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Dismantling, Moving, and Reassembling Layout
Colin wants to hear from anyone who has relocated house and layout. He asks:
I made a big mistake not building my 11ft x 8ft HO layout in modules, although part is built on an 8 x 4 base and the rest tacked on.
Now we are moving interstate and I am not sure how to dismantle and move my precious railroad without damaging it. Most of the scenery is made from paper mache. The buildings and two bridges will detach okay. I can dismantle the legs without too much difficulty as they are screwed in place.
But, for the main layout itself, I don’t know where to begin. I don’t want to wreck it pulling it part or damage it in the move. I know I am probably asking the impossible, but I don’t know where to start.
Please help.
SUBMIT YOUR QUESTION
Colin…I’ve never faced this problem (yet), but I’m pretty sure you can find a professional mover who could move the layout intact. Call around before you get too stressed.
For maximum ease of reassembly, I suggest:
1) Decide how big your pieces can be. (On the basis of how big your transport is.)
2) Draw a plan and figure out where you can best put straight cuts through the framework, baseboard and scenery.
3) Carefully cut the tracks at these points with a rotary saw or cutting disc(on a dremel type tool) or a fine saw (razor saw or jeweller’s saw).
4) Cut through the paper mache with big scissors (or a carving knife or junior hacksaw if needed).
5) Saw through the framework and baseboard where necessary.
When you reassemble the layout, align the sections very carefully and make sure they are level before joining. Use screws so you can do the operation more easily next time !
A tiny drop of solder should rejoin each of the cut rails.
Repair scenery as necessary.
Colin, A friend of mine in the British Army moved his model railway all over the world, He constructed a timber cover to fit over the whole layout. I have also seen this done when a layout has had to be stored away for a while. The cover was constructed out of a light material ie thin plywood or MDF board, make it slightly larger than the layout so you can screw it on.
I move mine, an Arnold Rapido based N gauge set built in a 4 x 8 square configuration in a move from New Jersey to Florida. The set was suspended from the ceiling in our finished, basement and by a system of pulleys I could pull it up and out of the way when we had a party, it was quite heavy since all my scenery was made of plaster laid on to metal screening, with a mountain that was about 2 feet high.
First I made sure all the buildings, trees, etc. were properly glued down. Since the base that held the plywood was made of 2 x 1s I was able to build a box that covered the whole thing built of 2 x 1s and
4 x 8 paneling. so that it wound up being an 8L x 4W x 2.4D. I guess the whole thing weighed about 100 to 120 pounds
The movers moved it and the only thing that came loose was part of the station which I glued back down.
I rehung the set from the ceiling in the garage and it lived there until we had to move again and our children had moved out of the house, at which time I donated the whole thing to a coworker who had two sons. Eventually they donated the set to a railroad club in Ft Lauderdale….
Lots of places have skids and will give them to you for the asking they could be knocked apart and boxes could be made once you have decided how big the sections are going to be