New kids fold up murphy bed type layout.

[Specter3]

Gruppe

We have just split my two girls into their own rooms from their previous shared bedroom and combined playroom. They are now 8 and 6. My oldest has really taken after me and likes trains. The youngest likes them and will run them but is only moderately interested in them. But the older one is really into them. My wife has realized this and with some negotiations has ok'd a layout in her room. The layout has some restrictions and one big design element. It must fold up to the wall. Here is the first mock up of what we are looking at.







As we have consumed the Ikea cool-aid the against the wall base will be a stack of 2 of these:



Which are different than the units I have it sitting on now. The end extending into the room will have it's own leg of some sort.

But it is a start.

[S Class]

Dumb thought but have you considered putting it on castors and rolling it under her bed?

At least then the boogy  can play trains when she's not using it.

[Philip H]

So are you going to hinge it to the wall with the window?  If so, I'd recommend a wooden frame around the foam board to attach the hinges too, then locate the studs and screw the hinges to them.  I'd also recommend some sort of flat hinge - a piano hinge leapt to mind when I first saw it, but that would probably be too wide.

[M.C. Fujiwara]

If you hinge it over the front edge of the bookcase / shelf thingy then you'd have that width's worth of space for scenery on the layout.

[Specter3]

Well as much as I would like to have a huge amount of space behind it for leaving the scenery on I am sure that the front edge of the cabinet will not be acceptable to the SO. I am imagining about the height of a 1x4 is what I am going to have to play with. I am wondering about using a ripped down 1x3 for surrounding the foam with a sheet of 1/8 in ply on the bottom that will be painted in the room color. Wiring and such will be between the ply and the foam. the ply will be removable for access to wiring. I am thinking on using an axle that spans the width of the layout for it to hinge on.

Ryan

[CoalPorter]

I like how you used pink foam in keeping with a girl's color, and
matching up the other items in the room. if you had sons then,
of course, you would need to find blue foam. 

[Specter3]

Life causes many delays in things that you would not choose to postpone on your own. But after one of those unplanned breaks I have made some progress on the murphy layout.



I am going to use some high grade bolts for the pivot points, put a piece of 1/4 inch ply on the bottom and hang a picture on it. There will be some fold up legs of some sort. Mounting TBD. 

[PRRATSF]

Looking at photo you last posted. Something I did for a friends daughter was very similar. what she wanted was a place for her jewlery. On the bottom, of the layout instead of painting it, make it like a message board with a white board or a painted on chalk board. and some cork mixed in as well. lets her personalise the outside.

   Sam

[sirenwerks]

I assume this layout will either be unscenicked or feature the stark flatness of the Plains?

[eric220]

What about putting tracks in the uprights so that the bottom slides up against the wall, leaving the scenic'd part of the layout facing outward.  That would fulfill the folding requirement and still leave vertical clearance.

[Specter3]

There will be 4.5 inches of clearance above the ground when it is folded up.

Eric, one of the requirements by She Who Must be Obeyed, is that when folded up it will look like the rest of the walls. It will be painted the same color as the rest of the room and have a framed poster or painting hanging on it.

[eric220]

Hrm.  Would it be possible/objectionable to make a table with a removable glass top out of it?  Along these lines:



I'm just trying to come up with ideas to allow structures taller than a loading dock.

[Lemosteam]

Some more room could be had by replacing the foam with luayan or 1/4" ply.

[eric220]

I had another thought.  A while back, MR showed a layout that featured several sets of interchangeable paired industries.  Each industry was on a small base that fit into a matching receptacle on the layout.  You'd need a place to store the industries off of the layout, but it would add some interest to be able to run coal trains today and cattle/meat runs tomorrow.

[Specter3]

The ideas are neat but remember this is going to be run by an 8 year old. In a mock up this weekend I had an oval with a passing siding and three spurs all facing the same way so as to limit frustration. In the end this will be a set up and drive kind of operation for Her models. Track is Kato with electric turnouts which will be wired up. I am going to isolate the passing siding and allow for two locos on the layout at a time with single pole toggles. It will be DC only for now. I have Digitraks for my own gear but half my own locos are still DC. This will look like a toy because it is for now. There will be terrain within the scope of the depth we have and taller buildings will live in shelves off layout. But the half dozen we have now will all fit with the layout up. But the idea is to keep the interest alive long enough to let it mature into the hobby stage when she gets older. Now I realize she will not be so into it once the social things really kick off in the jr high years but if I keep the interest up it will be something we can always work on together.