RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted June 30, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 30, 2017 (edited) Edited December 12, 2022 by PaulRhB Add diagram for hedge scenic divides on module ends 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve22 Posted July 1, 2017 Share Posted July 1, 2017 I'm no real fan of modular systems but I came here out of interest as I may need to venture along narrow gauge lines as I'm about to downsize to a considerably smaller house (my vicar wife has just retired so 'goodbye' to her stipend and 'goodbye' to our large home). You've obviously done some deep thinking about all this, some excellent and clear diagrams. All the best with your progress. Steve. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted July 1, 2017 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted July 1, 2017 Steve The advantage is this wasn't meant to be a Fre(e)m(o) system at the start it was just based on a set of standards to make it easier to set up in different rooms at home and it seemed the best way to approach that. Equally if someone wants to do their own endplates it might give them ideas of how to do their own using custom cut plates. As it created a lot of interest over on NGRM I thought I'd share it here too 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted July 1, 2017 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted July 1, 2017 Here's the simple car cards operation we have tried out. These are the cards I use for each wagon, oviously you can change the names to suit whatever line and I just print them on cream coloured card And a sample layout details sheet for modular meets So Three of us used Tim Coulings Clyre Valley to test out the system The passenger train just shuttled back and forth to get in the way and make it more interesting. The cards were laid out on the scenery near the wagons, in future we will make up some pockets to clip on the fascia. So the loco picked up a brake van and we had set the limit as 4 SLU (standard length units) so this left space for 3 four wheel wagons in the train and after a bit of shunting . . He set off up to Buckland It worked on a two station setup so next thing is to try it on a bigger setup with more people so once my two and Tims proper modules are finished to running standard we will try the next level 6 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted July 14, 2017 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted July 14, 2017 (edited) A quick example of the setup procedure using some short demo legs. The usual height would be 1000mm to the trackbed but this will let people have a go on a table at the WNGRM do this weekend. Use a block to set all the screw feet at the same height which would nominally make it 1000mm. bring the boards together the track is close but not close enough adjust the feet on one board until it's in line Clamp the boards together with a C or G clamp Assemble all the boards before starting the wiring. Work from one end adding the jump leads as you go and testing for any short circuits. Then run the trains Edited July 14, 2017 by PaulRhB 3 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted December 7, 2017 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted December 7, 2017 Well we held the first public test at the WNGRM Colehill open day and were able to set up the three boards I'd made and prove they work either way round as I'd had them set up in reverse at home. No problems with the connecting and levelling and once the 8 inch wide board is connected to another angle it's very stable. Several had a play although we abandoned the card system after a couple of hours as I just couldn't concentrate on it and chat to all the people interested at a public show. Certainly would want a few familiar with the system to run it while someone was available to chat if running it as a demo The only thing was we could do with a few more boards as the turn arounds were very fast with the passenger catching up the goods train. 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold scottystitch Posted August 27, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 27, 2019 Are the end plates for this concept still available? Best Scott Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted August 27, 2019 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted August 27, 2019 I’ve run out at the moment but will be ordering more so pm me and I’ll give you details once I have another batch. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Scottish Modeller Posted October 2, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 2, 2019 Hi Paul, Anything more to report on this concept? I have a query from one of the guys I make stuff for and he is thinking to create a layout using the standards as he need to be able to put up and take down as a regular task. Thanks Phil H Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted October 2, 2019 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted October 2, 2019 (edited) There’s a few of us with the ends and three of us got together to run a layout at the Wimborne show in March and swapped the boards around for the second day. We are hoping to have another meet sometime but nothing organised yet. Edited October 2, 2019 by PaulRhB 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earl Bathurst Posted October 3, 2019 Share Posted October 3, 2019 (edited) Interesting concept. How many in total have decided to take part in the modular idea? Lovely modelling on the images above. look forward to seeing more How do you find the Heljan L and B locos? Edited October 3, 2019 by Earl Bathurst Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted October 3, 2019 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted October 3, 2019 3 hours ago, Earl Bathurst said: Interesting concept. How many in total have decided to take part in the modular idea? How do you find the Heljan L and B locos? Twelve people have ends so far, considering I did it just for me and I’m not trying to push it that quite good. Three of us provided modules at the Wimborne show and two more nearly got there The Heljan locos are very good if you sort out the minor issue with the pony trucks, springing & flange profile and the valve gear link that van jam and break it by tweaking it out so it can’t jam. We ran three of them all day for a two day show with only a couple of derailments due to the usual reasons not the loco. This post lists the alterations I made. Heljan MW fix 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted October 3, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 3, 2019 The latest release by Heljan, 'Lyd' ran fine out of the box so fingers crossed they have sorted all the issues that were on the previous batches. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Rainsbury Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 Hi, I am intrigued by this idea for my home layout which is modular but I want to expand. Is there a downloadable version of the endplate that I could use with the laser cutter at work and have an experiment with please? Are these really only 20cm across? It looks bigger :-) 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted January 21, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted January 21, 2020 (edited) Yes it is just 20cm, that was purely because of the space I had at home, it grew a bit in concept. I can draw round an end to get the smoothed profile but G&H created it from my drawing and smoothed the transitions so I don’t have anything exact as a drawing. This is the unsmoothed version but has the main dimensions. Edited January 21, 2020 by PaulRhB 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Rainsbury Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 (edited) 2 hours ago, PaulRhB said: Yes it is just 20cm, that was purely because of the space I had at home, it grew a bit in concept. I can draw round an end to get the smoothed profile but G&H created it from my drawing and smoothed the transitions so I don’t have anything exact as a drawing. Thanks, I will convert that to the file format our machine uses and ask the bloke who runs it to make a couple for me. How thick was the original plywood please? I hadn't noticed until just now but my modules, which are based on fitting into a Christmas Wrapping paper really useful box, are exactly 20cm wide.. spooky :-) Thanks again, I will let you know how I get on Stephen Edited January 21, 2020 by Stephen Rainsbury 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted January 21, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted January 21, 2020 Here’s a scan of the endplate 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Rainsbury Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 2 hours ago, PaulRhB said: Here’s a scan of the endplate Thanks for this , is that 12mm ply? I noticed that you use advocate adjusting the positions of the modules with the feet and holding them in place with G-clamps, is this instead of using the bolts or as well as? Stephen 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted January 21, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted January 21, 2020 9mm ply for the plates. The ends were designed to use dowels in the 8mm holes with a 6mm bolt in the centre. Once it got bigger than just me I decided expecting accuracy to that level was unrealistic so I changed to using the system we use on HO Freemo modules with a clamp. The 8mm holes now offer another fastening option as they allow some adjustment if you use 6mm bolts in them. So it’s either, clamps are quicker for group setups while the bolts are great at home where it will be up for weeks without tying up the clamps. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharky Posted March 17 Share Posted March 17 Time to bring this topic up from the depths of RMWeb! A few of us in Melbourne, Australia, decided in November 2023, that we would start up our own 'FreemOO9' group. We've all had an interest in starting a 'FreeMo' group for HO but nothing ever got off the ground as there were too many people arguing over what standards to follow. It also being a bigger scale means that you need more room to build and store your module/s. But with OO9 it does take anyway near as much room (would you believe). We also have gone and followed the standards (and end pieces) posted at the top of this thread so that made arguments about standards a non starter. So after much talk, planning & building of modules, 7 of us got together at one the Member's house and set up a dry run. The only issue being most of us didn't have legs sorted for our modules. So we brought as many locos boxes as we could as set up our modules on top of them, on the floor. (Sam's Trains eat your heart out!) With only a few minor adjustments needed with re-soldering rails, adjusting the modules to line the rails up and making sure we plugged in the Jumper cables the correct way... The first running session was very successful! Here are a few pictures from our first running session. We've got two weeks till we first exhibit at the Diamond Creek Model Railway Exhibition over the Easter Weekend. Most of us won't be able to 'enhance' the scereny side of our modules before then, but that's part of the draw card to get other interested and involved. To show you don't need a finished module to exhibit! If you're in Melbourne over Easter drop by the exhibition and say G'day! 5 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted March 17 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 17 (edited) At least you had what looks like a comfortable carpet to kneel on. An excellent start and if only Melbourne ( our last visit was back in 1998) was a lot closer to us I would love to have visited the exhibition. I am considering making my section of the old Bourne Valley 009 system ready for exhibitions as a stand alone layout but hope that one day we can get all of the Bourne Valley modules together and set up again. I think that this was the last show it went to back in 2010 and believe that it was along the West Sussex coast. Edited March 17 by roundhouse 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted March 17 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted March 17 5 hours ago, Sharky said: We also have gone and followed the standards (and end pieces) posted at the top of this thread so that made arguments about standards a non starter. Yes that worked for us in HO following the RSTower standards and why I just adapted it for 009 👍 5 hours ago, Sharky said: So after much talk, planning & building of modules, 7 of us got together at one the Member's house and set up a dry run. The only issue being most of us didn't have legs sorted for our modules. So we brought as many locos boxes as we could as set up our modules on top of them, on the floor. Superb and exactly what we found that it’s less daunting to get involved. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium cornelius Posted March 17 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 17 I recently found my pair of module ends during a sort out so I'm maybe thinking about this again... 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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