Freemo Extravaganza

[Northpoint]

Some of you were party to a discussion at the Trent Valley show last Saturday on the subject of Freemo.

 

During that discussion a proposal was made that we hire the show venue for a different type of event, namely a Freemo extravaganza where we amass as a many Freemo modules as we can and spend the weekend playing trains.

 

It is not intended to be a public event but if anybody wants to visit then as long as they hand over £3/4 to help cover costs, then they're welcome.

 

I have had a quote from the venue of £288 for the weekend from 08.00 Sat to 18.00 Sun. Assuming we can get upwards of 40 people, the individual split is reasonable and the weekend of 5/6 July has been pencilled in.

 

Martyn has said that the guys in his group are up for it, and I've already had a few murmurs of interest from other parts of the country (Midlands, NW England, SE England).

 

We have just over a year for anybody to build their module if they don't already have one. It doesn't have to be complete, as long as it has track and wiring and works!

 

A few proposals on rules (for want of a better term), open for discussion:

 

- each participant is doing this at their own cost, in the same way we would if we went to see our favourite sporting team.

 

- given the cost of insurance, it is done entirely at own risk.

 

- modules must obviously be to the Freemo standards that are laid down (see Martyn's website at http://rstowerfreemo.wordpress.com/).

 

I hope there will be a healthy interest in the project, so - over to you all.

 

At-a-glance details...

 

DATE - Weekend of 5/6th July 2014

(very) rough timetable:

Setup on Saturday morning

Should be operating from Saturday late lunch time

Operate Sunday AM and early PM

Stop operations and knock down from Mid Sunday afternoon

 

LOCATION - Armitage Village Hall, Shropshire Brook Road, Armitage, Staffs

(venue is the same as TVNAM if you have been)

 

COST - £16 per head for the weekend, including the hall hire, liability insurance, and refreshments.

You may need to arrange overnight accomodation if you live further away.

 

WHAT'S THE PLAN? - Come along for the weekend and be part of operating a large American railroad in HO scale.

If you can also build a module to take part then that's then even better!

Modules don't need to be big or complicated, in fact very simple ones are very useful.

You don't need to normally model North American outline, or model in HO scale, or own any rolling stock to come along and operate.

 

 

 

[298]

12 months gives me a deadline to build the street running add-on to my module, and finally get round to detailing the building interiors....!

[Chris Gilbert]

I'm up for it

12 months is long enough

[Scottish Modeller]

I'm up for it

12 months is long enough

Yes Chris,

 

We know you could build more than one module in that time!

 

Thanks

[Glorious NSE]

Thanks Nick! I think this sounds like a great event and our guys are looking forward to it, so you can expect several modules from our group to make the journey up.

 

Bit more about the modules - our spec is here: http://rstowerfreemo.wordpress.com/module-info/module-specifications/ - they were based on best practice of the US (Free-mo) and European (fremo) movements - and aimed at being as simple and inclusive as possible, the specs listed there that we implemented were later taken up as the basis of a new NMRA (British) spec, a recent count-up suggests there's around 44 compatible modules in the UK already from our group, various NMRA groups and a few eager 'lone wolves' - with more under construction...

 

If anyone has any questions on the spec, please fire away. If anyone wants info on the NMRA version (which is compatible) then also let me know and i'll provide that.

 

The basic concept if you like will be that folk will bring their modules together to build a layout that's much larger than then majority of us will ever have chance to do individually, and we will then get the chance to operate 'our' layout like a real railway. If you like, a temporary 'basement empire'.

 

The most likely operating scenario will be something along the lines of a modern (1980s+) shortline cluster, with a yard originating trains to serve several routes - however that depends on what modules we have available - the more the merrier!

 

In terms of timescale, we'll hold off thinking about what the railroad looks like until probably 3 months before - circa April 2014 - at that point we'll ask you to confirm various details of your module (size, shape, trackplan, any industries, spur lengths etc) so that we can build it into the operating plan.

 

We've the main hall at Armitage to play with, which i'm told is 50' x 50' - so plenty of space for your module!

 

Get thinking!

[warbonnetuk]

Excellent proposal!

 

I'm sure that there will be few Seaboard members with modules that would support this event.

 

Cheers

 

Dan

[Talltim]

I'm up for it

12 months is long enough

By then we could have an entire room full of Gilbert modules

[Glorious NSE]

Andy (298)s current module measures just 2'x18"...

[Northpoint]

Last Friday, I set up a couple of pieces of MDF on a shelf in the garage that has potential....

 

 

2 x pieces 66ins long by 18 ins wide. Hopefully, it can be used as a stand alone layout and will replace North Plains.

 

I'll try and beat Chris and get it finished by next Thursday!!

[Chris Gilbert]

Okay here's my plan

It starts off as 18" wide standard single track module.

Then after 6" it curves 45 degrees on a 36" radius

The baseboard then slims down to 6-9 inches wide and travels across a 56" bridge

Then another 45 degree curve and back to the 18" wide board

Something like this

 

 

Hopefully I can get it to look like this,

 

 

But as I've never modeled water before it will be a challenge

 

[Northpoint]

Are you going to include the boxcar in the water?

[Supaned]

And the PAR F units??? 

[Chris Gilbert]

And the PAR F units???

 

Watch this space

[long island jack]

I'm up for it,here's my plan!!!

 

 

Ray

[roundhouse]

I'm up for it,here's my plan!!!

 

freemo tvnam.jpg

 

Ray

simples!

 

Does save getting into the argument of wheter or not to use Frog Juicers¬¬

[Glorious NSE]

10' of tunnel Ray?

[shortliner]

I think he's had one of those "My minds gone blank!" moments

[Northpoint]

Plenty of time for him to decide what to put in the middle...

[Steve Williams]

Last Friday, I set up a couple of pieces of MDF on a shelf in the garage that has potential....

 

freemo_1.jpg

 

2 x pieces 66ins long by 18 ins wide. Hopefully, it can be used as a stand alone layout and will replace North Plains.

 

I'll try and beat Chris and get it finished by next Thursday!!

It's about time you built a layout around that warehouse :-)

[DelawareAndHudson]

Okay here's my plan

It starts off as 18" wide standard single track module.

Then after 6" it curves 45 degrees on a 36" radius

The baseboard then slims down to 6-9 inches wide and travels across a 56" bridge

Then another 45 degree curve and back to the 18" wide board

Something like this

 

image.jpg

 

Hopefully I can get it to look like this,

 

image.jpg

 

 

Chris,

 

I see you've chosen the famous Fisherman's Lane bridge.  Excellent location.  Once you have this up and running, maybe you can extend the east end next year and include the feed mill.  Very interesting structures.

 

http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=r4g0xg8w0xrb&lvl=19.2&dir=262.67&sty=o&q=225%20Main%20St%2C%20Schaghticoke%2C%20NY%2012154&form=LMLTCC

 

 

I'd like to build the Battenkill/Pan Am interchange myself as a set of Free Mo modules.  I'd backdate a few years of course to 1985-88 for the "Glory Years" of Guilford.

 

http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=r4rbjm8whcts&lvl=17&dir=90&sty=o&q=291%20Eagle%20Bridge%20Rd%2C%20Eagle%20Bridge%2C%20NY%2012057&form=LMLTCC

 

You'll want to zoom in a bit and pan around.  This shortline interchange would be an ideally sized interchange for a Free Mo setting.  

 

I also like North Bennington, VT.  It's the location of the Pan Am - Vermont Railway interchange.  The track to the south/bottom of the view is Pan Am's track.  The track to the upper left is Vermont Railway's line north to Rutland and the track to the top right is the VTR down into Bennington proper.  This might be a bit much to pull off in a Free Mo setting but it would be interesting operationally.  Current reports have the VTR and PAS arriving at North Bennington and conducting an actual swap of trains.  I believe this requires use of all three legs of the wye and coordination between the crews.  The feed mill and the team track are added bonuses for operation.

 

http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=r4nwgn8wwym0&lvl=18.32&dir=93.43&sty=o&q=53%20Main%20St%2C%20North%20Bennington%2C%20VT%2005257&form=LMLTCC

 

 

Looking forward to seeing pictures of the meet next year.

 

Take care,

 

Jason Cook

New Haven, IN

[Northpoint]

It was implied in the first post but maybe not as explicit as it could have been that this is an open invitation to anybody to come and join the fun.

 

Only 6 so far - I was expecting by now that the thread would have been deluged by people shouting "I'm in!".....

 

Come on guys, there must be more out there who want to live the ultimate dream - a weekend playing trains?

[F-UnitMad]

Come on guys, there must be more out there who want to live the ultimate dream - a weekend playing trains?

As it's scheduled rather close to TVNAM 2014, some of us might struggle to get another Day Pass again so soon afterwards, let alone a 2 Day Pass.... :blush:

[roundhouse]

Nick
I was talking with Warbonnetuk the yesterday.
I am considering making adapting part of Fort Myers to become modular.
I need to check if it is possible to to do but won't be sure until after DEMU Showcase as busy getting a layout ready for that.

The bit of Fort Myers I am thinking about is 12 feet but I may need to build adaptor boards and rewire it.

 

Ian

[long island jack]

It was implied in the first post but maybe not as explicit as it could have been that this is an open invitation to anybody to come and join the fun.

 

Only 6 so far - I was expecting by now that the thread would have been deluged by people shouting "I'm in!".....

 

Come on guys, there must be more out there who want to live the ultimate dream - a weekend playing trains?

It maybe down to not having any free space,i think Ian's way of making a adaptor board to fit a existing layout might be the way to go for some.

 

Is there a minimum number of modules we need to make it viable,would seem a bit pointless if only 6-7 modudle turn up,the idea is to have it roaming all around the village hall.

 

Like you said Nick,the "ultimate dream" a weekend playing trains with like minded people,it will make a change from running a switching layout.

 

We could do with more,maybe they all still planing there modules before they commit!!!!

 

Ray

[roundhouse]

Talking with Warbonnet there may well be others that will consider bringing theirs but it might be early days as Ray says..

 

Not having been involved in modular layouts, and thinking of others who may have modular boards, is there an adaptor system for getting other types of modular boards to connect into Freemo?

 

 

I have been thinking of what to do with the main part of Fort Myers for a while. I will need to widen the boards from the current 15 inches but really need to do them to 2 feet so I can use the legs off another layout (the legs for Fort Myers are now in Cheshire with an old layout that used these legs) so hence Probably having to make up soem conversion boards to get to Freemo tack centres and board widths.

 

 

Ian