dunwurken Posted January 28, 2019 Share Posted January 28, 2019 Any idea who makes the wheeled stool? Malcolm Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonB Posted January 28, 2019 Share Posted January 28, 2019 (edited) Can't remember where we got our (GWR / British racing green one) from, but they are sold as sit-on aids for weeding gardens. Personally I don't like it for the intended purpose, but I think it will do the job for Martin admirably,as rapid transport through a Duck-under. It has a useful tray in the base enabling hands-free propulsion through the access gap. Edited January 28, 2019 by DonB Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Stubby47 Posted January 28, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 28, 2019 Will crash helmets be supplied ? Also, padding the underside of the frame with pipe insulation might prevent too many injuries. Can you split the lifting board in to two lifting boards (Tower Bridge style), so they are not as long and don't hit the ceiling ? 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Harlequin Posted January 28, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 28, 2019 (edited) Will there be someone at one end of the room pumping air to the other end using a bellows made of cocoa tins? Make sure the first prisoner down the tunnel isn't claustrophobic... Edited January 28, 2019 by Harlequin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin S-C Posted January 28, 2019 Author Share Posted January 28, 2019 (edited) So many good ideas. I have realised that having the lift-out section on a trolley might work because when leaving the room you could pull it out of its slot and then push it down the "aisle" of the operating well enough to easily step through (even with my portly girth). Going in you push it ahead of you, then to the left and step through.However... drat! ... what if several operators need to enter? Hm ... thinking as I type here, or typing a I think ... that won't work as not enough room in the operating well to have the moved-aside trolley and space for people to get past. Who designed this daft set-up?Tower Bridge device... interesting! That's actually a better option than the lifting-out-freely board because with one of those its sods law that I'll one day drop it.The door opens outwards already. I made sure that was part of the spec when the builders replaced the old one.The wheeled stool as Don says is a gardening one. You can get them on Amazon for about £25 though mine was an e-Bay buy for £15. Googling for "wheeled gardening stool" will get you what you want; there's various types. I'm going to fix handrails about 12" from the floor on the two sets of legs either side of the "trundle-under" so a person can pull themselves through. I tried it for height and its perfect, though as Stu says, some under-board padding will be needed.Some edits of the plan attached below where the continuous run circuit joins the end-to-end track, with points now moved outside tunnels. Also an edit of Witts End station engine shed shifting it off the lifting flap. Edited January 28, 2019 by Martin S-C 12 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold teaky Posted January 28, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 28, 2019 Rather than a trolley what about just four legs with castors at the bottom? That way, provided you can't tip it over, you can never drop it and just need to ensure there is a reliable method of track alignment. Mind you, you still have the multiple visitor problem. There's always this: https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/132865-lifting-baseboard-section-usa-style/?hl=%2Blifting+%2Bsection 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nearholmer Posted January 28, 2019 Share Posted January 28, 2019 That is blooming smart! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold teaky Posted January 28, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 28, 2019 That is blooming smart! It would be better without the cable going through the middle. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nearholmer Posted January 28, 2019 Share Posted January 28, 2019 Yes, but given that's how its lifted-up, it might be a fatal omission. I suppose it would be possible to release/attach the cable, using a "dog lead" catch, if it was thought offensive to the eye. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin S-C Posted January 28, 2019 Author Share Posted January 28, 2019 It is a typically impressive electro-mechanical American solution where money is no limit. I am very limited on height, about 32.5" above baseboard on top of which about 7" total of model height must be added, but after a quick measure up the 25" available to lift the board will give ample room to get under with just a small obsequious bowing of the head as you enter the holy of holies. I could probably do something with cable and a pulley but we end up with four ugly great vertical struts to carry the thing...I still think the Tower Bridge approach may work best given the small amount of space. Cutting the lifting flap in two makes each part half the weight as well as half the length (which will ease the stress forces). 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Corbs Posted January 29, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 29, 2019 or... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Annie Posted January 29, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 29, 2019 The much loved and now dismantled Brookford layout on NGRMO used 'flying sections' that were lifted up by pulleys and the cables/cord detached once the layout section was in place. Possibly not such a good solution though for a doorway since there was some fiddling about involved with attaching and detaching the lifting cords. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Harlequin Posted January 29, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 29, 2019 (edited) I was thinking about something like this: Sorry, that image is not as clear as I'd like but I hope you can see the idea. Slide rails either side of the doorway support the lifting section from below with diagonal braces and ropes pulleys and counterweights make it easy to lift - like a sash window. Allowing 200mm for scenics above the lifting section frame it would rise about 680mm. The counterweights are below the fixed baseboards either side so that they have room to drop 680mm. The slide rails, fixings and counterweight ropes intrude into the baseboard area as little as possible but some small adjustment of the layout design might still be needed. Edited January 29, 2019 by Harlequin 5 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Harlequin Posted February 1, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 1, 2019 And in lifted state: 6 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold McRuss Posted February 1, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 1, 2019 I had the same idea for your problem as Phil. Markus 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Nick C Posted February 1, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 1, 2019 On 1/28/2019 at 2:21 PM, Martin S-C said: We discussed mounting the moveable section on a trolley but the operating well isn't wide enough to push it out of its recess and then squeeze by. Can you not have a removable trolley that you roll down (in the orientation of the diagram), then to the left - into the space occupied by the operator by the colliery in the diagram, allowing you to walk through from the right-hand side of the operating well? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin S-C Posted February 1, 2019 Author Share Posted February 1, 2019 Impressive Phil! My concern with that design is there is still a lot of structural parts right behind the baseboards to impinge on the sense of immersion. With such a narrow room I am reluctant to move the baseboards inwards (or chop holes in them) to allow the counterweight cords through. Right now, after more measuring around I think the original lifting flap will work, as long as I keep it to no more than 25" wide. I have that amount of height to play with. All this use of brain cells is amazing but you'd have thought that all the possible designs for lifting layout sections for access into operating wells had all been thought of years ago and there's no more scope for new ideas any more. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin S-C Posted February 1, 2019 Author Share Posted February 1, 2019 (edited) 3 minutes ago, Nick C said: Can you not have a removable trolley that you roll down (in the orientation of the diagram), then to the left - into the space occupied by the operator by the colliery in the diagram, allowing you to walk through from the right-hand side of the operating well? Well spotted. I am chewing over that idea as well. Edited February 1, 2019 by Martin S-C Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Stubby47 Posted February 1, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 1, 2019 (edited) Another idea might be to use the trolley, but have it so the b/board can be lowered, so it can fit in a 'garage' under another part of the layout, rather than be in the main floor space. I'm not sure at the moment how best to raise and lower the b/bboard, but maybe just simple concentric tubes (like a car aerial or tripod leg) and when lowered it sits on a shelf (like your rolling stool). When raised it would be locked into the main b/board. Edited February 1, 2019 by Stubby47 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin S-C Posted February 1, 2019 Author Share Posted February 1, 2019 Choppy chop chop 4 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sem34090 Posted February 2, 2019 Share Posted February 2, 2019 Place No.3 for posting this image! Inspired by the brake van you made some time ago, Martin, I'm producing a rake of very short 4-wheeled coaches for my latest layout project: 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin S-C Posted February 2, 2019 Author Share Posted February 2, 2019 Very nice, lots of character. However I imagine the Big Green Engine on the left is saying something like "What are you doing on my important express track you 'orrible little Peckett?" 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sem34090 Posted February 2, 2019 Share Posted February 2, 2019 Need to get the whole rake built now! And yes - I like that thought... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium St Enodoc Posted February 2, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 2, 2019 5 hours ago, Martin S-C said: Very nice, lots of character. However I imagine the Big Green Engine on the left is saying something like "What are you doing on my important express track you 'orrible little Peckett?" I think it's saying "How the heck am I supposed to get round that corner?". 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sem34090 Posted February 2, 2019 Share Posted February 2, 2019 The answer? It can't. Nothing with a longer wheelbase than a terrier can, in fact. Indeed it's variable with the terriers!!! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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