Stuck for space for your layout? Here’s one modeller’s solution.
According to a recent poll amongst the members of the ModelRailwayEngineer Builder’s community, most of us keep our layouts in a spare room, shed, loft/attic or garage, in that order.
But if you need the space in the garage, shed or spare room what do you do then?
Here’s one modeller’s solution.
YouTuber fhferret keeps his 15ft by 12ft HO gauge layout in his garage but needing to also use the space has built a winch system to lift it out of the way when not in use.
This is similar to a system I had for one of my childhood layouts but it’s on steroids compared to my simple manual arrangement. Mine was just a board hinged to a wall at the bottom and could be lowered down when needed.
Obviously, substantial cables and winches are needed to handle the weight and the supports holding them will need to be robust enough but hopefully, it’ll give someone an idea that allows them to have a railway when they otherwise couldn’t.
Alternatively, if you’ve already got an automatic system like this please share the details — I’m sure other builders would love to hear about it.
Andy is a lifelong modeler, writer, and founder of modelrailwayengineer.com. He has been building model railways, dioramas, and miniatures for over 20 years. His passion for model making and railways began when he was a child, building his first layout at the age of seven.
Andy’s particular passion is making scenery and structures in 4mm scale, which he sells commercially. He is particularly interested in modelling the railways of South West England during the late Victorian/early Edwardian era, although he also enjoys making sci-fi and fantasy figures and dioramas. His website has won several awards, and he is a member of MERG (Model Railway Electronics Group) and the 009 Society.
When not making models, Andy lives in Surrey with his wife and teenage son. Other interests include history, science fiction, photography, and programming. Read more about Andy.