In a layout I've always wanted to have a village and a yard with accessories. I don't have the room for both. I was thinking I could build a modular layout and change sections whenever I want.
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Perfectly doable. The trick is making the modules large enough for your scenery requirements while small and light enough to handle easily.
What is the size of your space? How about 2 separate levels?
This is my modular layout. As you can see I didn't leave much room for scenery. It's all track.
Carefully plan you module sizes and how they attach to each other. You may find that once you finally get everything setup that you don't want to mess with swapping modules around. So make module swapping as easy as possible.
Carefully plan you module sizes and how they attach to each other. You may find that once you finally get everything setup that you don't want to mess with swapping modules around. So make module swapping as easy as possible.
I had the idea, but never built it, but have a central loop on a base with wheels. Have 2 drop down sides with the "expansion". Move the layout to the left, and pull up the right side. Have some pre run wire in various spots to connect accessories or lights and done. This is not something you want to do daily, but you could have this up for a few days, then switch. I called it, modular with wings.
Originally Posted by nyc5340:
In a layout I've always wanted to have a village and a yard with accessories. I don't have the room for both. I was thinking I could build a modular layout and change sections whenever I want.
If they will only be traveling in your house and you won't walk upon them, 2" thick foam is light and strong. You can even build it so that they fit under the scene when the other is in use. Wood frame to support it. Keep us posted.
I built this modular for travel to senior centers, assisted living facilities, etc. The whole thing fits in my small SUV. Each module is 30" x 60" and 2.5" thick. The modules have a 3/4" x 2 1/2" plywood frame with a 1/4" plywood top surface.
Picture from a recent visit:
It is 5' wide by 15' long (so far) and can also be set up as a 10' square. Each module is wired with track attached and building lights mounted on the module. No legs- I use (3) 5' folding tables. The modules are stackable and make about a 20" high stack in the back of the car.
It runs 3 trains at a time and is controlled by DCS. O-36 and O-48 curves. Added the skirting recently - makes a big difference!
Your idea of interchangeable pieces would work well. One of my modules is sometimes a farm scene and sometimes an oil facility.
Ed
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If you broaden the concept, think of a module as a section of the benchwork\layout that is attached in a fashion mechanically and electrically for easy removal. Some do it that way in case they move. It doesn't explicitly mean a portable layout.The yard and the village could be their own module. The yard may take two sections. Just have a location on the primary layout for the tracks to join. It could be as simple as T, where the leg of the T is the add-on to a rectangle layout. You could put an extension in the center of a U shaped layout. You could also parallel a leg of an L or folded dogbone by returning from the end along the leg.
My 2¢ for your consideration.
Originally Posted by Moonman:
If you broaden the concept, think of a module as a section of the benchwork\layout that is attached in a fashion mechanically and electrically for easy removal. Some do it that way in case they move. It doesn't explicitly mean a portable layout.The yard and the village could be their own module. The yard may take two sections. Just have a location on the primary layout for the tracks to join. It could be as simple as T, where the leg of the T is the add-on to a rectangle layout. You could put an extension in the center of a U shaped layout. You could also parallel a leg of an L or folded dogbone by returning from the end along the leg.
My 2¢ for your consideration.
This is what I have in mind.
