Page 13 - May June 1998

About Modular Railroading
Modular railroading started in 1974 in California. It was in N scale and involved layouts built in sections. Not only was the size of each section (module) stan- dardised but, more significantly, so were the posi- tions of the tracks at the module ends and their electrical interconnections. This meant that big lay- outs could be assembled from whatever modules were available at a particular meet. These ideas have been carried forward to the present day and the re- sult is that all modules in a particular scale will work together and can be connected in any order. The early N scale activity led to the formation of NTRAK which has had close association with the NMRA. Today, in co-operation with NTRAK, NMRA has pub- lished Standards and Recommended Practices cover- ing modules in Z, N, TT, HO, S, O and American OO scales. The standards also include narrow gauge and even Hi-Rail Tinplate!
Are modules for you?
Modular railroading has several attractions you may wish to consider:
If you are short of space you can build a small home layout and use it in a modular group’s big- ger set up from time to time.
If you are a beginner, building one or two mod- ules can be an enjoyable and quick way to learn modelling skills. You will be involved in bench- work, tracklaying, electrics, structures and scenery over a much shorter period than building a larger layout.
If you have limited time or money, modules pro- vide an economical way of becoming involved by building a simple design.
If you are experienced, modules provide a quick and economical way to try a new scale.
Getting started...
At the time of writing, there are active modular groups in the following NMRA BR Divisions:
N scale: HO scale...
O scale...
Calder Northern Black Diamonds Dorset & Hants.
Cyder Belt Calder Northern Black Diamonds Dorset & Hants.
South West Division
For contact names, please see your Annual Direc- tory. Some groups have special electrical require- ments so please discuss this with your local contact person before wiring your module.
Finally, if you are building a module, don’t forget the “Ellis Award” - presented at the Convention and Spring Meet for the best module in any scale.
More information...
The Region Member Aid Officer can provide copies of the relevant NMRA standards and Recommended Practices (A4 sized SAE please). These may also be obtained directly from the NMRA Web site at http://www.nmra.org
If you model in N scale, Information on NTRAK in the UK can be obtained from Ray Hamilton (see Di- rectory) or by taking a look at http://ntrak.mv.com/ntrak.html
for general NTRAK information.
Of course there’s another way...
Just talk to someone operating a modular lay- out at one of our meets!
Thorn Tree Flats
...NMRA British Region builds a switching layout.
Tom Winlow
Well, we finally completed it! NMRA British Region now has a small exhibition layout . It consists of two HO modules which can by used “stand-alone” as a switching layout or as part of a larger modular set-up. We hope the Region can use the layout at public exhibitions to spread the word about US railroading and the NMRA .
This first article looks at the layout’s design and the construction of its bench- work. Future articles will cover track laying, wiring, structures and so on. Some aspects of the design and construction reflect the fact that the layout is intend- ed for exhibition use. If I were building modules for my own use there are some things I would do differently. These will be mentioned in the appropriate articles. However, if you are thinking of building some modules and would like to discuss things, please give me a call or drop me a line (SAE please). All articles will be on the centre pages of Roundhouse so you can remove them for future reference should you wish. To save space, we have not included basic information which most modellers will already know. However, to help beginners, accompanying leaflets will be made available from the Member Aid Officer covering the basics Details about these will be given in Roundhouse. Finally, don’t forget, there are lots of books on modelling techniques in the Region’s Library and these are list- ed in your Annual Directory.
Background
As part of our 50th Anniversary activities we held a competition to design a pair of HO modules. The plan was to build these and make them available to mem- bers representing the NMRA at public exhibitions. We also intended to illustrate their construction at a series of clinics at Region meets. Unfortunately, the logis- tics of this proved difficult and the idea was abandoned. However, during 1997 it was decided to build the modules, but describe their construction in these Roundhouse articles rather than at the clinics.
The modules are the combined efforts of Region members from various parts of the country and thanks are due to everyone who helped. The original idea came from Ian Wilson. Chris Hopper won the design contest and built some of the structures. Bob Phelps laid all the track and also contributed to the structures. Other structures are the work of Martin Boyask, Harry Brown, Bill Hutchins and David McLaughlin. Advice on various aspects was received from many members, particularly Geoff Meek (Calder Northern) and Bob Taylor (Cyder Belt). I coordi- nated the whole enterprise, built the benchwork with some assistance from Dave Gunn, did the wiring and also made one or two structures. The techniques we used are those which have proved effective for the people involved. There are lots of ways to approach the various aspects of layout building and you may have a better way of doing things. If you do, why not share it with the rest of us by sending details to the Editor?
JUNE 1998 13
Tom Winlow