Rob, Why does it have to be one way or the other Why not have the best of both worlds, walk in "U" shaped with 4' turn around at each end and a removable bridge? Not to mention the bridge could be added later with a little forethought given to the track plan.:tb-wink: Jerry
WOW................ Gentlemen, thank you for all the replies and suggestions. I'm impressed, and flattered by the response. I posted my question late yesterday afternoon. When I woke this morning, I made a cuppa tea and fired up the computer. Boy, was I surprised to see there were 3 pages of answers, proving that there is a wealth of information available if you just ask politely. I am digesting all the suggestions, contemplating my desires and weighing up the facts. I like the idea of scooting under on a chair. I also like the idea of using the outside part of the thing as a bookshelf. I don't want to admit that I am nearly 60, have a crook back and my ailments probably wont improve making the access progressively less easy. I also like the idea of having both the U with the turnabouts AND the twin mainlines. Lift-outs etc; are obviously going to be investigated too. All this even if it means selaying the start of construction by a day or two. In conclusion, Thank you all for your answers and for taking the time to do so. Being a relative newby, down-under, I am feeling pretty good about the obvious acceptance I have just experienced. I will keep you informed of the progress of my pseudo "Feather River Route" with photos in my other post "Watch this space" Cheers and once again "Thank You All" Rob
Liftbridge w/ Kato 78-108mm expansion track I'm building a multiple deck layout in an over-the-garage room (11 x 17 w/two closets and one entry door). The track winds around the perimeter of the room and crosses the doorway twice. A duckunder is out of the question because the lower crossing is too low. My research on lift bridges suggested that they are troublesomesome -- the track gets out of alignment with repeated jostling and causes derailments. I ran across a post somewhere that suggested using the Kato 78-108mm expansion track to bridge the gaps, thereby assuring alignment (and providing power to the bridge track). My design employs kitchen cabinet-style hinges, which assist in lifting the bridge sections and holds the bridges upright by their spring action. Pics follow. Note that this project isn't finished. Here's what the bridges look like when they're set up for operation: Opened for passage: Unitrack expansion track sections ready to connect: Connected: The track shown above hasn't been installed permanently yet. --Bryan
Another thing I would suggest, if you elect to do a tilt-up bridge, is to make sure you have sufficient ways to adjust for seasonal dimensional shifts in the wood or other material. We have a three track bridge at my club and it has lately become a real problem as we do not have sufficient adjustments we can make to it. It was actually the main subject of our business meeting the other night as it is starting to impact operating and running sessions.
Mine is both duck-under, for during operation, and rollaway to get in and out of the room between sessions. Track level is 60 inches. Caveat! I have not actually installed or used this part of layout! I once knew a fellow who really had stile. Not style. Stile- like a stair that goes over a fence, up one side and down the other. He climbed OVER into his layout.
One like what Kenneth L. Anthony has could actually work for me. The problem with the one at my club is that the opening is just a shade over 2' wide and it's about 32" off the ground, with a piece that goes across the bottom so you can't just drag your feet through.
Rob, I have no idea if this would work for the layout features you are planning, but you might want to consider what I call a "pinched circle" layout. Not wanting to stoop and crawl under a duck-under, I designed my layout as, basically, a circle, but it comes together in the middle so that - at that point (actually about 8 linear feet) I can stand on one side of the pinched circle and operate on the other. One side of the 'pinch' is 11 inches higher than the other, and I use an 11-inch mural for scenic separation. Besides not having to duck, the nice thing about this is that you can build your layout to any elevation, high off the floor or low. Hope this helps - it sure solved a number of challenges for me! Scott
Setting the upper deck back to allow the lower lift bridge to open - have to make a note of that. I once wondered, seeing a double-deck plan that needed opening sections on both decks, "How is there room for that?" It needed your setup.
Rob - I'm 65 at 6ft 1in and have an HO layout with 48-inch duck-under. I'd highly recommend some of the great suggestions above to avoid duck-unders. However, if one is necessary, you can get foam rubber insulation for pipes at your favorite do-it-yourself store; the foam is slit lengthwise and some brands have stickum inside. Apply the insulation around the support boards under the duck-under (like a C-clamp) and you'll save yourself some serious headaches and possible injury - - I know from experience. The insulation is one of my better (and inexpensive) investments for the layout.
