Here is an update for all of you folks waiting to see what Cater is up to next !! The 10 by 22 foot L along the wall is installed and the modules ready for paint. But I was looking at the layout a few days back and decided that it was just going to be too darned boring with the dual mainline and a few sidings along the L...didn't look like it went anywhere . So I decided to add a 4 x 6 foot island near the middle of the L and a 4 x 5 foot island at the far end (thus the L becomes an "E") to add more mainline run and some more interest . The island at the far end will also allow for a Y to turn trains, since I don't want two turntables. The wife sez to me "so I guess this means we can't park cars in here" ahhh how wrong she is!! I plan to make the islands detachable and the frame on lockable rollers so that they can be rolled out of the way when not in use!! Mighty fun this modular stuff !! Happy Modeling!! John ------------------ The Santa Fe and Southwestern, Chief of the Southwest!! [This message has been edited by JCater (edited 28 November 2000).]
Nice to live in a climate where you can use your garage John. Here garages act as secondary freezers for us in winter. Great place to keep stuff when the freezer in the house gets full as it does over the holidays ------------------ Robin Maberly and Tayside
Robin, Yeah the climates ok...still gets quite cold out there though. I hope to do some more insulation in the garage anyway!! I plan on using a beige latex. The color will be right for the scenics I am using and most latex is pretty cheap. I do worry about it adhering correctly though...Happy Modeling!! John ------------------ The Santa Fe and Southwestern, Chief of the Southwest!!
JCater, use an old Carnival trick. Mount two hinges between the island and the layout. Get the kind that allows you to pull the hinge pin out. One half of each hinge on the layout, the other half on the island. Use the adjustable height castors (like I did) and a lock nut, to set the height and level. Then all you do is pull the two hinge pins and roll away. When you want to run, you are assured of alignment and height. The Carbey people have put up the booths this way for years. They even use nails in case they lose the hinge pin. Just put your hinge pin back in on hinge half, so you always know where it is. I would use the 3 or 4 inch size for your islands. Make sure you have good brakes! We used this method on a layout that was raised up on rope and pulleys to allow a car to be driven in under it. Used a boat winch to allow one man to do it. The solid half of the hinges was fastened to a 2x4 mounted along the wall and end of his garage. He had two legs that folded up and screen door hooks to hold them up. The hinges supported the rest. Lots of ways to skin cats! Enjoy. (The hinges can be put under the layout out of sight, you know. ------------------ Watash
Hey, thanks for the advice Watash!! The only thing I have'nt figured out yet is how to scenic over the crack between the layout and islands...any help on removable scenery?? Happy Modeling!! John ------------------ The Santa Fe and Southwestern, Chief of the Southwest!!
John, the island idea is great. The 'under construction' club N layout I was a member of was built similar to your in an 'E' shape. Broke up the layout quite effectively and added much more running length. Mind you, the islands (we referred to tham as peninsulas) were fixed in our case. Watash's suggestion for aligning and seduring the islands using hinges is an old tried and proven method. Additionally, you can add alignment pins using 1/2" tapered dowel (rod) to assist in lining up the hinges. As for scenicking the gap between, that's been a bug-bear of modular set-ups from the beginning. In some cases they temporarily fill the gap with the same scenic material, but if you will be moving the islands often, then maybe you should give this a miss (and miss the inevitable clean-up) and turn a blind eye to the gap? Regarding the garage being used as a freezer, I saw a documentary on the crews that maintain the Trans-Siberian Highway. Huge blocks of ice sitting in the enclosed porch in minus 40-45C temps that supplied not only water but frozen food - just chop out a fish for dinner! Amazing to me coming from a land where 40F is COLD! Gary. ------------------ Gary A. Rose The Unofficial TC&W page TrainBoard Moderator and Member No.377 N to the Nth degree!
Thanks GATS!! I have been toying with the idea of carving a river at the gap, and covering it with a fitted , removable river . I have actually done that before, but for other reasons. Thus the gap becomes serviceable as a river, the remainder of the crack hidden below the river . Anyway, lots of ideas running through my head, have'nt had time to try any out on the N layout though. Good luck and Happy Modeling!! ------------------ The Santa Fe and Southwestern, Chief of the Southwest!!
You might make a hedge, fence and tree line on a small thin strip of wood, cut where the rails cross over it. Mount it to a piece of heavy cloth like canvas and allow 1/2" canvase to stick out on the layout side. Lay the wood over the crack, and glue the canvas to the layout. To move the island, fold the trees and hedge wood over onto the layout, and pull the hinge pins. When you re-install the island, just tip the wood strip back up in place, its always there and hides the crack. A river, canyon, road with a ditch, pipeline, or lift off piece is also possible. Maybe you could cut and fit the island at a curve, or any non-straight shape, by glueing the island to the layout, then jig saw an odd shape out of the layout an inch or so, wavy across. Make a small creek with a bluff higher on the observer's side, 1/2 to 3/4" would hide the crack in the bottom. The connecting tracks could be the culverts going over the creek. Paint flat black in the bottom. The squiggly black line would look natural. You could, could, well, tell them to mind their own business if they don't like your layout! ------------------ Watash
Thanks Watash, all great ideas...the creek thing is also something I have thought of. I have, in the past, had a removable river, built on plexi-glass. This would sit over the crack. I'll have to play with these ideas some more, though I must say I like the last suggestion best...if people don't like it too bad...its my layout not theirs !! Happy Modeling!! John ------------------ The Santa Fe and Southwestern, Chief of the Southwest!!
There is another method used that someone might like. Instead of a roll around, or tilting peninsula, go to a used furniture store, and look at an office desk made with the swing up arm mechanism for typewriters. Remember them? Most of these desks were wood, good wood too. A secretary could simply pull out with one hand, and the typewriter would swing up into position when she wanted it. When through, she simply pushed in and down and it would swing back under the desk top out of sight. Get the idea? A guy in Irving mounted one arm on one end of a 24" wide 3/4" plywood slab, and the other arm on the other end. Both about 18" inboard from the end. The slab was 8 feet long. He had tapered slots the slab would slide into when it came out and up to layout level for end play. He mounted cleats under the slab with adjusting screws and wing lock nuts to adjust the height. He drove his pickup in between two shelves, by swinging both slabs down in under the two shelf layout "wings". It was pretty neat. He used my idea for the folding legs, and I used his idea of the swing arms, for a little tool holder next to a milling machine. Keep skinning the cat I say! ------------------ Watash #982
Now that is a cool idea Watash!! There certainly are more ways to skin a cat than one...and I guess if it would work for one peninsula, it would work for two with two sets of arms !! Happy Modeling!! John ------------------ The Santa Fe and Southwestern, Chief of the Southwest!!
