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British Modular System - the initial ideas and debates


Andy Y
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So basically, you're looking for guidance on what people think the underlay thickness should be, if any?

 

Edit, ah, got you. I was thinking in terms of the way I designed my boards to have a full width top surface at the end of the module (although much of the rest of scenery of the module is below track height i.e. the module is mainly embankment), so the trackbed thickness doesn't matter as the track (minus underlay) is at the same height as the rest of the end. If the trackbed isn't at full width at the end then I can see your issue.

Hopefully the plan view will show what I mean.

post-6836-0-61815100-1406823605.png

Edited by Talltim
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Tim Horn looks to be making some rather nice curved and straight baseboards which if the ends were 18" wide, 4" deep and 9mm thick (hint hint... ;))  would be just the thing

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/timhorn/14794210092/in/set-72157637699087264

https://www.flickr.com/photos/timhorn/14599385208/in/set-72157637699087264/

 

 

no connection just spotted them while browsing.

 

Cheers

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Tim Horn looks to be making some rather nice curved and straight baseboards which if the ends were 18" wide, 4" deep and 9mm thick (hint hint... ;))  would be just the thing

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/timhorn/14794210092/in/set-72157637699087264

https://www.flickr.com/photos/timhorn/14599385208/in/set-72157637699087264/

 

 

no connection just spotted them while browsing.

 

Cheers

 

Yes, the curved boards look immensely usable which then leads on to "I may as well have some straights to match".

 

I've had a chat with Tim this afternoon to persuade him to come up with a list of appropriate sized boards and prices to create a shopping list that we can buy from if we wish. I know he's got a lot on at the minute but it would be good if we could get a relationship going.

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Yes, the curved boards look immensely usable which then leads on to "I may as well have some straights to match".

 

I've had a chat with Tim this afternoon to persuade him to come up with a list of appropriate sized boards and prices to create a shopping list that we can buy from if we wish. I know he's got a lot on at the minute but it would be good if we could get a relationship going.

 

The straight boards I can probably cope with myself but neat curved board kits... an obvious match between "the standard" and Tim Horn (or other supplier) laser cut boards.

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Only if they only build 1 module each.......

 

 

In line with the 'initial ideas and discussions' front, my Idea in places will have more than 2 tracks at a board edge. All 2 track main lines will be 50mm centred in acordance with the prophecy and the modules will be designed such that the central mainline tracks are the ones required to get from 1 side of the module to the other. Any extra tracks at module ends can have buffers fitted and function as a siding when not aligned with the rest of 'Norwich'.

 

So i'm going to try and set my own guidelines for me for the extra tracks at board joints so my modules can be incorrectly configured to each other outside the usual 'Norwich' plan and allow some of the extra tracks to offer a little more function. I believe in 3 or 4 track mainline situations, there's usually a combination of different track seperation spacings. There's the '6ft' which here is represented by 50mm, but what is the other spacing? i want to say '10ft' and given that the 50mm track spacing is slightly too wide for the '6ft', would a 75mm track centre spacing be representitive of this?

 

post-9147-0-76385300-1406963042.jpg

 

Simple numbers please folks, my mk1 eyeball can't work down to 0.1 of a millimeter!

 

And to re-itterate before it's mis-read, this is just a 'standard' for me to follow, not enforce on everyone. Although others may find it useful.

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I've had a chat with Tim this afternoon to persuade him to come up with a list of appropriate sized boards and prices to create a shopping list that we can buy from if we wish. I know he's got a lot on at the minute but it would be good if we could get a relationship going.

What an excellent idea - one thing which puts me off potential involvement in this whole excellent concept is my total inability (even using whatever aids and jigs are available) to saw any piece of wood absolutely square.

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What an excellent idea - one thing which puts me off potential involvement in this whole excellent concept is my total inability (even using whatever aids and jigs are available) to saw any piece of wood absolutely square.

 

That's why I normally get the wood yard to cut at least sheet timber to size for me :)

 

Incidently, I noticed earlier that Station Road Baseboards (http://www.stationroadbaseboards.co.uk/index.htm) are now listing a set of modular boards as 'under development' on their homepage.

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Anyone notice?

 

Reads of the debate 22,000

 

Reads of the actual standard, 220

 

I wonder if that will translate into 220 modules?

 

Lies, damn lies and statistics may underlie those figures, but one possible interpretation is:

 

Of the 22,000 interested in seeing a standard for 00 modules, 21,800 don't care to view the version of the "standard" as proposed.

 

That's potentially a 99% rejection rate . . .

 

Andy

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Here as I promised some days ago are some pictures taken by me during our Great-britN meeting.

 

DSCI2062.JPG

 

DSCI2068.JPG

 

DSCI2069.JPG

 

DSCI2070.JPG

 

DSCI2071.JPG

 

DSCI2076.JPG

 

 

We had a good time.

Regarding Duckunders. Please don't underestimate the use of duckunders and the height of the modules. At our meeting we have to use

one because of the size of the room. If we hadn't we wouldn't have chilled drinks. But also on maybe a future layout, a duckunder will

shorten your way to folloy a trains of 30 or more yards because of a diverging branchline on your modular layout.

And don't underestimate the height. We at Great-britN had. And now we decided to rise the height above floorlevel to 130 centimeters.

We all won't get younger.

 

Markus

Edited by McRuss
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Lies, damn lies and statistics may underlie those figures, but one possible interpretation is:

 

Of the 22,000 interested in seeing a standard for 00 modules, 21,800 don't care to view the version of the "standard" as proposed.

 

That's potentially a 99% rejection rate . . .

 

Andy

Either that or there was a lot of interference / static in defining the proposals. - In reality I think I am to blame for at least a couple of hundred (and they weren't all - not quite - my posts) :butcher:

 

Whatever the outcome I hope we cannot predict it based on reads or contributors or even the number of topics started in the Modular Forum. (It is a bit lonely in there at the moment)

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Edit to my last post above because maths clearly failed me quite spectacularly: additional track spacing has been decided on 65mm, not 75mm!

 

2 and a half modules now planned to start making up Norwich, a bag full of different banana plugs and sockets, and a big sheet of 18mm marine ply to cut up for end profiles....I probably should start another thread for them that I'll never finish.

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A suggestion if I may - as we haven't standardised on single or double track but it's left to the individual's choice.

 

I am building both single and double track modules, and will be creating two 2ft x 18" boards that are big enough for a large Y point and for the track to straighten out again.  This will enable me to connect my double track station to my single track "other stuff" but just as easily have other single or double track boards either side of any module.  But at some point I am going to have to convert single to double track.

 

If people could build just one of these small units that would greatly add to flexibility in meetups :)

 

It needn't be a problem either - I have plans for a station that can handle an 8 coach EMU setup which is 12ft long.  It's two track so instead of building three 4ft boards to make 12ft to give me the platform length and the ends of the loops back to single track, I'm making the station fit on to two 4ft boards, giving me double track through the station, and then the "single to double transition" is at each end on these separate little boards.  So if required as part of a double track setup it will use up 8ft, if it is a passing loop station on a single line then by using the two 2ft converters at each end it becomes 12ft.  If it turns out that these are not required at a meeting, no big deal.  But if someone else has a twin track module it can go next to my station, and then my twin to single converter can go at the end of that if theirs doesn't have the relevant trackwork to join a single track board next to it.

 

One thing I think is very important to remember in planning is that not every meet will need or want every module we create.

Edited by cromptonnut
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Yes, the curved boards look immensely usable which then leads on to "I may as well have some straights to match".

 

I've had a chat with Tim this afternoon to persuade him to come up with a list of appropriate sized boards and prices to create a shopping list that we can buy from if we wish. I know he's got a lot on at the minute but it would be good if we could get a relationship going.

An excellent idea! Having seen the quality of these boards first hand. Perhaps a few flatpacks for different curve radii might be an idea, which could help produce the long transition curves we've all been reading about recently.

Edited by The Evil Bus Driver
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Assembly of a Modular system.

 

 

Noel

 

Impressive. Shows one of the main problems of a variable modular set-up: knowing where in the room to start.

 

Nice looking modules with plenty of scenery despite the need to link to others. I wonder if it can easily be assembled other ways. It is also a bit different to the sort of modular layout (operation between terminals) that most have been discussing here. It is a continuous run and therefore you need to have exactly the right amount of curve sections of the right dimensions to get the loop complete.

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Impressive. Shows one of the main problems of a variable modular set-up: knowing where in the room to start.

 

Nice looking modules with plenty of scenery despite the need to link to others. I wonder if it can easily be assembled other ways. It is also a bit different to the sort of modular layout (operation between terminals) that most have been discussing here. It is a continuous run and therefore you need to have exactly the right amount of curve sections of the right dimensions to get the loop complete.

 

A good planner will know exactly where to start as that will provide the "datum point" that everything else fans out from :)

 

Obviously to make a loop you do need the right amount of boards and curves - ETE appear to have their own "modular standards" which presumably were designed specifically to have a more restricted range of sizes to enable roundy-roundys to happen?  http://www.ete.org/module-specifications

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Another thought just struck me... although people may think "what's the point of building just one single board if I can't contribute anything bigger"?

 

It can be used at home, as a "photo plank" if you make a temporary backscene board of a sky colour for it.

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To go back to Andy (298)'s Freemo module. Two feet long, plain straight track so nothing hard to build or store, but the scenery makes it interesting and it adds 2 feet to the length available. Plus, some small modules help the planner, 2 feet might be the difference between a workable and an unworkable operating aisle.

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Hi just thinking ahead to when I actually get to the stage of nailing some track down is their any reqirment (even if just good practice) to solder the track ends to two countersunk screws at the end of the modules?

 

Thanks

Steve

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Hi just thinking ahead to when I actually get to the stage of nailing some track down is their any reqirment (even if just good practice) to solder the track ends to two countersunk screws at the end of the modules?

 

Thanks

Steve

I don't like soldering to countersunk/other screws as a method of solid fixing of rail ends - I have tried it and found it to be less than satisfactory - I will be using my usual of 3 (or more) copper-clad sleepers with the one at the edge exactly in line with the rail ends. I have found that this provides the most secure and practical solution. The problem being the ease of catching the ends of the rails on all sorts. (but do remember to gap the PCB, both sides, or you may end up with a short that is difficult to identify)

 

BTW I'm not sure it needs a recommendation and certainly not a standard - it is just one of those personal choice items (just like wire colour, etc)

Edited by Kenton
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Just a thought …
 

Track Bus – A common standard for interlinking modules, revised to 4mm banana plug/sockets, each module should present a connection for front and rear rails by means of a 4mm socket for a banana plug lead for each rail. It should be made clear which socket applies to which rail.

 
Why for each rail on a double track module? Is it so the module can be used for DC at home, or perhaps so block detection can be used?

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Just a thought …

 

 

Why for each rail on a double track module? Is it so the module can be used for DC at home, or perhaps so block detection can be used?

 

It was intended to mean for each rail on a single track module; corresponding rails on a double-track module can be joined together.

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