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Fixing Rails To Trackbase Board
Gordon want to hear from you if you are experienced in the hobby and asks:
“I am building a new HO set for my grandson and wish to use a 10′ x 4’6″ base board. As this is too big to get through doors etc I was going to cut it in half and then join it together on location. Does anyone have any ideas on an easy way to line up the tracks if I need to separate to remove them from the present room and reset up? Should I work on the basis that the board is permanently in one piece once joined and the rails are fixed? Aniticipating future moves of the board is my problem. The rails are not fixed to the board at this time but I am starting in next couple of weeks.”
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3 Responses to Fixing Rails To Trackbase Board
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If you are anticipating having to move the layout, my suggestion would be to build it in sections or modules. I am building mine in 24″ x 72″ modules. I lay the track on the layout after it is joined, then use a mototool with a cutoff disk to cut the track on the joint. If you use track feeders tied to a track bus, you’ll have electrical continuity across the joint.
Keep the joint in mind when installing scenery by camouflaging it with low vegitation glued to only on side of the joint. If you ever have to disassemble the layout, it should come apart with little damage to the layout. You should also number the the sections appropriately so you can reassemble the layout with little confusion.
Hope this helps.
Ken
Gordon,
Ken’s ideas are right on but I might also add that where the table seams will be, I would suggest installing a door hinge at each side of the seam/joint. So, you would have a hinge mounted on EACH side of the wooden base with the hinge pin lined up exactly with the seam. This way, you can pull the pins to separate the two sections, move them to your new location and then re-insert the pins. This hinge set-up provides a strong but accurate re-alignment when you reassemble the table and you can relocate it as often as you like. You can mount the hinge underneath the table so it is out of sight OR if the layout board is thick enough, mount them along the edge(s).
Hope this helps,
Geof
Check out the Ntrak module site http://www.ntrak.org
Ntrak modules are 4×2 foot sections joined together to make large N scale layouts (modules, as Ken suggested). They join the module sections together with C clamps and then drop in short (5 inch) pieces of track to bridge the gap between module track ends. That way you don’t have to be precise on your alignment as you would have to be if the track were cut at the module joints.
They also use Powerpole connectors to electrically connect track sections across the gaps, which is another idea you can use.
These methods can be used for any scale, not just N. Hope this helps!