Thread: Cutting up a model railway. Help needed from an amature.

Perhaps try this.
Use a Dremel type tool to cut the tracks, perhaps, 50mm either side of the base board cut. Then you could use any other type of saw such as a circular saw or jig saw to cut the frame. Expect to loose 2-3mm.

Have a look at exhibition tracks and see how those panels are joined. This is essentially what you will be left with.

Would like to see some images of the layout. Is it circular, point to point, or in the middle of the loft?

stupid stupid idea.
remove the rook, hire a crane bobs your uncle



Tonz go back to drinking.

Forget about using a circular saw; as you have already worked out a normal blade has a fairly thick kerf. Using an abrasive cutting disc is a bit of a foolish idea; this will just burn its way through and the kerf will end up even wider.

I would just use a Japanese style pull saw with the thinnest blades available and saw freehand from underneath, that way there will be no burrs visible on the top and the kerf will only be a millimeter-ish. A diamond wheel in a Dremmel will breeze through the tracks but if you don’t have one and the track can’t be removed then just buy a second saw; one for the wooden-ish sections and one to ruin only cutting through the tracks.

I would suggest this saw for the general cutting, Gyokucho 412 Kataba

https://japan-agritrading.com/catego...9/currency/AUD

I own one of these they are made for cutting manmade boards and general cutting with a .6 mm kerf

I had a similar problem when moving 5 years ago but my layout was built around stumps under the house and I knew it would/could not be put together in the same configuration again so I did not have to be so careful.

As said above. I would cut a piece out of the rails (a couple of inches or so) where the layout is to be cut up. I used a razor saw which I had - they are available from a hobby shop. When the layout is rebuilt these gaps can be filled with small pieces of rail and rail joiners.
The baseboard can then be cut by any of the methods described above or even a reciprocating saw if the space below it allows.

Hope that helps

Surely a fine hacksaw would be best for cutting the track rather than ruin a pull Saw.
There are mini hacksaws, sheet metal hacksaws even just a handle with the sawblade sticking out unsupported would work.
Or one of those .8 cutting discs in an angle grinder, you can probably hire one for a day if you or your mates don’t own one.
H.

Thank you everyone who has messaged so far.
I have attached some images of the model railway layout to help you to see the task I have.

IMG_20220220_175338.jpgIMG_20220220_174608.jpgIMG_20220220_174450.jpgIMG_20220220_182638.jpg

The layout is 20feet x 10feet and it takes almost all the loft space as I hope you can see from the pictures.
The base of it is all on 4feet x 2feet bourds that are all bolted together. Ontop of that are then polystyrene blocks that then in turn has the sandwich (wooden bourd, polystyrene sheet, and the OO gauge track on).

I have thought about using hand tools like has been suggested. Though as hand tools need to be used to cut towards yourself this can not be achieved as can not get over the layout in constrained space to cut towards myself.
Thank you for the idea of cutting from underneath but as the layout is sat on a base that can not be achieved.
When it comes to the foolish idea of using the cutting disk I am rather confused. I am led to believe that only the 0.8mm edge has cutting capability. So do you think that using this would not give a cutting (kerf) of 0.8mm as well?
As to using a Dremel, I think this would be good. Although my Dad wants to ensure that the cut is of the same width all the way through the sandwich so that once moved it will be able to be put back together. Im worried if the cut is not the same through all 38mm it's going to make the job of putting it all back together much harder.
As for using an angle grinder, that is where I am up to at the moment. The cutting disk I have found will fit the angle grinder. The only reason I was looking to fit onto a mini circular saw is to have the leveling plate (not sure of correct term) available. If a similar kind of plate can be fitted to an angle grinder please let me know.
So if my plan of fitting to a circular saw is to work I still need to find reducer rings to take the bore size from 22.23mm down to 10mm. Can anyone advise if this sounds correct and doable?
Thank you all for your time and help.
Ryan

Originally Posted by storyglory

When it comes to the foolish idea of using the cutting disk I am rather confused. I am led to believe that only the 0.8mm edge has cutting capability. So do you think that using this would not give a cutting (kerf) of 0.8mm as well?

Cutting disks are designed to cut hard materials like metal (and in some cases rock or concrete) and they operate at VERY high speeds and the generate a lot of heat. If they are applied to thin wood the wood will at the very least "char" and on thicker pieces possibly even catch fire. I really recommend you try this on a scrap piece of wood before trying it on the model railway. If they are run at low speed they may not cut at all.

Originally Posted by storyglory

I have thought about using hand tools like has been suggested. Though as hand tools need to be used to cut towards yourself this can not be achieved as can not get over the layout in constrained space to cut towards myself.
Thank you for the idea of cutting from underneath but as the layout is sat on a base that can not be achieved.

I meant for you to cut through the base as well from below. You can rig temporary supports where required to stop it collapsing on top of you.

Please forget all about trying to fit a cutting disc in a circular saw. It will BURN...

Thank you for the pictures.
I am afraid that due to the density of the tracks, the layout may not relocate as you would like. Perhaps the best idea going forward is work out the best possible size to remove from the current location, choose where you want to cut the layout and except the fact that some areas will need a repair/rebuild.

You might want to perhaps contact a model railway club and see if they have any suggestions. You would not be the only one to have been in this situation.
Sorry, I am not prepared to suggest anything further.

Thank you everyone who has sent their opinion and advise, it is very much appreciated. This is a huge task for our family as the model railway is like one of my Dad's limbs.
I have started looking at small rotary style blade cutting tools (or as everyone calls them..a Dremel).
I am thinking a fine kerf circular blade in one of these tools just to cut through the railway track. Then to get a pull saw/Japanese pull saw of the same thickness blade to cut the polystyrene and wooden bourd(I'm sure these blades would make very light work of this).

So now I am searching for the tools to complete this. The kind person that sent me the link to the Japaneese pull saw..thank you. I have found that getting them in the UK is an expensive business. But if they are much better than pull saws I can buy more readily I will do.

If anyone has experience with rotary tools like I have talked about and can recconened one imparticular I would appreciate it. I see that many are sold as multifuctional tools that can do allot. But the tool I purchase will be to have a fine cut rotary blade fitted for the sole purpose of cutting the track.

Just for information. The base of the layout is formed of bourds 2' x 4' (creating the overall size of 20' x 10'). It is planed as an ideal that the layout will be cut at the 4' points and moved in sections that will then be 4' x 10'.
Between the baseboards and the top sandwich layer (polystyrene blocks 6" high being the supports between) there is a huge amount of eletrics and physical point moving systems. It is planned that once the cuts are made, that eletrics and point assemblies will be removed from underneath and that the top sandwich part of the layout will be removed from the room. An inventory then be made of where each point assembly, isolation points etc were fitted, then taken off the base and packed away.
This would then just leave unbolting the base and legs for removal.
If you have read this far and taken an interest I really appreciate it.

Ryan

Ryan
you may wish to reconsider the sizes of the pieces you cut the layout into.

4' x 10' will likely be difficult to manoeuvre out of your dad's attic. Perhaps plan on cutting the model layout into smaller sections -- say 2' x 4' using the existing joints between the boards as the guide. Yes, it's a lot more cutting, but should the extra cuts should make moving the layout much easier.

But before you start
photograph and sketch the entire layout -- top and underside
separate the boards from the base -- plan on rebuilding the base in the layout's new location
make the full inventory BEFORE you start disassembling the layout.
label each board of the layout across the joints before they are cut to make reassembly easier.
ditto (i.e. label all the underboard wiring) to make reassembly easier.
cut the rails either side of the proposed joints before you cut the boards


I think that should get you started.

Thanks Ian

The loft space has quite a large spiral staircase and a big door leading to it. We are trialing a 4' x 10' bourd up the stairs to see if it would be possible to take that size. Plan B is to remove the window from the loft. 4' wide will go through the window at an angle.
My Dad idealy want to make as few cuts as is possible so we want to move it in as few seperate peices as is possible.

Also, will be taking photo invatory of the layout from the top. Planning to get a plan view drawn out and to mark up all things removed and mark on the plan where they were connected.

The main part for us now is the tools to use to do the cutting.

Ryan

I understand.
Just remember that making a 2' long straight cut with a thin kerf hand saw -- eg a Ryoba or Kataba saw -- will be a considerable challenge in and of itself.

Me?
I would very seriously consider using a track guided circular saw and fix the resulting 3 mm wide kerfs with builders bog or similar
You might be able to hire or borrow a decent track saw, but given the "value" your dad's train layout represents, the cost of purchasing a good track saw (e.g. Festool or Makita) is probably the way to go

you could always sell it for around 80% of the new value once you are done with it.