This is the first of a multi-part series of posts on the design, construction and operation of a Free-mo module which I call the No Duck Mo, so named because it avoids having to duck under modules to transit from one side of a Free-mo layout to the other (the "No Duck") and because it is Free-mo module (the "Mo"). A simplified version could be built in a non-Free-mo setting, as for a fixed basement layout.
The Need
If you have read my blog entries describing Big Valley Free-mo events and if you study the layout maps carefully you will soon realize that it not possible for an adult to freely walk through the layout, without having to either crawl underneath where there are wires, etc. or detour up to the length of an ice hockey rink.To transit from one side of the layout to the other, participants must traditionally make use of “duck-under”, modules which have a somewhat shallower profile than other modules to allow for participants to physically duck under the layout. While this is not particularly difficult for the younger participants, once a person reaches age 60 this can take a toll on the back and legs over the course of several days.
This is exacerbated by the fact that the top of the layout is 42 inches from the floor (floor to rail head) which is not the Free-mo standard height of 50 inches. However, this is a height better suited to train shows and has been adopted by the Calgary; Chilliwack, BC; Spokane, WA; and Regina groups, among others. The Winnipeg group have adopted 40 inches.
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| Big Valley 2018; traditional duck under on right, No Duck Mo (open) at left |
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| Big Valley 2018; traditional duck under on right, No Duck Mo (open) at left |
Must-have Attributes
Following my first Big Valley experience in 2017 I had an 8-hour drive home to Regina. As I made much use of the seat heater to ease my aching back, I was determined to come up with a better alternative. Any design would have to include a means of breaking the continuity of the rails while at the same time conforming to all the following characteristics:
This would be an appropriate point to outline my approach to design. Not being an engineer or a drafts person (therefore lacking training in the science of forces, levers, torque, etc.) and not being particularly artistic (therefore not very good at sketching three-dimensional objects) and disliking paralysis by analysis, my approach is generally to toss a few ideas around in my head, look through my parts bin and take a stroll through hardware or automotive supply stores to see what I can purpose and often re purpose for my needs. After a short period of conceptual thinking I like to get started. As the late great Walt Disney’s once said, “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.”
Generally, any sketches found in my blogs will have been made after the fact to help describe what I did rather than to describe what I was planning to do. I don’t do many sketches before hand – I am more likely to write down a list of the parameters, so I don’t forget anything along the way. If you ask me for “the plans”, generally these didn’t exist. I also don’t prepare a budget as that seems too much like work.
- Easy to use by participants
- Portable
- Height adjustable from the official Free-mo height of 50 inches from floor to rail head to Winnipeg's 40 inches
- Robust to operate without fail
- Safe for both people and expensive rolling stock – must avoid trains falling through the gap
- Electrically compatible with Free-mo (allow current to flow uninterrupted to and from adjacent modules, even when rail continuity is broken)
This would be an appropriate point to outline my approach to design. Not being an engineer or a drafts person (therefore lacking training in the science of forces, levers, torque, etc.) and not being particularly artistic (therefore not very good at sketching three-dimensional objects) and disliking paralysis by analysis, my approach is generally to toss a few ideas around in my head, look through my parts bin and take a stroll through hardware or automotive supply stores to see what I can purpose and often re purpose for my needs. After a short period of conceptual thinking I like to get started. As the late great Walt Disney’s once said, “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.”
Generally, any sketches found in my blogs will have been made after the fact to help describe what I did rather than to describe what I was planning to do. I don’t do many sketches before hand – I am more likely to write down a list of the parameters, so I don’t forget anything along the way. If you ask me for “the plans”, generally these didn’t exist. I also don’t prepare a budget as that seems too much like work.
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close up of No Duck Mo at 2018 Saskatoon show, closed
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