What did you do on your layout today?

Hi Mark,

Can't think of a better compliment that "innovative;" genuinely appreciate the kind words. Answers in order:

Mark Boyce posted:
On the front of the layout it looks like you used some kind of window or door latch to fasten the modules together.

Yep, that's it. Cheap, available everywhere, and provides enough tension to keep the tables from sliding away from each other when I'm leaning on them. They don't do jack for keeping things level but that's not their job.

Mark Boyce posted:
How much effort is it to take it down and put back up ...

Well, this is when it becomes a projection, as I haven't had the pleasure of trying it yet . But having done something similar 3 years running with two 3x4 tables, I figure about 90 minutes, from in-the-house to out-on-the-lawn with 1 preteen/teenaged helper . This time is for moving the table, connecting the track, and framing out the enclosure. There's added time to re-apply "loose" ornamentation but haven't factored that in here.

Mark Boyce posted:
… mainly track alignment …

Other than at the crossover points from 1 quad to the next, track will be screwed down. Rather than table alignment, it's table leveling - especially where the 4 tables meet in the center - was the real bugaboo. I solved this with 4 sliding latches connecting one table to its 2 adjacent tables. Once connected, I know the tables dead-set level in the center and I only need to shim any floating legs underneath. These latches don't do jack for keeping things from separating but that's not their job.

Mark Boyce posted:
… and wiring connections?

Wiring was based on 3 principles. First, avoiding OW! MY BACK! and putting them on rather than under the table. Second, any wires connecting directly to the track are done once and, once done, aren't touched again unless something's broke. And last, any power leaving the "power quad" for other quads is connected by a bus bar. In this way, separating each quadrant is as easy as unscrewing a few posts. In this photo, the bus bars are attached to the "power quad" (headed West ) and the wires to running East are feeders to the switch (power and controller) and track.

Hope this makes a bit of sense. Any additional questions, don't hesitate to ask. And for added fun, here's a pic of my last year's TrainBox display, outside in the snow. Took about an hour to get it out and up.