Toma round house and yard modules?

    Toma would be well suited to the task. Round house and engine facilities can vary greatly in size so I'd start by deciding how long a turntable and how big a round house I want then fit that on one module. If it requires more than 2 feet width don't worry, just narrrow the adjoining modules if they can fit on 2 feet of width. All modules don't have to be the same width, it's bettter to make each one as wide as it needs to be but no wider to save scenic material and time spent. I'd make the round house /turntable one module then add a servicing module with coal or oil tanks, ash,sand,etc.  ,then add as many yard modules as needed to represent the type of yard you are modeling. The neat thing about TOMA is you can add or subtract modules as your space available changes over time.....DaveB 

TOMA??

So make it two or three sections? Who cares....

As I understand the idea behind "The One Module Approach" is to build and finish one area/section at a time, not to lock into rigid thinking of fixed module sizes...

It's not supposed to be limiting in concept, it's supposed to allow you to focus and finish a complete project.

Understood that way, it's a good approach; it doesn't need to be this religious dogma that's pushed so hard like it's the "one" way to build a layout.

Toma

Ok not set rules.  The 2 feet width was for ease of moving the module from the basement.  Also I guess the height is also not an issue since the legs will be removable.  The length will be an issue since the stairs to my basement turn in the middle so I want to be able to stand it up to go around the corner. I was also thinking of using foam for the top to make it lighter.

Paul

Size

72x30 inches is about the max you can comfortably fit through doorways and around corners.  Not dogma, physical constraints.

If you make your sections a consistent length or width it will help "pack" them if you choose to move.  They can be stacked together to make  easy to handle/store sections.

Another consideration is whether the sections will be moved by you or with help from other people.  If just you, then the sections have to be small enough that you can pick them up and handle them  Once you get above 48x48 or 30x72 that becomes harder.

I would suggest designing a track plan for the yard and engine facilities, planning what you want as if it was going to be conventional, permanent, set in stone benchwork.  Then see where there may be "natural" break points to sectionalize it.  You can also take that plan and adjust it if there are conflicts to move switches or complex trackage off joints or move joints from under switches or complex trackwork.

Sometimes it works better to plan what you want and figure what benchwork goes under it than planning benchwork and trying to fit what you want on it.

Building a sectional layout

Hi,

I fine example of a great & strait forward build you can find right here on MRH.

https://forum.mrhmag.com/post/the-crawford-and-cherokee-v2-build-thread-12209148

Hope it inspires you !

Regards,

Filip

We found limiting module

We found limiting module length to around 36"-42" is the best for single-handing modules.  48" length is a little too long to reach both ends at the same time without disturbing scenery.  Cutting 2 hand hold slots in the end interface certainly helps in module handling regardless of how many people you have.  The hand slot is just a much better grip than the bottom edge of the module.

Fred W

planning a turntable and roundhouse

Planning a turntable and roundhouse depends very much on the scale/gauge and the era you want to model. The full-size railroads, being cost-concious, tried to use the shortest turntables they could manage. That usually depended on the largest locomotives that would be using the turntable.

There are not huge numbers of turntables available for modelers to buy. You might look into that as part of your planning. It's possible to build or kit-bash a roundhouse, but many modelers prefer to buy a turntable due to the mechanical complexity.

Paul, please tell us more about the sort of railroad you're hoping to build.