I'm about 1/2 way through my first "practice" layout (1'x6'). I'm sticking with modular / shelf type layouts until I can take over the basement (wife says 8 more years 
... Plus I like the concept of building small sections that are detachable and portable in case I move. I've done much better then I expected with this layout so am considering instead of donating it to the trash man, actually incorporating it into a larger layout.
This means I'll make a new section someday (maybe 1.5' x 6' ) and try to "hook them together". Thats the part I am having problems with. I think I can figure out the electrical part, thats prety easy. I studied the NTRAX specs but they seem very complex and I didnt stick with them. What concerns me is I have 2 lines coming out each end of the layout. I may want to terminate some of them but atleast one on each end I want to 'hook onto' the next segment.
How to do that ? Physically I know I can simply clamp them together but how to arrange so that the tracks line up so perfectly that locos can go from one module to the next. Is it a matter if perfect engineering ? That is, building the next module so that the track *exactly* lines up with this one ? in all 3 dimensions ? Or is there some "trick" I can use to adjust things that are not quite right, like some kind of flexable "bridge" to compensate for imperfect layouts. Even if the tracks line-up how do I make sure there are no big gaps ? Do the tracks have to go exactly to the edge of the layout so they can match with each other or is there some other way of joining them ?
What do people do ? This seems like a common problem so maybe there's an easy solution. Or maybe its as hard as I think and you just have to be 100% perfect ...
Suggestions welcome !
... Plus I like the concept of building small sections that are detachable and portable in case I move. I've done much better then I expected with this layout so am considering instead of donating it to the trash man, actually incorporating it into a larger layout.This means I'll make a new section someday (maybe 1.5' x 6' ) and try to "hook them together". Thats the part I am having problems with. I think I can figure out the electrical part, thats prety easy. I studied the NTRAX specs but they seem very complex and I didnt stick with them. What concerns me is I have 2 lines coming out each end of the layout. I may want to terminate some of them but atleast one on each end I want to 'hook onto' the next segment.
How to do that ? Physically I know I can simply clamp them together but how to arrange so that the tracks line up so perfectly that locos can go from one module to the next. Is it a matter if perfect engineering ? That is, building the next module so that the track *exactly* lines up with this one ? in all 3 dimensions ? Or is there some "trick" I can use to adjust things that are not quite right, like some kind of flexable "bridge" to compensate for imperfect layouts. Even if the tracks line-up how do I make sure there are no big gaps ? Do the tracks have to go exactly to the edge of the layout so they can match with each other or is there some other way of joining them ?
What do people do ? This seems like a common problem so maybe there's an easy solution. Or maybe its as hard as I think and you just have to be 100% perfect ...
Suggestions welcome !
