Liftout Section Guide

Today, I will talk about the liftout guide I built for my layout. 

There are many options for building alignment guides for liftouts.  A quick Google search can provide tons of different options and methods, and Google Images links to several great sites that provide a step-by-step breakdown on many methods.  Some use pin and tubing systems, others rely on hinges, and some have custom alignment brackets that even transfer power to the rails on the lift out!  No matter which option meets your need best, all use the same principles and can be suited to your tastes and budget

Now, I have no need at this point for something with power routing or 0.0001" tolerances or even anything with style.  My liftout guide is essentially temporary (like the liftout sitself) until I either build another section to cross to, or we move.  Either way, I went with something about as simple as it gets and it only took a few minutes to design and build!

It is simply a cobbled together assembly of scrap wood pieces.  I started out with a short section of 1x4 that was leftover from building the layout frames.  I drilled two holes a few inches apart and about little bit above the bottom of the board.  Then, using a scroll saw I cut two lines at about a 45 degree angle from the top to the holes and then one across from hole to hole.  The small trapezoid that this formed was screwed to the underside of the liftout plywood section, with the the long end against the plywood.  The larger piece was secured to the end of the layout.  The locations for both were fit up a couple of times to make sure that the tracks would align properly on top.  Once the liftout and layout were mated properly, I added a piece of laminate board to the front of the larger piece.  This keeps the liftout from sliding forward off of the layout in the case of an accidental bumping (this happens far more often than you think!).  Below are some pictures.

So there you have it!  A quick, robust lifout guide!


And now for the random pic of the day:

Yes I put in two!  It is because I am super excited to see some old-school power still being used.  BNSF 1607 is an SD40-2 that is being used in the Pearland Yard lately for heavy duty switching power.  It has twice as many horses under the hood as the Gensets it is working with so I am sure it has been coming in handy moving all of the long intermodals back and forth!