Help With Access Hatches

Hi Corvette,

 

Here's a photo of my access hatch. it's about 30 inches wide by 20 inches deep

The hatch is hinged with a piano hinge. Everything on the access hatch is glued down

 

Thanks, Alex

Alex, that's a nice looking hatch.

Alex, one question.  If you have to get to something behind the

raised hatch, how do you reach around the open hatch ?

Forum member Ingenerio, has nice hatch ideas on his layout. There simple and pratical. Hopefully he sees this post and puts pics up.

Good morning Corvette,

 

The photo's are a little misleading, under this hatch it is all open to the back.So it is easy to get behind it. you don't have to hinge yours, you can just make it a pop out hatch. Like Bluesheep says Alex Ingenerio has awesome hatches. I will talk to him and tell him about this thread so he can show you his beautiful access hatches.

 

Alex

Thanks Alex, I will wait for them.

Corvettte

Corvette,

 

Alex Malliae just alerted me (via email) about this thread. I will be glad to post some pictures shortly. I can tell you that I have nine hatches on my layout, of various styles, plus three access openings that are well hidden.

 

"I'll Be Back."

 

Alex

Here are some examples of the hatches:

 

(Click on pictures to enlarge to actual proportions) 

 

Lake Chiemsee Resort

 

Large portion of lake slides out - nice large hatch.

 

Small portion lifts out and down.

 

Intermodal Yard

 

Hatch raises, locks up, and swings out of the way. This is one of two similar hatches in this area.

 

Parking lot by subway mall.

 

Hatch hinges down. There are two hatches like this.

 

34-inch turntable

 

Turntable hinges down for nice, large hatch.

 

Hope these help.

 

Alex

Hi Alex Malliae,

 

Thanks for taking the time to post pictures of your hatches.

 

After looking on the Internet at many pictures of hatches and after looking at yours, I have come to some conclusions.

 

The picture of your popup on a pole intrigues me.  That's a neat idea.  Please explain how theapparatus works.

 

First hatches that pop up that are not hinged have to be set down somewhere on the layout.  I'm not too keen on that idea because I can visualize damaging something on the layout because of the weight of the pop-out.

 

Which brings up an idea I just came up with after looking at your pictures.  This is going to sound so far out that everyone reading this will get a good laugh.

 

Now bare with me on this before you fall off your chair laughing - - - - - 

Picture this in your mind. 

 

 

When a popup is lifted up - on one side of it is an "eyelet screw" heavy duty enough to hold the popup up. You know, the item with a threaded end and the other end loops in a circle.  Of course, everything on the popup must be secured to keep anything from falling off of it.

 

Now after the popup is lifted up out of the opening I would have a small step stool under the layout which I would use to raise myself up through the hatch opening and I would hook the hatch to an open eyelet screw (like a tea cup hook) which would be screwed into the ceiling (I don't think anyone would notice six or seven small hooks screwed into the ceiling - and they could be painted white to blend in).

 

Then when done working on the layout, I would reach up, grab the popup, sliding it off the hook and step down off the step stool and replace it on the layout.

 

Read on after you stop laughing - - - - - - - I see pictures of hatches which fold up, fold down, move out of the way under the layout, and ones that are laid on the layout.

 

The things I think I would object to is if a hatch swings up, it will be hard to reach a full 3 feet behind it making it necessary to have more hatches than necessary.

 

Hatches that swing down could be damaged if accidentally leaned against.

 

Side Note: My layout will be a solid table from one end to the other with no walk a-rounds.  Two sides will be up against the walls.  I just can't bring myself to loose even a small amount of space on the layout to make it easier to get to parts of it.

 

This idea, even to me, sounds a little nutty, but to me getting the popup completely out of the way so I can move in a 360 degree circle and be able to reach out to the full length of my arms is necessary.

 

I would be a little afraid of bumping into a popup and damaging something on it if it dropped down or raised up while reaching out onto the layout.

 

The only other simple solution would to make the popup in such a way that it could be dropped down through the opening and set on the floor while working on the layout (I don't plan on using the space under the layout for storage or anything else except one layer of boxes against the walls which will go on shelves).  I want to be able to get anywhere under the layout for accessing my popup openings, repairs, or future wiring.

 

Ok, now please get back to me with your ideas on how I'm making things too complicated.

A lot of access can be made right in the scenery without the need for hatches.  Imagine a mountain scene thet is actualy like a volcano, where it is hollow in the center.  The late great John Allen was a master at HIDING access in PLAIN SIGHT! 

 

 

 

As you get older you will discover that bigger in not always better and that easier may  be!    Russ

Hi  Russ,

 

Great idea about hiding in mountains.  Didn't think of that one.  Will file that one away.

 

Corvettte

Corvette,

 

The hatch method you propose could work, but it may be challenging to lift the hatch, step on the stool while holding the hatch, and then hang it up. Obviously, the larger the hatch the more difficult the operation would be. By the way, I would not make a hatch smaller that 14" x 18".

 

The lift up hatches I have are designed so that once lifted up, they can be turned slightly and lowered back down through the hole. Then, I simply lean the hatch against a leg or set them on a stool under the layout. (My layout it 48” high, and this allows for good mobility.)

 

On my previous layout I had three fold-down hatches. These were hinged and would fold down and past straight down - close to 45° past straight down, and held there with a small chain. This kept the small buildings I had attached to the hatch out of the way of my knees, etc.

 

As Russ said, above, access openings without lids are best. I have three that work fine. Two of them are surrounded by half-buildings and building fronts, and the other one is behind a graded track and all are very well disguised.

 

The lift up and stay up hatches work fine too. Here are some pictures of the one at the Refinery during the early stages of layout construction. This one was a bit to small, about 14” x 16”, so I made the next one, at the intermodal yard, 14” x 18”. Also, since they swing out of the way once up, I made the tube on the second one a bit shorter. I do use a stool to step on and increase my reach when through the hatch opening.

 

Hatch lowered - closed.

 

Look underneath when hatch is down.

 

Detail when down.

 

Tube raised and held up.

 

Hatch raised and swung 180°.

 

Another view.

 

Good luck!

 

Alex

Hi  Alex,

 

Your lift up hatch is absolutely perfect.  I will scrap my goofy idea for what you designed.

 

Do I need permission from you to copy your idea ?  Just kidding.  I really like what

you did.  That settles it for me.

 

Corvettte

 

P.S.  I also like the way you made your legs.  I assume bracing it at the top keeps the

legs from bowing any ?

 

Good Ideas

That is correct. Also notice that the frame 2x4's rest on the legs; in other words, it is not screws that hold the frame up on the legs. The shorter pieces keep the legs in place and add stability.

 

Design detail and a couple of examples.

  

 

 

 

Thx!

 

Alex

Thanks Alex,

 

Your ideas are really good.  I will incorporated the two items (legs and lift-up hatch) on my layout when I get started.

 

The whole OGR forums are great just because of what I've learned from other members that have been doing this for years and their experience over the years.

 

Thanks to all,  Corvettte

Hi Corvette, sorry I didn't get back to you sooner. I didn't see you guys talking about this. But I see the master of the access hatches has helped you out. I knew he was the man for this. That's why I emailed him and told him about the thread. Corvette you are in great hands with Alex Ingeniero. Alex thanks for helping him out.

Good luck in your construction.

 

Alex

If I may, I would like to go in another direction.  If you are anything like me you will be getting older, packing on more pounds, joints losing flexibility, knees hurting, less hair to cushion bumps, tire of crawling around under the platform, vision not that good for looking across a big platform,  etc, etc.

 

It could quickly get real old in a permanent kinda regretful way.

 

Your prospective now may well change after living in a wall locked RR.  I have worked with a lot of RRers who get real involved in the theory aspect during the planning stage only to realize how some of their ideas do not work as anticipated in the day to day real life application.

 

Maybe give some consideration to sharing your track plan.  Many here would be glad to help develope a plan to keep you upright. 

 

Being able to walk around with your consist helps to taste the RR experience in a different way.

 

Just another perspective.