Nelevation - N Gauge - 20 lane Fiddle Yard Lifter

[Only-Me]

Afternoon all, as I noticed the prices have been released for this unique piece of N Gauge kit I thought I'd share the website address here as I couldn't find any other threads related to it.

 

 

A message from the guy who's engineered the project

"We need 50 adopters now to give us the confidence to take the project forward.  Please have a look at the price list on the web site www.nelevation.com . There's a link in the Order form section."

 

 

 

 

I for one need one of these as my fiddle yard can only currently accommodate seven trains! Cost pretty much on par with building a 20 lane fiddle yard in a tiny space!  DCC integration being worked on.

 

Paul

Edited October 1, 2015 by Only-Me

[Joseph_Pestell]

Very interesting. An OO version would sell even better but greater weight and length would make it difficult.

[37038]

I'm glad to see that I'm not the only person who's thought this sort of fiddle yard would be a good idea!

[gr.king]

The idea and appearance are attractive.

 

Now just supposing a OO version were available, that its size, weight and cost were not prohibitive, that it was a tried and tested durable piece of equipment, that means had also been provided to pad/secure the trains in place so that they could travel to exhibitions in the thing, and that it had its own wheels or trolley so that it could be wheeled into / out of the exhibition and the van, plugging straight into the designated part of the layout without any manual lifting. No trains to set up on arrival, none to pack away at end of show.

 

What a boon that would be for large layouts with lots of trains! Unlikely to happen, but nice to dream.

[Only-Me]

Well you never know! If it goes ahead in N then maybe he will move to the larger scale?

[phil gollin]

Very interesting. An OO version would sell even better but greater weight and length would make it difficult.

.

 

Well as it is for dual track N-gauge, so presumably the basic package could be adapted, just with fewer levels.

 

He says he will be at the Peterborough Show 17th-18th October, so that should be interesting. 

[Butler Henderson]

It will be available in OO http://www.nelevation.com/variations/

 

Prices http://www.nelevation.com/price-list/

[Ian_B]

It will be available in OO http://www.nelevation.com/variations/

 

Prices http://www.nelevation.com/price-list/

 

But only 6 foot maximum train length - not much use for a full length Pendo or a prototypical block freight and with a max of 12 trains its not a current solution for '00' Modern layouts :-(

Ian_B

[Hilux5972]

£1200 for a OO Gauge one? I think I'll pass.

[njee20]

But only 6 foot maximum train length - not much use for a full length Pendo or a prototypical block freight and with a max of 12 trains its not a current solution for '00' Modern layouts :-(

Ian_B

If you're running full length block freights you're probably not struggling for space, and thus this is less useful. For those running a small layout 6' is probably plenty.

 

Given a scale length freight in OO is c16' I'm not sure that's a realistic expectation.

Edited July 9, 2017 by njee20

[Butler Henderson]

Have ordered a 3ft OO one - not exactly ideal as its to replace the 4ft exhibition fiddle yard on Warmington but the only space I have is squashed between a fitted wardrobe and a window that is just wide enough for the necessary 1.016m cut out in a board that a 3ft one requires. To minimise room take in the spare bedroom the "board" is a timber frame 1.016m x 250mm inside dimensions. One end of timber frame will have a ledge a suitable height for a 1.2m long removable section made from half of Tim Woods Exhibition laser cut pack that will run in front of the window, At the other end of the elevator I plan a further removable board that pokes into the wardrobe to allow a loco to run onto a loco lift. Order to time to delivery was quoted as being "for Christmas" when I ordered it a few weeks back. The alternative would have been to use the existing fiddle that would have to be removable and not having to remove nearly all the stock/ shunt it around the layout was a factor in weighing to buy the elevator. They are no longer offering it in kit form and are delivering the ready made ones themselves; they are also offering an installation service which I opted for to ensure that it works correctly!

Edited July 9, 2017 by Butler Henderson

[ruggedpeak]

But only 6 foot maximum train length - not much use for a full length Pendo or a prototypical block freight and with a max of 12 trains its not a current solution for '00' Modern layouts :-(

Ian_B

How many people run full length trains? Probably not that many, and with a lot of interest in short trains and plenty of prototype examples of a loco and a few wagons etc there will be plenty of people for whom this is fine. Indeed the 3 foot OO version is ideal for microlayouts, and overcomes the limitation of limited fiddle yard space on a micro. I can certainly see a use for it on mine, although I don't have the funds for one at the moment

 

Good luck to them. I think this is useful innovation.

[Ian_B]

How many people run full length trains? Probably not that many, and with a lot of interest in short trains and plenty of prototype examples of a loco and a few wagons etc there will be plenty of people for whom this is fine. Indeed the 3 foot OO version is ideal for microlayouts, and overcomes the limitation of limited fiddle yard space on a micro. I can certainly see a use for it on mine, although I don't have the funds for one at the moment

 

Good luck to them. I think this is useful innovation.

 

Oh, I agree about it being a useful Innovation, Especially if you're running a '00' branch in the days of steam. Engine and 4/5 coaches would be around the 6ft limit. Main line service -  Loco and 10 coaches - not a hope! Come forwards to the Modern period - Pendo - nope! Container train - Nope! HST - Nope.

If they could add an additional 3ft span there would be more hope, but I guess 6ft is their current technical limit.

Ian_B

[Butler Henderson]

Oh, I agree about it being a useful Innovation, Especially if you're running a '00' branch in the days of steam. Engine and 4/5 coaches would be around the 6ft limit. Main line service -  Loco and 10 coaches - not a hope! Come forwards to the Modern period - Pendo - nope! Container train - Nope! HST - Nope.

If they could add an additional 3ft span there would be more hope, but I guess 6ft is their current technical limit.

Ian_B

 

Oh, I agree about it being a useful Innovation, Especially if you're running a '00' branch in the days of steam. Engine and 4/5 coaches would be around the 6ft limit. Main line service -  Loco and 10 coaches - not a hope! Come forwards to the Modern period - Pendo - nope! Container train - Nope! HST - Nope.

If they could add an additional 3ft span there would be more hope, but I guess 6ft is their current technical limit.

Ian_B

From their FAQ

The longest version that we will be producing for OO gauge is 6 ft / 1,828 mm (see our specifications page), which should accommodate 5 coaches plus a locomotive. Anything longer than 6 ft / 1,828 mm would require a radical redesign to cope with the increased weight and loading, with significant cost increases and time to market.

For OO gauge some people are considering using the 6 ft/ 1,828 mm Nelevator with an additional longer siding in parallel to enable them to assemble longer trains from the Nelevator.

 

[Mark Wilts]

Not so good... especially at one and a half grand a pop...

[Mark Wilts]

8' and 10' variants ARE possible, just too lazy to make them.

[Revolution Ben]

8' and 10' variants ARE possible, just too lazy to make them.

Hi Mark,

 

Steady on there! I know the guy responsible for this product and he is anything BUT lazy. He runs an engineering/design business and developed this in his own time.

 

He is an N Gauge enthusiast who wanted a solution for his own layout (a brilliant recreation of the Ribblehead viaduct, now sadly destroyed when a tree fell on the building in which it was housed) and rather than wait for others to do something came up with the Nelevator.

 

So it was designed for lighter N-gauge trains and works well. 00 models are much heavier and as has been explained a significant redesign would be required to go over 6'.

 

He may have decided that the cost of such a redesign would make the products prohibitively expensive (there is already some bleating about the price) and decided it is not worth his valuable time.

 

The product may not be what you want, but that doesn't make its creator idle.

 

Cheers

 

Ben A.

Edited August 23, 2017 by Ben A

[Barry Ten]

8' and 10' variants ARE possible, just too lazy to make them.

 

What a needlessly rude and unhelpful posting.

[terrysoham]

Mark,

 

If I had dropped a clanger such as yours I would have apologised by now.

8' and 10' variants ARE possible, just too lazy to make them.

[njee20]

I'm looking forward to Mark's 10' offering at half the price.

[Mark Wilts]

I would say it's achievable, maybe some find it offensive, didn't realise that. Nonetheless, this is a good but expensive piece of kit. A prototype was made by a friend, a professor at Cambridge, for about £800. This was a motorised train lift system, very similar to the Nelevator, for 15 00 trains on each side. The storage levels constantly rotate, like a Ferris wheel, with a double length (18') version designed to also have independent storage. The system was successful and is now in the hands of Network Rail, used as storage for their basic training layouts in 00.

[Mark Wilts]

The short ones are wonderful, just not necessarily good for mainline trains. The above mentioned on was designed for running 8-coach HSTs, 14-coach GNER Eurostars and also 10-coach excursions.

[njee20]

Saying a manufacturer is too lazy to make a product is rude. How can you not realise that's offensive?!

 

You're also now saying they're "wonderful" , when your opening gambit was "not so good". Come back when you've got that 10' one down to £600 retail. I'll buy one.

 

I still think they're probably more useful for those with smaller layouts and the likely associated space constraints. Would still like one mind!

 

I also think people need to remember they were designed for N, and have been adapted for OO (for once), perhaps things would have been different were the reverse true.

Edited August 26, 2017 by njee20

[Andy Y]

The troll's access to the topic has been removed.

[Manxcat]

I have not seen any criticism of delivery promises on this subject yet but,unfortunately, I think I am going to be the first. I ordered mine 18 months ago, a 6 foot OO version, and paid my 50% deposit at that time, as required by the company. So well over £500 which I paid has been in the company's coffers for all that time. My order number is less than 30 so clearly I was one of the first to order. I get the newsletter and the most recent indication was I might hope for May or June delivery. I was at the Ally Pally show and listened as a prospective customer asked when delivery might be expected if he ordered within a few days. The owner told him about 6 weeks. I was really tempted to talk to him as he walked away and enlighten him as to my experience and let him decide if he would get his within the promised time. I chose not to do so but I did speak to the owner and was promised I would get mine around June or so.

 

That deadline has come and gone and now we are told if you don't have your layout set up and ready to have the product installed you will have to wait. I can appreciate that this is so club's with working layouts can use it a lot and report back on any problems which can then be engineered out. I am currently not in a position to have it installed but was when I ordered it. If I did not still want what is clearly a well engineered, innovative and unique product I promise you I would have cancelled my order and demanded my money back a long time ago.

 

I despair because I seriously doubt if mine is going to arrive before the end of the year. As time goes on I try to remain positive but often get very angry. I imagine I am not alone.