Building a model railway baseboard for no.1 son.
Board will be 8x4 or slightly larger 50mm celotex suspended from ceiling by some sort of winch system to lower and raise out of way.
Looked at bike hoists - cheapies say Max 20kgs so if I have 2 sets (4 cords 1 per corner) that gives 40kgs. Mechanical advantage of bike hoists should halve that so lifting pull should be doable by no.1 son but fears of uncon trolled descents are troubling me!!
Any better ideas? Thoughts? Experiences?!
TIA
Jim K
Do a 6x3 in N gauge and hang it on a door when not in use.
/Do a 6x3 in N gauge and hang it on a door when not in use./q
Mmm 00 is the scale - controls, track, engines & rolling stock already owned :-)
Jim K
Use a hand winch for under 20 quid? Overkill, yes, but it'll guarantee no uncontrolled descents.
Where are the light fittings?
Bit of a budgerigar if the room's lighting is blocked out when board is hoisted up.
If the rails etc. are fixed in place, could it be placed on-end against a wall (with stand-offs to protect it from damage)?
The question is: what are you going to do with the trains?
Any hoist that isn't perfectly level will have them running to one end of the layout. If they have enough runup they'll derail and fall off, or plough a hole in the scenery. I suspect getting a hoist to be perfectly level is going to be tricky.
You could just pick them up each time, but that's annoying particularly with lots of wagons etc. An alternative is to all run them into a separate 'yard' section that isn't hoisted - then you'd need to work out a way to connect that. Maybe turn it into a little carrycase or something?
Theo
They are braked when not powered, aren't they, by the motor?
I would think that if the board was hoisted by four cables, one at each corner, these being linked to a crossbar up above, or alternatively wound onto pulleys on the same axle, the board wouldn't tilt.
Bill
Celotex may be light, but it isn't exactly strong, what's wrong with some ply or osb?
/ Celotex may be light, but it isn't exactly strong, what's wrong with some ply or osb?/q
Weight once braced. You tried snapping 50mm celotex? They do 75mm too...
Jim K
Governors r ratchets for descent control? Brian
/ Where are the light fittings?/q
Right where the hole in the board will be :-)
/If the rails etc. are fixed in place, could it be placed on-end against a wall (with stand-offs to protect it from damage)?/q
T1tting about taking all trains etc on & off every time will kill the fun BTDTGTTS!
Jim K
I used one of those for an aerial mast for years. It had dire warnings all over it that it was not for man lifting purposes, which always made me smile. Brian
The motorised ones are. But there's likely to be coaches or wagons about that aren't connected to a loco - those left in sidings ready to be 'shunted', or the spare stock that you don't want to put out today.
That might do it, as long as it doesn't swing as it goes up.
Theo
g by some sort of winch system to lower and raise out of way.
ords 1 per corner) that gives 40kgs. Mechanical advantage of bike hoists sh ould halve that so lifting pull should be doable by no.1 son but fears of u ncontrolled descents are troubling me!!
yes looked at a few on ebay etc - when mounted on a wall (say) it seems the handle would foul IYSWIM ?
is there a better search term for ones that wouldn't?
Just because it can be hoisted doesn't mean it can't have legs for stability, strength, etc.
Celotex is pretty fragile ... may not have longevity ... be better making something akin to honeycomb construction using oiled hardboard.
/Celotex is pretty fragile ... may not have longevity ... be better making something akin to honeycomb construction using oiled hardboard. /q
Mmm we're not entering competitions :-)
Just playing trains....
Jim K
You can get car roof box hoists which may be easier to adapt to a board situation than a cycle hoist.
G.Harman
/You can get car roof box hoists which may be easier to adapt to a board situation than a cycle hoist. /q
Had a goggle, these seem to start at 60 quid?
Quite fancy 2 bike hoists and some bodging for 15 quid ;-)
Jim K
Tends to bow a bit when remove the foil facings, light timber frame wouldnt do any harm.
Trad Dad would use Sundeala on a 2X1 frame
Kayak hoist might be worth looking at as well
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