Module progress

The modules are almost to the point I can lay track! Here are some photos of the two modules setup on my back patio with construction tools and debris still strewn about ...

Some construction notes ...

This image show where the module joint is with the red dotted line ... the apparent joint on the long module section on the left will disappear once I cover the fascia, valance, and backdrop with 1/16" styrene.

The facia, valance, and backdrop will all get covered with 1/16" styrene, and the styrene will be painted. The fascia will get an olive drab green color, while the valance will get a charcoal gray. The backdrop will be painted a nice light sky blue.

I also will be painting all the bare wood benchwork with gray primer.

Next I will be adding black skirting using cup hooks, 1/2" flexible plastic tubing, and shower curtain-like rings with clamps.

The legs are all PVC pipe put into sockets on the underside of the module benchwork. The angled pipe braces add stiffness to the modules so they don't sway. I also intend to add some 9" tall feet collar sockets attached to 3/4" plywood for all the legs with thumbscrews. Each 3/4" plywood pad will get a cinder block on it to give the entire setup a very low center of gravity to make accidentally pushing it over something quite difficult to do.

Next up is adding the LED lighting strips and laying track!

Oh yes, per the diagram in the opening post, I will also be adding a 6-foot slab that has temporary staging tracks on it. I will just build a simple box out of 1/4" plywood, add some leg sockets, and attach it to the far left end to provide some staging for these two module sections. This temp staging will have no backdrop or lighting valance.

P.S. These modules use 1/4" plywood torsion-box style construction which makes them strong but light weight. Everything you see here all told is less than 50 lbs. Once I've fully field-tested all the construction techniques and worked out the kinks, I will be doing articles and videos about how you too can do this kind of layout construction.

Neat idea

I don’t know why, but I never thought of TOMA as something to take to shows. It would be a natural at conventions and RPM meets to explain your layout to others. They don’t even have to come to your house.

Just have a module or two and a good track plan for them to look at, and it’s an instant conversation piece. 

Well done. 

Looking good

I like the flowing benchwork and fascia/valance. The colors will really make this a striking example of what can been done. Hope you make it to Sac next year. Too soon for me to fly. 

SL2 Progress

Nice update on the progress of the soon to be famous Siskiyou Line #2. I look forward to your series on your new methods. Couple of questions. 

How much do you hope to complete before the convention in August? I know you are taking your time to ensure quality work that will pay off dividends in the end. 

Also, have you put much thought in how you plan to operate with the initial three modules? Looks like you will have enough to keep a couple of folks busy for an hour or two depending on the complexity of the operation and the fact you will be operating it at a slower more relaxed realistic pace with the ProtoThrottle.

Tim G

PVC Supports....

.... is a great idea.  What diameter pipe did you use?

Also, the diagonal supports only go in 1 direction.  How are you going to protect against bumps and wobbles in the other direction?

I'll second

the PVC supports. Never thought of using them. Great idea. Looks like they are about 1" diameter. I bet that set up is quite rigid.

Bernd

Looking good

some construction notes

How about a shot of the underside? To see the attachment of the pvc to the module.

PVC Attachment

Joe, I second the above post about a view of the underside to see the attachment points for the PVC legs. I definitely like the PVC idea for lightweight, as opposed to my local club's heavy 2x2 lumber legs, that while extremely sturdy and stable, are very heavy to handle and transport. I don't think you will need the cinder blocks to weigh down the feet, especially if the 3/4 inch plywood pieces are large enough for stability. Jim

weight

Weighting down the legs with water-filled gallon ( or five-gallon) jugs would make the outfit a lot more portable. Unless you're trying to build up your biceps and don't mind hauling cinder blocks cross-country.

PVC pipe legs were an experiment

Cinder blocks vs big water buckets

PVC legs...

I like that idea.

I think, if I were doing the corner piece though, I would make it so I could add an expansion to the corner of a wall, to get a bit more "ground" in... maybe a scene that could be detached for when it's not in a corner.

But then, I like to fill out whatever I'm working on to the farthest I can... so, all the way to the wall.

PVC leg stability

The stability or wobble was the exact thing running through my mind when I was looking at the photo's and was going to ask but by the time I reached the end of the topic, you had raised that issue.

I've seen TOMA in quite a few topics here now, but my eyes have glazed over it.  Is there a quick summary of it somewhere so I can enlighten my self? 

Legs vs Wall supports?

I am curious, is the reason you are using Legs for the SL2 because you would like to take it with you to Shows to promote the concept?  I ask because when I ever get back to actually building the layout (that is on hold until the future of my Driver's License is determined) I plan on using shelf brackets every 4' and literally hang the modules on the brackets  (the ones that use mounting tracks with slots for the actual brackets).  This is being done for a couple reasons, one being it is a multi-deck layout and more importantly it leaves the area underneath the layout free and clear of any obstacles (like the legs).  So I'm curious as to why SL2 is being designed this way since this is still for your home layout, correct? 

Ken L. 

TOMA: August 2017 MRH

Check out the TOMA bibliography at the end of the August 2017 MRH editorial. It lists everything we've ever published and even includes a list of TOMA forum threads and links to them as well:

http://mrhpub.com/2017-08-aug/online/?page=22

SL2 phase 1 module design

Ken, if you recall, these two module sections are part of a peninsula that's down the middle of the room -- see the plan below with these two module sections highlighted. (Click to enlarge)

So these module sections are free-standing and taking them to a show has nothing to do with how they're being made as to their support. My SL1 also has a free-standing peninsula down the middle, but it's rock solid because it uses robust 2x2 legs with lots of bracing and the legs are anchored to a concrete floor using brackets with nails blasted into the concrete.

My TOMA rendition of the free-standing peninsula needs similarly solid legs and something to anchor it down that's also portable -- hence the cinder blocks on plywood pads with the legs anchored to the pads. But even so, the legs and bracing need to have minimal wobble, so I've given up on the PVC pipe legs because 50-inch long schedule 40 PVC pipe that's 1" in diameter has too much flex in it. 

The one benefit of wood legs is wood grain is very stiff along it's length -- that's why tall conifer trees don't droup! I'm trying red cedar 2x2" legs. Red cedar is a light weight wood. Frankly, I'm less concerned about the weight of the legs since carrying around the modules will happen mostly without legs and their associated bracing.

Pictures of PVC leg sockets in the benchwork

Here are some pictures of the PVC leg sockets in the benchwork.

The trick here is schedule 40 PVC pipe that's 1" slides into the inside of 1-1/4" PVC pipe with minimal slop. So I used 1-1/4" fittings with 1-1/4" pipe glued inside to give me lots of wall thickness so I could drill and tap the PVC pipe for 1/4" thumbscrews to finger-tighten all joints. Unfortunately, the round pipe makes all joints into something of an engineering feat and difficult for attaching bracing easily.

PVC too flexible?

I'm wondering how EMT - Electrical Metallic Conduit - would work. Basically steel tubes with all sorts of fiddly bits to get them to do what you want.

It's what I built my backdrop holder in Orlando out of. Hopefully Les will toss the pieces in this van for the trip to KC so I can use it again.

On our modular group we I use

On our modular group we I use 1/2" emt conduit.  Very strong, can screw or weld it together.  Have some that fold under and some that slip in sockets made of wood.  If one gets bent or lost, replacements are as close as a big box store.

John

Joe, thanks for the TOMA

Joe, thanks for the TOMA reference.  I've got some reading to do!

TOMA Quick summery

@JimFitch

The best way to sum it up... it is "The One Module Approach".

You build your layout, one small module at a time... that way, you have your bench work, track, scenery, and everything ready to start running trains right away on a small module. Then just keep building more modules to add on.

Some of the pros to this, is you get a small layout done in a short amount of time, giving you a bit more variety in that short amount of time (so you aren't spending weeks on track work before you can go on to something else) you get to experiment with your modules, and learn new techniques for the next module... if you screw up a module, you didn't screw up the whole layout... and if you ever move, the modules can be taken apart easier, and salvaged easier.

That would be my summery on TOMA in an easy to digest sound byte.

But yeah, like Joe said, go check out August 2017 MRH... hopefully my little summary has piqued your interest in finding out more!

The best way to sum it up...

So is it possible to build a TOMA layout that has two decks.  I'm trying to wrap my head around it but it doesn't seem like you could call it TOMA then. 

By way of example:

Or does two levels pretty much eliminate you from the TOMA club?