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When I designed my latest garage layout, I decided it needed a short removable section about 18" wide so that I and visitors could easily walk through to the middle. At 64 I was getting a bit old for all the ducking and crawling under that I had done on previous layouts.
My first idea was a sort of removable tray that would rest on narrow ledges built into the end of each board either side. This was not a success. I made it a tight fit so that it wouldn't wobble and this made it difficult to remove and put back. Lining up the tracks exactly wasn't easy especially as the slightest knock disturbed it. (I could have fitted some locking bolts but never got around to it.) Also I wanted the tracks to have the minimum gap at the breaks which meant that often, when removing the tray, one track would just about catch on another, as it was slid out, due to slight curvature.
In the end I despaired of the process, and so started ducking and crawling under again. Eventually I got fed up with this and decided to use an alternative. I have now changed it to a lifting flap permanently attached by hinges at one side and resting on a ledge the other side when in the down position. This is so much better! No danger of pulling the track out of its chairs, it lifts at the flick of a wrist, and the tracks line up first time every time, so far anyway.
I am going to have to find some way of hiding the hinges in scenery, which luckily I haven't yet started. Since the centre of the pin of the hinge must be at, or slightly above, track top level, it means that they are set several mm above the baseboard. However, this is a small price to pay for the convenience. But guess what - the first few times I approached the new lifting flap I ducked down and crawled under!
My first idea was a sort of removable tray that would rest on narrow ledges built into the end of each board either side. This was not a success. I made it a tight fit so that it wouldn't wobble and this made it difficult to remove and put back. Lining up the tracks exactly wasn't easy especially as the slightest knock disturbed it. (I could have fitted some locking bolts but never got around to it.) Also I wanted the tracks to have the minimum gap at the breaks which meant that often, when removing the tray, one track would just about catch on another, as it was slid out, due to slight curvature.
In the end I despaired of the process, and so started ducking and crawling under again. Eventually I got fed up with this and decided to use an alternative. I have now changed it to a lifting flap permanently attached by hinges at one side and resting on a ledge the other side when in the down position. This is so much better! No danger of pulling the track out of its chairs, it lifts at the flick of a wrist, and the tracks line up first time every time, so far anyway.
I am going to have to find some way of hiding the hinges in scenery, which luckily I haven't yet started. Since the centre of the pin of the hinge must be at, or slightly above, track top level, it means that they are set several mm above the baseboard. However, this is a small price to pay for the convenience. But guess what - the first few times I approached the new lifting flap I ducked down and crawled under!
