Suspended layout

[rpierce000]

There is no room in my house for a "real" layout. Our best attempts involve putting all of the leaves in the dining room table and getting out ALL the unitrack. That is fun, but very hard to maintain and occasionally a train takes a header off the table.

I have been looking around for a way to store a layout "overhead".  We have good ceiling clearance and I was thinking that I could just run cables to all four corners, and maybe in the middle, stiffen the whole thing and then have drop down legs for it to sit on when it is lowered.

Have any of you done something like this? Seen something like this?

Thank you for any advice you may have.

[Kumo]

I thought about this too. I won't do it in the end, for many reasons. I'll do a mini tram layout instead! ^_^

One thing you have to keep in mind is that, except if you have a 4m high ceiling, you won't be able to build hills or have skyscrapers on your layout.

If you do it, please post a lot of pictures and plany of it! :-)

[scott]

Another option -- I once saw pictures of a layout built from several modules that were sized to fit the upper shelves of the owner's closet. They had plastic sheets to put over the modules while they were stored, and removable plastic hoops that arched over the modules to keep the sheets of the trees, buildings, etc.

[KenS]

I saw an article about a model railroad that was suspended in a garage once, I think in Model Railroader.  Raised, the car could be parked.  With the car outside, the layout could be used.  It was a fairly solid system, with steel cable and, if I recall correctly, the kind of hand winch used on a boat trailer.

With a smaller layout, built to lower weight, you could probably do something with small nylon rope.  I think the key would be rigging some way to lift all the corners (I'm assuming one rope per corner) together, and tie them off to something when raised (you'd need a solidly-mounted cleat or something to secure them).

[nik_n_dad]

I saw an article about a model railroad that was suspended in a garage once, I think in Model Railroader. 

I looked at doing this, and even found a cool device to raise/lower it (attached to each corner), But my garage has pretty much 3 states:  Really Cold, Really Really Hot, and Dusty.  None of which are great for trains (track)

[Mudkip Orange]

You could always just put magnets in it and be like this guy:

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/O8jPD4rynKc" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/O8jPD4rynKc</a>

Then you wouldn't have to worry about lowering it. Just permanently attach to the ceiling.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/3538812/Inventor-creates-upside-down-model-railway.html

[rpierce000]

I think the magnetic route has issues with scenery...  Skyscrapers would look like stalagtites and I can only imagine what a derailment would be like as the train plummeted to the floor.

I may just go modular, that might work as well.

[cteno4]

Bob,

this has been done quite a bit actually. ive seen a number of articles over the years since i was a kid doing this with cables and pulleys to pull the layout up to the ceiling in a room or garage.

there was a link somewhere on the forum for a german video mag on layouts that has a really large (i think HO layout) that drops from the ceiling on a electric pulley system. it was in a really nice house and i think in his office.

i thought about it when i was a kid and i needed more room in my bedroom to do school work. was going to pulley the layout to the ceiling and have my desk underneath. then found it easier to clear out a closet and put the desk in there and leave the layout be!

cheers

jeff

[rpierce000]

Thank you so much, I am now on the waiting list for the TomyTec product.

I will also scour the auctions...

If anyone sees one I would be grateful!

[cteno4]

bob,

it dawned on me there is a system like this that is sold for garages to lift a like 5'x5' platform up into the loft of a garage for storage. i think sears may sell it.

jeff

[David]

If you can take the trains off the layout between sessions you could glue down everything else and store the layout sideways.

[cteno4]

just ran across this cheap start to a pulley system

http://www.harborfreight.com/bicycle-lift-95803.html

jeff