@Pingman posted:@Andy Hummell, grateful for all the photos of your club's extraordinary layout. Seeing it up close, and having now had two set-ups of my recently joined O gauge club's modular layout under my belt these past two weeks, I am truly astonished by the level of effort required to present what you've shown us.
On a technical point, how do you connect what appears to be Gargraves Phantom rail track from module-to-module? In other words, how to the bridge/fitter pieces attach one module to the next?
Also, what type of electrical connectors do you use for the module-to-module rail electrical, and accessory electrical power?
Last question: do you find it necessary to cut track on site? If so, how is that accomplished?
Again, staggering effort involved in what you and your crew do that I am only beginning to understand after my own, far more modest, experience with a traveling layout measuring 46' x 16' using modules 6' x 32" and smaller.
Thanks for the compliments. When we do 1 or 2 day shows, we don't connect the track between modules. We just clamp the modules together with the track, which goes to the very edge of the modules (no bridge/fitter pieces), aligned as close as possible. Each end of each track is adjustable, so we can adjust it to get better alignment and occasionally shim it if needed. For this event, we actually pin the track between the modules. It takes a lot longer to set up, but it reduces the need to make adjustments once together.
We use 2-prong polarized plugs and regular electrical outlets for the power connection between modules. We went with this method over other connectors because these plugs are designed to be plugged and unplugged over and over again, and if anything needs replaced, any decent hardware store will have them. We also have a 110v line running in the opposite direction to track power for accessories. Everything is color-coded to the extreme for safety.
For your last question, we occasionally need to cut and replace damaged track in the field. We use a Dremel tool to cut the track and a small file to clean it up after the cuts. It helps to have a small collection of tools and repair/replacement materials at any setup.
Andy
