 Joined: 29/12/2019(UTC) Posts: 23 Location: California, Culver City
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Hello and Merry Christmas to all:
Any advice on how to ensure solid track connections at the connecting edges of a modular layout? This modular layout would be occasionally assembled and disassembled. Links to videos, documents, instructions would be welcome. Thank you in advance.
-- Uwe
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 Joined: 09/08/2008(UTC) Posts: 1,919 Location: Auckland,
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One way is to have a piece of track that straddles each module connection. Pros- simple, cons- hard to align when multiple tracks are at the connection, if not well aligned electrical connectivity may be affected.
Other way is to run the track to the edge of the module and cut the connectors away, then run a wiring bus that connects the modules together using car trailer connectors. Pros- electrically stable and robust, connectors readily available, cheap, and require no special tools to wire up. Cons- need to lay the track accurately to get smooth running.
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 3 users liked this useful post by mvd71
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 Joined: 16/11/2011(UTC) Posts: 5,842 Location: Hybrid Home
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2 users liked this useful post by Alsterstreek
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Joined: 05/09/2014(UTC) Posts: 676 Location: NEW HAMPSHIRE, Somersworth
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https://www.ete-ene.org/...-modules-layout-gallery/Our club layout which is repeatedly moved and spends much of its life inside a trailer is built with each module being a separate electrical block with color coded plug in cables joining each module. The modules have legs with adjustable height hardware to compensate for uneven floors and we bring wooden shims in the event the floor is very uneven. The modules are physically joined with metal male and female brackets between the modules aligning them and clamps on the sides keeping them together. The weight of separate modules is important and consideration must be given to that as well as designing the legs to make them collapsible. The trailer used to have shelves designed specifically for each module but as the members aged, loading and unloading became a challenge so it was decided to replace the shelving with mobile carts which has significantly made things easier. Now the modules can be easily wheeled out of the trailer and into the display area. The color coded cables allow the layout to be very electronically complex with building lights, automatic signal and distance lights, stop blocks, operational switches and braking modules. We have a CS3+ with a slaved CS2 and MS2 to operate it and have had as many as five consists running.
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4 users liked this useful post by rhfil
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Joined: 10/02/2021(UTC) Posts: 3,881 Location: Michigan, Troy
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Maybe easier with K track because you can use variable custom cut joining pieces, and the rail joiners offer some give.
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1 user liked this useful post by marklinist5999
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Joined: 05/09/2014(UTC) Posts: 676 Location: NEW HAMPSHIRE, Somersworth
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We do have a problem with the tracks meeting at the joints, mostly with the older modules, and I have noticed that other clubs get around that problem by having a removable section of track which bridges the joint. We do that with catenary.
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2 users liked this useful post by rhfil
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 Joined: 26/05/2021(UTC) Posts: 198 Location: Australia, East Maitland, NSW
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In the C Track Topic of the HO forum you may find something useful in post #261. There are 3D printed alignment pieces that could be used or modified to help align tracks where modules meet. That may allow cut track pieces to be used at the edge of a module rather than having to juggle the track design to put a join in the right place or play with bridging pieces that can be a pain to get to lock in place.  
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2 users liked this useful post by revmox
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 Joined: 23/07/2014(UTC) Posts: 8,464 Location: ENGLAND, Didcot
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Originally Posted by: revmox  In the C Track Topic of the HO forum you may find something useful in post #261. For reference this is the post referred to. The links to the files are two posts later, you need to log in to Tinkercad to get them.
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Joined: 29/12/2019(UTC) Posts: 23 Location: California, Culver City
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Originally Posted by: rhfil https://www.ete-ene.org/chapter-membership/club-modules-layout-gallery/
Our club layout which is repeatedly moved and spends much of its life inside a trailer is built with each module being a separate electrical block with color coded plug in cables joining each module. The modules have legs with adjustable height hardware to compensate for uneven floors and we bring wooden shims in the event the floor is very uneven. The modules are physically joined with metal male and female brackets between the modules aligning them and clamps on the sides keeping them together. The weight of separate modules is important and consideration must be given to that as well as designing the legs to make them collapsible. The trailer used to have shelves designed specifically for each module but as the members aged, loading and unloading became a challenge so it was decided to replace the shelving with mobile carts which has significantly made things easier. Now the modules can be easily wheeled out of the trailer and into the display area.
The color coded cables allow the layout to be very electronically complex with building lights, automatic signal and distance lights, stop blocks, operational switches and braking modules. We have a CS3+ with a slaved CS2 and MS2 to operate it and have had as many as five consists running. Originally Posted by: rhfil We do have a problem with the tracks meeting at the joints, mostly with the older modules, and I have noticed that other clubs get around that problem by having a removable section of track which bridges the joint. We do that with catenary. Thanks very much! I recently joined the Southern California ETE chapter. This is inspiring me to become more active.
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