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When PMT was started, it was decided to use HO scale,
16.5mm gauge. It was also decided that the club would be modular, i.e.. make
use of standard sized 'tables' with tracks entering and leaving at fixed
points. This works very well, and is a popular way for clubs to
build big layouts. In 2001 the members of PMT
decided we want to include N scale, using the very popular NTRAK standard
for the N Gauge modellers in the club.
MODULES
In it's first five years in existence the club and its members has made a
lot of progress and several members now have combinations of fully
sceniced module sections consisting of one, two or even more modules and operating
as a unit. At the moment we have several such units of 7200 X 800 (24' X
2'6"), 5400 X 600 (18' X 2') and 4500 X 600 (15' X 2') respectively and
then the a loop set of modules which is also 7200 X 600
(24' X 2') long with a large double track loop protruding into the inside of the
layout. These large sections has the added benefit that one can build
realistic industrial scenery and it also allows for shunting and
industrial operations off the main A & B lines.
The only disadvantage of such units is that one has to have enough storage
space, a problem which has been overcome by those members owning these
units. We are also fortunate in the sense that the John Vorster Technical
High School where our regular meetings take place, has made available some
storage space for the club.
With all the modules currently available we can produce a different layout
at every new meeting. When planning a layout for a meeting the units
mentioned above are first placed in position and the rest of the available
modules are then placed in position to complete the layout.
The need for a proper fiddle and staging yard where members can set up
their trains upon arrival has established itself more and more especially
when it was realized that the only available places where members can
currently set up their trains, are on the main line modules which then sometimes
result in disruption and unnecessary collisions.
Following this, one of our club members, Johan Voordewind, came up
with the idea of building a fiddle and staging yard. This idea was refined
and a final plan drawn up by Johan Voordewind and Johan de Villiers. This
plan was presented to members at an AGM and after some discussion
the meeting approved the plan and gave permission for the project to get
started.
Johan de Villiers and Johan Voordewind started at the beginning of
February 1999 with the building of the staging and fiddle yard to fit into
the existing club modular layout. This yard was
displayed for the first time (although very basic and far from complete)
during the July 1999 meeting and was well received by the members.
A lot of work has since been done, and in early 2005 a huge turn table was
added to the end of the yard in such a way that it can service both yards,
or function as a means to move trains from one yard to another. There
are at least 40 turnouts in this fiddle and staging yard and most of them have
been motorized.
The yard serves both the A and B line separately and the idea is that when
a member arrives at the club meeting, he will only be allowed to set up
his train(s) in the A or B yard, from where it can be dispatched onto either the A or B
line.
We would like to believe that our fiddle and staging yard might be the
largest in size in South Africa!
The club has also started with a program to upgrade the club owned modules
and to improve the scenery on these modules. The modules owned by some
club members are of high standard and it is therefore essential that the
club modules be upgraded to the same high standard.
After some generous donations by club members, PMT
now also own 4 NTRAK corner modules of 90 deg. each, which will be used as
a separate layout. There are 2 modules of 1200mmx1200mm, and 2 modules
measuring 900mmx900mm.
In 2006, the club acquired some
more space, and decided to build a static layout. We will be
keeping to our module standards, but the layout will not be disassembled
on a regular basis. This will be additional to the layout we
exhibit in the school hall during school recess.
The module standards can be downloaded in
PDF format from here. You
might need to install Adobe Acrobat Viewer if you do not already have a
PDF document viewer installed. Acrobat can be downloaded by
clicking the Adobe logo below.
 Click
HERE to view HO gauge standards, and
to display the N gauge standards,
click HERE.
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HO Gauge module standards |
Modules should be built according to the following
set standards:
- 1800mm long by 600mm wide
- 1800mm long by 700mm wide
- 900mm long by 600mm wide
- 900mm long by 700mm wide
- 2X12mm wing-nuts have to be used to secure adjoining modules
together
- minimum width of the sides of the modules has to be 95mm
- maximum thickness of the wood is 12mm, preferably 12mm pine ply
- there have to be pockets on all 4 corners for the legs to be
fitted as needed
- 2 cross braces have to be added to modules 1800mm long and 1 to
modules 900mm long
- the legs are made from 25m square steel tubing with an
adjustable nut in the bottom to adjust the height as needed
- corner modules have to be 30o, 60o or 90o units with an outside
track radius of 1500mm
- there is no height limit to the modules (multiple layers are
encouraged)
- modules have to fit through a 700mm by 2000mm door frame. The
Club has it's own jig with which we drill the holes in the ends of
the modules and this way we are able to
ensure that the holes are more or less standard. We only use
G-clamps as an absolute final resort. The holes are normally drilled
at one of the meetings when the new module
is ready for insertion into the layout. The scenery itself has to
meet with certain standards, namely:
- double track mainline, the nearest known as the A-line and the
other as the B-line. The A-line traffic runs right-to-left and the B-line
left-to-right
- the rail must end 56mm from each end of the module to allow for
bridge tracks 110mm long to be inserted between the adjoining
modules. Since January 2005, Fleishmann
adjustable track sections are used where possible.
- Peco code 100 nickel-silver rail has to be used on all main line
tracks with no turnouts smaller than Peco mediums leading from the
mainline. Any code 100 nickel-silver flex
(preferred) or track sections can be used on side lines.
- 12mm wood has to be fastened to the top of the module wherever
track is laid. Pine ply is preferred above pressed wood
- the track has to be laid on a 3mm cork sub-roadbed
- a bus wire system must be used, wired into terminal blocks at
both ends.
- if the module requires
power for automation or lighting, a transformer has to be mounted
under the module, with a fuse of sufficient size and a standard 3
point mains plug on a reasonable length of cable must be supplied.
Power may NEVER be tapped from tracks for any of these functions
- the wiring has to conform the Club standards using purple,
orange, white and green wires with purple the first rail and green
the fourth rail from the front of the module
- everything off the mainline is left to the modeller's own
initiative, subservient to the approval of the Club's Technical
Committee
- clearances have to be high and wide enough to allow for the
largest commercially made models in HO scale
to traverse unrestricted
- over head wires are
only used in exceptional cases and then only on the A-line
- the module sides must be painted Plascon Velvaglo Deep Forest
Green
The painting of the modules was a natural
progression towards finishing off the scenery. The club
purchased the paint for this purpose and the result does a lot for the
presentation of the modules.
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N Gauge module Standards |
| After investigation of the number of standards
around, the Internationally accepted N-Trak standard will be used,
with some minor modifications.
Module Size and construction
- Modules are built in length multiples of 610mm. Possibilities
here are 610mm, 1220mm, 1830mm and 2440mm. Keep in mind that
portability is an issue, so the suggested
size would be modules of 1220mm long. They can
easily fit in the back of an average size car
- Modules are built 610mm deep. Provision is made for an
additional 152mm both to the front and the rear of the module, if
the modeller needs the extra space for scenery or
a bigger track plan. Modules should, however, not be smaller
than 610mm deep.
- Modules are built to accept a 25mm
x 25mm steel leg in each
corner. These legs should be long enough to put the top of the rail
at 1100mm. Also, the legs should be height
adjustable, and allow a minimum of 25mm adjustment. A nut can welded
to one end of each leg, and a bolt can be used to set height, or
commercial height adjustable feet can be
used (these can be found at most hardware shops) (NOTE: This is
changed from the normal N-TRAK standard to conform to PMT module
standards)
- Corner modules should be either 1220mm or 915mm
in length and depth.
The 2 opposing corners for inside can be cut off
at a 45degree angle to reduce size and weight. For corner modules, 6 legs
must be supplied.
- Modules should be built using
at least 9mm pine
plywood, but 12mm plywood is preferred.
Use 6mm to 9mm soft board
as a roadbed.
- Modules of 1220mm and longer, should have 2 cross braces to
reinforce the module.
- Each module should have a facia board of 6mm or 9mm plywood, and
it should be 95mm high.
- Each module could have a sky
board of at least 305mm high from
the top of the rails. Although it is not required, it is strongly
recommended that modellers add a sky board.
Sky boards should be made from 4mm plywood or equivalent (example
hard board) and painted a neutral light blue.
For a graphical explanation, see figure below.
Module tracks
- Each module should contain 3 tracks. The full N-TRAK
standard supports a host of other lines, but for simplicity, we will
NOT be
including all these. From the front of the
module,
they are:
- Mainline 1 or Red line
- Mainline 2 or Yellow line
- Branch Line or Blue line
- Tracks are placed on 38mm
track centres.
- Tracks should be places as follows:
- Red - 508mm from the rear of the module (excluding the
optional 152mm extra!)
- Yellow - 470mm from the rear of the module (excluding the
optional 152mm extra!)
- Blue - 432mm from the rear of the module (excluding the
optional 152mm extra!)
- Crossover tracks are allowed to be used (and we strongly
encourage people to do so) to allow movement of trains between the 3
different lines. These cross over tracks should be
electrically isolated.
- Track should stop 50mm from the end of each module. Atlas / Peco
extendable track sections should be used to join modules.
- The last 50mm before the track end of a module, should be
straight.
- Track should not use a bend of less than 482mm (19") radius.
- Preferred track is code 80 Peco flex track.
- Preferred points/switches are Peco
Medium on the main lines (red, yellow and blue).
Small radius is allowed on side line, but using medium radius
turnouts should seriously be considered.
Electrical
- All 3 lines should be electrically isolated. No common ground is
allowed.
- At least one set of feeder wires per module is required for each
of the 3 tracks.
- All modules should have feeder wires to allow hook up to the
adjoining module using the following guide lines:
- Looking at the module from the front
(outside), the extra length feeder
wires should be on the right hand side of the module. These feeder
wires should have enough length to reach the connectors on the
next module
- On the left hand side, each module should have 6 spring type
connectors fitted to allow feeder wires from the module next to
yours to connect to. These connectors
are similar to those used to connect your hi-fi speakers at the
back of the hi-fi.
- Each module is required to have its own supply for additional
electronics/lighting/animation. No AC signal is carried between
modules. No power should be tapped from
the main lines.
- If electrical point motors are used, the module should supply
its own power. In other words, do not tap power off the main
lines.
- PMT will be using only
DC throttles on all 3 lines.
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