Lift out section or base board

[CallySleeperKid]

Any help with this, I am in the early stages of making a loft layout up, but there is a door at the back of the loft where the cold water tanks and general storage is, Now I don't mind crawling on my hands and knees under the board but I don't expect my partner, or anyone else for that matter to have to, So how difficult is it to have a drop in section of board than can easily be lifted out when the layout is not in use?

The section in question will only be a double track straight section, so nothing to fiddly to move, but I really have no idea what I need to do to achieve this, parts, set up, you name it, I am stuck.

Any advice or helpful pointer would be greatly appreciated.

CSK

 

[Yew]

I think I have worked out a way, you would have to remove the electrical contacts from the track, to the board, as it would be exceedingly difficult to do that using fishplates. ( i would suggest either using a small jack, or integrating it to how the board is mounted, I can think of a way using aluminium foil and small pieces of wire soldered to the track to jumper the voltage from the track to the pieces of foil,) Ill try and make a sketch later

then lining the track up, you can either do it by eye, or try and make a way so that always lines up (think like a jigsaw piece

 

[CallySleeperKid]

I was thinking of running a cable between the main board and removable section, in the same sort of way as the Hornby Isolating rail works, and just unclip each cable as the board needs to be moved, so that would be 8 clips in total (a permanent connection on each of the 8 rails on the main board each side and a detachable connection on on each of the 8 rails on the removable section) , then there would be the problem of aligning the track so the train passes over without derailing.

Exhibition layouts must get dismantled for transport so I am guessing it can be done, we shall see.

 

[Heinz57]

It can indeed be done. Its very easy too.

For alinment, dowels and/or coach bolts can be used. As its a single lift out section with both sides perminantly fixed, I'd recoment coach bolts, with wing nuts. About four of them in total (Two at each end of the section)

There are many types of connection that can be use for the electrics. XLR, DIN. JACKs are popular and hold two connections each. 'D' connectors are even better, they come in a variety of sizes - 9 way, 15 way, 25 way, 50 way

Also, in addition to the bolts. You could make a small 'lip' for this removable section to sit on. Attach one to the perminantly fixed sections, to the under side of the timber frame work. Have it protrude out no more than the thickness of the timber. Of course this is all optional. But it will make it easyer to fix in and remove the section on your own, and without having to attach legs to this section.

Just about any book on building a model railway discusses portable layouts. Have a look at these and they will tell you everything you need to know for your removable section.

Hope I've helped!

Heinz

 

[Oswyntail]

From my experience of many years back, the most frustrating problem is keeping the lift-out section level with the main board. Solid supports!

 

[CallySleeperKid]

Well finally got round to fitting in my 'lift-out' section of baseboard today, and got one line down to test it, and glad to say it works perfectly!

Attached are a few photos which will help explain how I did it, but in brief, I made sure the lift out section was a tight fit so there is no movement between the two boards, and I got a couple of Hornby isolating rails and cut them in half, one section on the main board and one on the lift out section. These are connected with the wire which is included, one on one side of the track section at one and, and the other side at the other end (Photo will explain), As I am running DCC this gives power to both sides of the track.

 

[StripeyNick]

Well finally got round to fitting in my 'lift-out' section of baseboard today, and got one line down to test it, and glad to say it works perfectly!

Attached are a few photos which will help explain how I did it, but in brief, I made sure the lift out section was a tight fit so there is no movement between the two boards, and I got a couple of Hornby isolating rails and cut them in half, one section on the main board and one on the lift out section. These are connected with the wire which is included, one on one side of the track section at one and, and the other side at the other end (Photo will explain), As I am running DCC this gives power to both sides of the track.

Apologies for resurrecting this thread but CSK, how is this set up working out for you?

We have just fitted a layout into our shed so it includes a lift up flap across the door so obviously we'd have to do something with the break in the circuit but because I'm not the greatest electrician, I was a little stumped with how to do the trackwork.

I was pleased to see your idea and was curious to know if it is doing the job for you as planned?

Cheers

 

[CallySleeperKid]

Apologies for resurrecting this thread but CSK, how is this set up working out for you?

We have just fitted a layout into our shed so it includes a lift up flap across the door so obviously we'd have to do something with the break in the circuit but because I'm not the greatest electrician, I was a little stumped with how to do the trackwork.

I was pleased to see your idea and was curious to know if it is doing the job for you as planned?

Cheers

Hi, I will get back to you on this ASAP, working at the minute and will need to take some photos to help explain what I did. I have made a couple of changes that, of I had done them first off, would have made it a lot cheaper and better running, but now I have a section that I am very happy with in terms of use and performance. I will get back to in due course with a more detailed reply.

CSK

 

[CallySleeperKid]

So the original plan mentioned in a post further up this thread shows me using the Hornby Isolating rail, sawing them in half leaving one half of each connection on each side, that leaving the small black wire that come with it to make the power connection.

That all worked well enough, but I found, even after gluing the now half sections of the black plastic connector back to the track, it was very loose and a little catch of the base board on removal would pull them clean off. So although it worked, it needed to be changed.

The first thing I need to mention is that you do not need to use the isolating rails, just any track with the fishplates removed, line them up together and tack them down firmly, I put extra track tacks through the sleepers close to the board edges, and as one of the following photos shows, I have packed up at least one of the tracks to make sure the join is smooth, leaving a rise between the two sections will cause the train to derail. Also, the tracks do not need to be that close they touch, you don't want them hanging over the edge of the baseboard or you may catch them and rip them off when removing the section.

Shown if photos 1-4 you will see how I overcame the early problems I had, from track level view. The track at either side of the removable base board has a small black wire soldered to the outside side of the track (Obviously on the inside would derail the train). This wire is then passed down through a small hole drilled through the baseboard to the underside. The process is repeated for each individual rail. I have a 3 track section passing over the removable board, so that is 12 wires at one end, and 12 at the other. The photos will show what I'm talking about, Photo 1 showing a view of the track on both the main board and the removable section, with photo 4 being a view a single side.

Photos 4 and 5 show the wires connected to a clip I sourced online, basically the corresponding wires from each individual rail connect to each other, so the currant continues to run, The clip separates so you can remove the base board, and there is one of these at each end. The photos show the 6 wires from the main fixed baseboard coming down to meet the 6 wires from the removable section, this is repeated at the other end.

The final two photos, 6 and 7, show a complete view of the wiring from above, the only reason some of the wires do not drop straight through the baseboard right beside the track, is that there is supporting beams underneath, but the wires will be hidden by ballast anyway so makes no difference.

As I have not updated for quite a while, sorry, I have added a quick glimpse of some of my attempts at scenery, hope you enjoy, and I will upload some of the new stock and other bits and pieces soon.

Cheers, CSK