Any Freemo'ers here?


macjet

macjet

Member
So, it hit me today like a ton of bricks. Modular. That would be the answer.

I've been struggling to find someway to get a decent sized layout in my garage. Problem is there just isn't enough room. We've discussed a bigger house with a basement but that's at least five years out. There isn't enough space in the back yard for a shed so that option is out. What about a storage unit? I could set up and run as needed. But why would I want to build a permanent setup in a public storage unit.

Then I thought, what if I built modular units that could be disassembled and moved as needed? I could set up in a storage unit until we get our shop built (off location from the house) and then move the layout as required to wherever I wanted.

Then I remembered the Freemo website and the group in Denton, TX, running a Freemo layout. Perfect. I could start out with one or two six foot sections (that's the length that will fit in my truck bed under the tonneau cover), run my sections with the club, and build my layout piece by piece as I gain space.

This seems too perfect and too simple. What problem am I overlooking?

Also, any Freemo guys or gals here? Care to share pics or experiences?

I'm already planning a 12 foot grain elevator in my head!
 
I've seen enough of Freemo to know that's the design system I'm going to use. It's so well thought out that I should be able to avoid mucking up the design even with my mediocre carpentry skills. But what's really cool about it is that the basic standards cover the interface of the modules, not their shape, size or theme, and that allows for some serious freedom for the layout builder.

I've seen the old modular layout the Denton club would bring to train shows (I actually ran one of my coal trains on it once when it was on semi-permanent display in Denton). It was okay. Nothing special. But the new Freemo layout really shows some promise. They were at the Fort Worth show not too long ago, and I suspect they'll be at the Plano show. Maybe they'll even be at the OKC show this weekend. If you haven't seen the layout in person, you really should. And if it's at a show, you'll be able to compare the Freemo approach with the traditional modular approach (HO's version of Ntrak).

As far as space is concerned, go down to south Dallas and buy one of those old shipping containers! I've thought about that, but my wife would never go for it, especially since I'd be compelled to repaint it in its original livery (can't you just see a gleaming green box in my backyard with giant "EVERGREEN" lettering?) :D

Seriously, though, yeah, the garage is probably the place for it. I have a screened in (walled in, actually, but you get the idea) patio on the back of my house so I'd probably set up the layout there. In my case, the design is 2½ ft. x 16 ft. which would fit in the garage, but when you consider I'll want to walk around it, it will actually occupy more space than that.

Public storage spaces aren't ideal for spending much time in. My band rehearsed in a seedy one in downtown Fort Worth for a few months while we were between rehearsal studios and it sucked. Horrible lighting, it required very creative power routing, had a hard floor that made your legs feel like stone after an hour or so, corrugated metal walls that reflected sound like a sonic mirror and dust, dust and more dust.

As far as design considerations are concerned, you may want to discuss with the Denton group what, if any, deviations they've made from the Freemo standards as far as wiring, fascia coloring, etc. are concerned. Theoretically, these are hard and fast rules and those clubs who don't conform exactly "aren't Freemo" in the strictest interpretation. But there has been some discussion among Freemo groups about different DCC systems, wiring conventions, color schemes and the like in past years. Furthermore, these are standards and they are subject to enforcement, revision or outright abandonment, so I'd definitely recommend finding out where the club you want to operate with stands on the issue. You might want to seek out the yahoo group for discussion of Freemo, too.

As far as the 12 foot grain elevator is concerned, have you been spending some time out in Saginaw? ;)
 
The Denton group meets informally every Saturday morning for breakfast. I plan on meeting up with them the first chance that I get. I am interested in seeing any changes to the freemo standards that they may have made.

I did see that some of the Denton group is planning on traveling to OKC. I'd run up there but I'm on call for another 12 days.:mad:

Let me know when you start your construction. I probably won't start until February.
 
I've built my layout to freemo-esque standards...and I love it! Now I can enjoy my layout and take whatever module I want to shows, yay!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.



Back
Top