Howdy all, After a thoughtful negotiation with the boss and head honcho,, I can use the garage for a layout space,, YAY!!! I plan on using rubbermaid shelving system to provide support for the modules. I like the fact that I will have no legs, cept for the ones that are required and needed if and when I take this to a show or meet. I am just going to use the brackets to hold the modules, I checked and 1/2" plywood fits in the brackets . So the plan is use a "L" made from 1/2" ply to fit in the bracket. I am also going to use the brackets to make a valance to hold lighting, and storage. Which was one of the selling points to my wife. The brackets come in many lenghts, I am choosing the 16" to support my 18" modules. This is just a rough idea of what I am shooting for,,, all modules with be 6' x 1-6". New WBTR FreeMoN Module Layout 4-25-16 by SOO MILW CNW posted Apr 28, 2016 at 7:42 AM I want to stay with the free moN standards,, because I always build more and more and more modules. So here are some points that I made when asked questions by a member at another forum I post at. 1. 70's to mid 80's 2. Wisconsin/Minnesota. Thought about either the SOO between Stevens Point and Fond Du Lac. Or in Minnesota, Twin Cities, all the transfers from all the Different RR's. Maybe the Shoreham Hill area. Maybe the New Brighton area with the MNS crossing the SOO. 3. SOO,MILW,CNW,MNS,CRIP,BN,GBW I have motive power for all these. 4. Well the proverbial grain, lots and lots of it. ( covered hoppers). Lumber ( bulkhead, flats, box cars), Warehouses ( boxcar). Fabrication, ( Gons, flats, bulkheads, coil cars) Petro Chemical,,( tanks, Covered Hoppers, and more tank cars. Aggregate to include concrete, sand, rocks/gravel, portland cement ( small covered hoppers, open hoppers, ballast cars, PD3000 covered hoppers) Paper mils, ( tanks, box car, covered hoppers, pulpwood cars) Maybe auto parts,, somewhere for my 50+ autoparts cars to go and come from. Feed and Fertilizer ( covered hoppers) Plastics( more covered hoppers) Maybe some sort of power plant,( open coal hoppers) Also maybe some sort of railcar maintenance facility.All these trains will have cabooses. In short all and every industries. I just LOVE switching. I thought about transfer runs to and from all the RR's mentioned. Maybe somehow incorporate the Dayton's Bluff area. I know my list is big,, that is the issue I am having. I would like to have interchange yards also for off layout traffic. I also need some sort of diesel facility,, for my 100+ locos After reading that, He came up with possibly using the Minnesota Commercial RR. It used to be the Minnesota Transfer Railway,, which was was owned by all the RR's in the Twin Cities area. There is a book,, but I found one used paperback copy for 65$,,,wow!! Only 35 pages,, ok who's smoking crack??? So what I asking of forum members is help with a track plan, or any ideas. I plan on building all 6 modules next week,, or maybe this weekend, those are no problem. I just need a track plan,, so I can go to town!! Thanks for any help in advance. Y-it
While you can certainly create a 90 degree L module (your two corners, consisting of two sections each), they won't be quite as flexible in a larger FreeMoN setup. Are you planning on through tracks as well (i.e., are there really two 90-degree crossings, on at each end, and the curves are diverging legs of switches)?
That shelving is certainly sturdy enough, and can hold a lot of weight. I would be interested in pictures showing how you have adapted it.
Rich, Yes that is the plan to have the 90 degree crossings. I also had thought about making a cross module,,, so it would be 90 degree crossing but with turnouts to go all directions, making an interchange. What is kind of a disappointment is that there is no free-moN around that I know of,, so basically this will be for personal enjoyment. The boss ( wife ) says I can have a L shaped shelf layout,, but by building more modules I could make it any configuration that I wanted ,, as long as the boss car park her car in the garage at the end of the day. But for now I am happy with what I have,, just need to figure out a track plan. I might just build the modules,, and just lay track where I think it looks good. Adios, Wyatt
I have been thinking about doing a set of turnback loops with staging tracks, this what I came up with. Parallel track centerlines are 1 1/2" I do see where that one turnout could be bridging the gap,, I can fix when I construct these modules,,, I just noticed that, gotta love CAD programs,,click click fix.LOL Comments? Adios, Wyatt
Your teardrop staging/reversing loop will work well when your modules don't have to be against a wall. If you plan to support such a loop in your garage, would the shelving system be sturdy enough to support each end of a 6 foot module that runs diagonally across a corner? If so (and if a diagonal module would not intrude prohibitively far into the rest of the garage), perhaps you could skew your teardrop tail so half of the loop runs parallel with a wall and deep into the corner while the other half crosses the diagonally suspended module. If the staging tracks started 10 feet from the corner on one wall (that is, your turnouts for those tracks would be 9 to 11 feet from the corner), and the turnouts for the other end of the tracks were on the diagonal module, you could use buildings, hills, or tree flats to hide them at the back of the wall modules and along the back of the diagonal module to hide most of the length of the staging tracks on the modules along the wall into the corner, but leave the turnouts visible (and available for easier maintenance, if needed) toward the back of a wall module at one end of the loop and at the back of the diagonal module at the other.
Dave, The turnback loop will be free standing on it's own legs. The idea to use the free-moN standards serves two masters: 1. Wife, I wont have a permanent layout screwed to the walls, The layout while assembled at home will rest on brackets, with the turnback loops being on leg supports. Plus I can take the loops down so the wife can park the family chariot in the garage. 2. Me,, I can take to shows, and while at home I can work on a section at a time. I am doing all of this to bide time till I get an out building made to hold a permanent layout. Adios,Wyatt
Howdy all, Looking at the plan that Karl ( jpwisc) drew up on another forum,, I adapted the drawing using 3rd Plan-it,, plus I added another industry. New WBTR FreeMoN Karl Adaptation_0001 by SOO MILW CNW posted May 7, 2016 at 1:35 AM This is coming together nicely,, can't wait to see what else Karl comes up with. I was thinking , that I need to put a runaround somewhere to get the cars from Cardigan Jct. to serve the industries. Maybe somewhere in Cardigan,, making it a shove move to spot the industries. Thoughts? Laters, Wyatt
I agree, for a layout, you now need a way to move around. Just a point of information -- as now drawn, while modular, these are no longer FreeMo-N modules. You have only a single interface that could meet the FreeMo-N standard (between Univ Ave and SOO Trackage). That shouldn't deter you, especially if you don't plan to try to interface these.
I count three interfaces? The one you mentioned is actually two interfaces, and the Minnesota Transfer track. Jason
As I drew them they are FreemoN compatible modules. Not every segment is a stand alone module. I will draw up additional segments. Tonight I will draw in the run arounds. It is logical to have them in the yards, like they are in real life. If you put one in Arden Hills, you would make your switching far too simplistic. For those that didn't see the drawing I made (more ideas coming tomorrow):
Karl- You image is not showing. It seems to originate on another forum, which is not allowing non-members to see such photos.
Would cut the double track back to right of peninsula as the siding is VERY LONG! Don't see an easy way to work the Soo Line yard & get to MTR tracks w/o saw back moves. Think about putting a round track next to the yard ladder to make up/break down trains. Ditto at MTR yard.
Andy, Thanks for your reply. The representation that Karl drew is pretty darn close to the prototype,, I never tried proto ideas before so I am pumped up about this. I do see your points,, which are valid. I will put them in the brain and noodle on them. Thanks again. Adios, Y-it
Well it has been awhile since I posted anything. I started this thread on the 28th of April and as of 18 May I think I have made some pretty good progress. The first thing I decided to do was to rip down 1/2" plywood for the legs for the layout. Since I plan on taking this to shows as a standalone, and also as Free-moN sections to join other layouts or sections. I ripped 2" and 1 1/2" pieces that will form a "L" to be much more stable and true than regular dimensional lumber. 244da6d4-5eb3-435b-91dd-7955410589b9_zps2rdf45ns by SOO MILW CNW posted May 19, 2016 at 7:32 AM 20160510_092015_zpsgbc3mr9r by SOO MILW CNW posted May 19, 2016 at 7:32 AM When a friend of mine was building his Free-moN sections he found a leg leveler to use: D4ec8c4b-02d0-42b3-aa76-2245b6c25b5c_zpshjeazpow by SOO MILW CNW posted May 19, 2016 at 7:32 AM I also plan on using these, they have a 3 1/2" adjustment travel to them. So the next step was to install 3/4" plywood shelving in the garage above the layout for storage and for my valance. I pre-painted everything high gloss white so it would reflect light better. I ripped 4" sections of plywood to be the front of the valance ( shelf ). A: To hide the lighting B: to support the shelving between the brackets 20160511_133545_HDR_zps6myjxvwk_edit_1463004881444_zpsaecsq8rm by SOO MILW CNW posted May 19, 2016 at 7:32 AM 20160511_133606_HDR_zps90st2cvy by SOO MILW CNW posted May 19, 2016 at 7:32 AM 20160511_145541_zpsg62szfmq_edit_1463005342733_zpsiw03ih9r by SOO MILW CNW posted May 19, 2016 at 7:32 AM 20160511_145524_zps3j58nqvl_edit_1463005223911_zpshmihcm6r by SOO MILW CNW posted May 19, 2016 at 7:32 AM 20160511_145513_zpscdxscvfa_edit_1463005106921_zps1hcwklkc by SOO MILW CNW posted May 19, 2016 at 7:32 AM I had seen what another forum member had done with the LED tape lights. Thinking,, that would be perfect. 20160515_155029_zpsycpbifqy by SOO MILW CNW posted May 19, 2016 at 7:32 AM The only thing I don't like about the intial test was,, the peel and stick ,, really did not stick too well. So for the final install, I will be using a hot glue gun or some loctite powergrab. I am also going to add another strip of lights just to the inside face of the valance, brighter the better. The power supply that I am using for these has a little pot that you can adjust,, you can turn down the voltage some,, but not much. Here are some overall lighting pics: Here is just the plain ole incandescent bulb,,,,BOOOOOOO 20160515_172919_zpsvkhcjqru by SOO MILW CNW posted May 19, 2016 at 7:32 AM Here is just two strips, the lenght of the strip is 5m,, or for you SAE people,, just over 16' 20160515_172853_HDR_zpsrppcq2r2 by SOO MILW CNW posted May 19, 2016 at 7:32 AM We had a nice cool day here in Central Texas, mid 60's and clouds,, nice north wind. What a better day to fire up the saw and other tools and build stuff. I got all the dimensional lumber ripped and cut to length so when it came time to build,, I just go go go... and away I went. I ripped the 1/2" birch into 3 1/2" widths for the section frames. Then I proceeded to rip the 3/4" birch into 6" widths. I also cut the 1/4" birch for the lids and the 2" foam. Everything is glued and stapled, so there will be no flex. Build it better I always say. 20160518_175121_zpsszvlsapf by SOO MILW CNW posted May 19, 2016 at 7:35 AM Here are the 3 18" and 6' long sections. These will be the long leg of the layout, to include the highway underpasses and Lexington Ave Industrial lead. 20160518_215833_zpsoszgd8ig by SOO MILW CNW posted May 19, 2016 at 7:32 AM Here are all the sections, everything was checked for square by pulling diagonal measurements from corner to opposing corner before the final stapling. So all I need to do now, is to secure the 2" foam, trim said foamage, then add and secure the 3/4" x 6" Birch plywood. To avoid the headaches of drilling after assembled, I decided to layout and pre-drill the joists. I used a 1" forstner bit for the wiring pass through hole. Then proceeded to use a 1/4" bit for the leg bolts. ( more on that in a future post). 20160518_215855_zpsbz3pndfa by SOO MILW CNW posted May 19, 2016 at 7:32 AM Here is just the pass through hole, because this a intermediate joist. 20160518_215906_zps43h9jmrx by SOO MILW CNW posted May 19, 2016 at 7:32 AM Here are some just for fun pics. 20160518_224611_HDR_zpsk3ttyhvp by SOO MILW CNW posted May 19, 2016 at 7:32 AM 20160518_224333_zpsp0r62sfc by SOO MILW CNW posted May 19, 2016 at 7:32 AM 92e2edc6-c3d6-4b4f-bb19-5b0c64d49d96_zps9kavcjje by SOO MILW CNW posted May 19, 2016 at 7:32 AM 20160518_224611_HDR_zpsk3ttyhvp by SOO MILW CNW posted May 19, 2016 at 7:32 AM So there ya have it,, 20 days since I first posted. Like I said,, just foam, birch and time to transfer the track plan,, great times ahead. See ya, Wyatt
Well Done!! Do you have any plans for a backdrop along the wall? Although I've totally replaced, repainted, and otherwise reworked backdrops after track, buildings, and detailed scenery have been in place, it was always easier to work on backdrops if I could install, paint, and detail them with tree flats/building flats and building fronts before I put too much track down in front of them. With an industrial/urban plan like this, I suspect you'll have a few 3D roads transitioning into your 2D backdrop. Do you plan to use google street view pics like these? 2016-01-16 16.12.16 by ppuinn posted Jan 18, 2016 at 2:00 AM 2016-01-17 00.41.01 by ppuinn posted Jan 17, 2016 at 11:30 PM 2016-01-17 16.44.04 by ppuinn posted Jan 17, 2016 at 11:30 PM 2016-01-17 00.44.53 by ppuinn posted Jan 17, 2016 at 10:52 PM 2016-01-08 00.24.48 by ppuinn posted Jan 8, 2016 at 1:13 AM Or maybe photo backdrops like this one that TrainBoard member Pachyderm217 made for his own layout using his own models:
Looking great Wyatt, like the way the freemo modules have turned out, especially with that light + fascia setup. Are you planning to do anything over the peninsulas? Matt
