MODULE STANDARDS
The purpose of these Module Standards is to establish a minimum set of specifications that will enable a club member to construct a module that is compatible with modules constructed by other members with respect to:
1. Interchange - The ability to physically and electrically connect
the module to any other club or member owned modules to establish a modular
layout.
2. Reliable operation - The ability of all members to operate,
without derailments or electrical problems, their HO scale locomotives
and rolling stock from diverse manufacturers that adheres to some minimum
set of standards.
3. Esthetics - Conformance to a minimum set of appearance specifications
such that a complete club layout will have a pleasing appearance to the
viewing public.
4. Safety - The assurance that all club or member owned modules
will conform to the fire and electrical safety regulations that are reasonably
expected to be imposed by local codes, ordinances, or exhibit venue regulations.
Although it is expected that each member will be responsible for setting up his module and connecting it to the adjoining modules, the goal is that any member who is familiar with this standard will be able to physically and electrically connect any module to any other module or to determine by inspection that the modules are properly connected. In addition, a module that technically conforms to the letter of these regulations but does not operate reliably will be deemed to be noncompliant.
Within the rules established by these standards, members are free to establish track arrangements and scenery themes as they wish. Cooperation with other members is encouraged and the club will take this into account when establishing the module arrangement at shows. However, space restrictions and module availability at specific shows make it impossible to guarantee that modules will always be arranged in a specific configuration. Members are encouraged to consult with the standards committee to determine whether a specific module configuration is reasonable in the light of past experience.
Variations on any of these standards must be approved by the standards committee prior to construction.
I. Construction
A. The module
frame must be solid wood (no plywood or particle board)
1.Use 1x4 or 1x3 dimension
lumber (pine, fir, poplar) for main structure framing
(1x4 preferred for compatibility with other modules).
2. Joints must be
glued and screwed (2"x7 wood screws or 2" drywall screws recommended).
3. Longitudinal and
lateral cross members must be used as needed for stability, track support,
and to insure that light weight materials used for the module surface will
not sag with age.
4. Module ends must
be square with the track center lines vertically and horizontally.
Figure
1 - Making the module square
Figure
3 - Track Arrangements
B. Size
1. Length must be
an even multiple of two feet (2', 4', 6', etc.).
2. The most popular
module width is 24 inches. The maximum and minimum are 12" and 36" respectively.
3. The nominal height
of the railhead is 40" from the floor. Height must be adjustable +/-1".
C. Legs - The legs must firmly
support the module and must allow the rail height to be adjusted +/- 1"
from the
nominal 40" after the module is set up. (2x2 legs attached with 5/16
NC bolts are suggested - See Figure 6)
D. Attachment - Modules are
fastened together using 5/16 NC x 1 1/2" bolts, fender washers, and
tee nuts.
1. Bolt holes are
to be located by a club-supplied fixture and drilled by a Standards Committee
member.
See Fig. 5 for approximate locations. The area in which the holes will
be drilled must provide clearance
for a 5/16 NC tee nut and fender washer.
2. The tee nut is
installed in the left hand end of the module as viewed from the front.
(Figure 7)
E. Finish - The module framework
and back of backdrop must be painted.
The club will specify the color and supply the paint.
F. Top Surface - The module
top surface/sub-roadbed may be any material of the builder's choice.
1. It must be secured
firmly to the framework.
2. In the area of
the mainline roadbed, the surface must be flat and level.
3. It must be sufficiently
rigid to support HO scale trains powered by several weighted locomotives.
G. Tunnels
1. Tunnel portals
and retaining walls must allow adequate access to the roadbed for installation
of the interface tracks.
2. The interior of
tunnels must be accessible from the rear or underside of the module.
The standards committee will determine whether or not access is acceptable.
H. Backdrops
1. Backdrops are required
on all modules except corners.
2. Backdrops will
be 8" above the mainline railhead.
3. Backdrops must
be painted a sky-blue color that will be specified and provided by the
club.
J. Plastic on Front of Modules
1. All modules will
have a clear plastic panel of a type, size, and thickness that will be
specified
by the club attached to the front of the module at all shows.
2. The top of the
plastic will be 7 1/2" +/-1/4" above the railhead.
3. The leg bolts must
not be used to attach the plastic.
4. A continuous Velcro
strip, to be used for attaching club supplied curtains,
must be glued to the plastic with contact cement 1" below the railhead.
5. Each member is
responsible for transporting and maintaining in good condition the plastic
fronts for his or her modules.
II. Main Line Track - Each module must have, as
a minimum, two mainline tracks constructed according to these standards
that will be powered and controlled by the club power supplies at all shows.
All other trackage may be designed and constructed according to the personal
preferences of the builder. See the separate Recommended Practices for
suggestions that will enhance operation if desired.
A. Rail Code - Code 100 nickel
silver flex track will be used for all mainline trackage.
B. Location of Centerline (Figure
3)
1. Outside main line
- 4" from front edge at end of module
2. Inside main line
- 6" from front edge at end of module
C. Minimum radius - 36"
D. Main lines must be level
with no grades
E. Interface
1. Mainline tracks
end 2" from the end of the module.
Figure
3 - Track Arrangements
Figure
4 - Track cutback standard
Figure
5 - Checking/establishing track cutback
2. A minimum of 3"
of straight track from the end of the mainline track
to the first curve in the main lines must be provided.
F. Turnouts
1. Code 100 nickel
silver rail
2. PECO, Shinohara,
Atlas Mark III are suggested brands.
Other brands of similar quality and operating characteristics are also
acceptable.
3. The minimum frog
number is #6 (or PECO medium). #8 (or PECO large) should be used where
possible,
particularly for crossovers.
4. Dead frog turnouts
should not be used on the outside main line.
(This provides for reliable operation of short wheel base locomotives while
permitting the
less expensive turnouts to be used if desired for access to trackage behind
the inside main line.)
G. Joints and Gaps
1. All track joints
within the module must be soldered.
2. All insulating
joints (gaps) must be filled.
H. Roadbed (if used)
1. Wood, homosote,
and cork are acceptable materials.
2. Other materials
must provide adequate support to prevent the track from shifting under
a train.
Non-rigid
foam roadbed is specifically prohibited.
3. Roadbed must extend
to the ends of the module.
III. Track Power Wiring - Mainline track power is
passed from one end of each module to the other by means of a continuous
track power buss with feeder wires soldered to each rail. Connections between
modules are accomplished by means of commonly available Cinch-Jones (TRW)
2-pin connectors. It is strongly suggested that color coded wire be used
to simplify trouble shooting. For more complex track/wiring arrangements
a wiring diagram should be affixed to the module. The following specifications
must be followed.
A. Track power buss wiring
1. 16 gauge or larger.
2. Must be run under
the respective tracks and must not hang below the edge of module.
3. A 15 inch stranded
2 conductor, 18 gauge or larger, pigtail must be provided
for each track at each end of the module for connection to the adjoining
module. (Figure 7)
B. Track feeders
1. 22 gauge or larger
solid wire. Must be as short as possible.
2. Each rail must
have a track feeder at each end of each module.
3. Each section of
rail must have a track feeder.
4. Track feeder connections
to the buss wires must be either soldered or made at terminal
blocks.
C. Terminal blocks - Terminal
blocks must be used at each end of the module for making connections
between the power buss wiring, track feeders, and
pigtails.
Additional terminal blocks should be used
as needed to keep more complex track/wiring arrangements neat and traceable.
D. Interface connectors - Cinch-Jones
2-pin connectors
(TRW # P302 & P303 or Radio Shack # 274-201 & 274-202).
1. Male connector
on right hand end as viewed from front of module. Female connector on left
hand end. (Figure 7)
2. Large pin must
be connected to outside rail of track. Small pin to inside rail.
The wires must be soldered to the connector pins.
3. Connectors will
be color coded with paint or plastic tape. The purpose of color coding
is to make it
possible to accurately and rapidly electrically connect modules
together and to easily verify the connections
underneath the modules in poor light. Therefore the color coding
must be conspicuous and must be maintained
in good condition by the module owner.
a. Outside mainline - RED
b. Inside mainline - YELLOW
c. Optional Auxilliary Track (OAT), if used - BLUE
4. Where a member's
module is composed of two or more smaller modules which are always
connected together, alternate
connectors of the owners choice may be used for the internal
connections provided that
the reliability and current carrying capacity are equivalent to the
Cinch-Jones connectors specified
here. The wires must be soldered to the connector pins.
E. Power Supplies/Throttles
- The two mainline tracks will be controlled by throttles provided
by the club.
All other tracks must be controlled by power
supplies or throttles provided by the member except that a switch
may be used to temporarily connect mainline
power to other trackage for the purpose of transitioning a train
to
or from the main line. See
Figure 8 for suggested wiring.
IV. 120 Volt Wiring - Each module must provide a 120 volt,
60Hz. AC circuit to pass power from one end of the module to the other.
A duplex receptacle to provide power for hand tools, soldering irons, auxiliary
power supplies, etc. must be located near the center of the module. All
components must be UL (Underwriters Laboratory) approved and all wiring
must conform to the National Electric Code. The following specific provisions
apply:
A. A 16 gauge or larger 3-wire insulated
cord must be used.
B. The receptacle and all 120 V. wiring
must be located inside the back edge of the module.
C. The male plug is located at the
right hand end of the module and the female plug at the
left hand end of the module (as viewed from
the front - see Figure 7).
D. Both plugs must hang 15" below the
end board to provide sufficient cord to connect modules of varying
widths.
E. The cord must be fastened to the
module and not hang below the edge board except at the ends.
Metal fasteners may not be used.
V. Clearances - There must be adequate clearance between
the rails and scenery and structures to permit operation of models of the
largest prototype equipment commonly operated by Class I railroads.
A. Scenery between the rails such as
grade crossings must not protrude above the rail heads.
B. Ballast must not be piled above
the simulated spike heads or tie plates.
C. Flangeways must be wide enough for
free passage of all model trucks and must be clear
of ballast and other scenery materials.
D. Horizontal clearances on tangent
track must conform to the NMRA Standards Gauge.
On curves, there must be a minimum of 1.25"
between the track center line and any portion
of any structure or scenic element. This is
consistent with the requirements of NMRA Standard S-8.
E. Vertical clearances must be adequate
to permit unimpeded passage of tall equipment such as "double-stack"
trains.
VI. NMRA Standard Modules - Recognizing that some members
may have, or wish to build, modules conforming to the NMRA module standards,
the following provisions for NMRA Standard modules have been adopted.
A. An exception to these standards
is granted to modules that are constructed according to
NMRA standards MS-1.0 and MS-1.3.
B. NMRA Standard modules must conform
to all provisions of this standard that do not conflict with MS-1.0
or MS-1.3.
C. Each member exhibiting an NMRA Standard
module must provide the interface tracks required to connect
the module to other NMRA Standard modules
and to modules built according to this standard.
D. Each member who wishes to exhibit
an NMRA Standard module must provide temporary trackage extensions
that are sufficiently rigid and adequately
secured to the roadbed to permit the club fixture to be used to drill
the bolt
holes in the ends of the module.
VII. Interface/Setup Requirements - Each member must provide
the hardware and interface tracks required to connect the left hand end
of his or her module to the adjoining module and is responsible for establishing
that joint at each show.
A. Bolts - Two 5/16 NC (minimum length
= 1 1/2") with fender washers to mechanically join the modules.
B. Interface Tracks - A sufficient
number of interface track sections(3 15/16" long) with rail joiners
to connect
all of the tracks on the module. The interface
tracks and rail joiners must be nickel-silver, must be maintained
in
good condition, and the rail joiners must
be sufficiently tight to provide a reliable electrical connection.
The interface tracks must be marked on the
bottom of the ties with the members color code.
C. Setup - Each member is responsible
for connecting the left hand end of his or her module to the adjoining
module
at each show. This includes adjusting the height
of the modules, leveling the joint, bolting the modules together,
installing the interface tracks, establishing the
electrical connections between the modules, and mounting the plastic
on the fronts of the modules. Before installing
the interface tracks and establishing the electrical connection
the member must determine, by consulting the setup
plan or the member responsible for the setup, whether or not
electrical gaps are required. The club will supply
the plastic rail joiners. The plastic should not be mounted on
the front of the modules until all interface tracks
have been installed on both ends of the module.
APPROVAL: These standards were approved and adopted by the club membership at the regular business meeting on February 14, 1996.
UPDATES: Updated to reflect name change from Module Railroaders
Orange County Division to Orange County Module Railroaders approved by
the club membership at the regular business meeting on March 12, 1997.
Minor editorial changes while converting the base documents to
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