am not mistaken landscape fabric does not have a very tight thread count/pattern. this is so water can drain through it while keeping weeds under control. it does not seen to be very receptive to bring able to be sewn.
Fabric glue might also work, instead of sewing the velcro. Not sure how strong that stuff is, but surely stronger than the self-adhesive on the velcro strips.
–Randy
Years ago, there used to be a material that was similar to the old “oilcloth”. It was actually a fabric that had been plastic coated on one side. It lays straight and can take tacks or staples without deforming around the attachment point of the fastener. That it is waterproof on the one side is a plus. I recall it being a sand or beige color, but there may be yard stock of this available these days at a fabric store (Joanne’s Fabrics) or at Michaels Crafts. Cedarwoodron