winch setup or garage layout

AndyPaul wrote: i have been looking for plans/information about how to rig a train board to a winch arrangement in the garage. i just haven't see any plans to make sure of the type of steel, types of winches, etc before even trying to left a 5 x 9 layout that has to be heavy..

-------------------------------------------------- This should help. Bick Binnard's HO Hoist:

Bill Bill's Railroad Empire N Scale Model Railroad: History of N Scale: Links to over 700 helpful sites:

I've used a winch to store two portable layouts against the ceiling in my garage for several years. Some thoughts:

1) Make sure the garage ceiling joists are sturdy enough to support the layout. My garage is under the house and the joists are 2x12's which are more than adequate. Some free standing garages may have long 2x4's joists as a tension tie between the lower ends of the rafters, which, if not connected in the center by truss members to the rafters, may not be strong enough to take the layout weight.

2) I found a good mechanical winch at the hardware store that was designed as a replacement for boat trailer winches. It is a single reduction gear design with a ratchet pawl lock, and works fine for my layout which stores as two separate 3' x 8' sections. You will have twice the load with a 5' x

9' layout, and may want to look for the heavy duty version of the boat winch with a double reduction gear.

3) Unless you have 2x8 or better ceiling joists tied into the floor above, be sure to lay out your hoist cables so the lifting tension is in line with the joists, and not pulling perpendicular to the joists.

4) I had some trouble initially when I ran multiple cables to the winch drum. I found a better arrangement was to run a single cable on the drum and up over a pulley at the ceiling above the winch. Then along the ceiling, I joined the single winch cable to four cables leading to the four pulleys in the ceiling above the corners of the layout. This requires about twice the lifting distance between the pulley above the winch and the pulleys above the layout, and worked out fine placing the layout on the right side of a two car garage and the winch on the left side wall.

5) I anchored the pulleys to the ceiling joists with large 1/4" screw eyes screwed vertically into the bottom of the joists and have not had any trouble.

6) My layout rests on long sawhorses stored separately, so I do not have legs attached to the layout to contend with when it is raised. I put snap hooks at the ends of the lifting cables and screw eyes on the layout frame, so I can disconnect the cables and pull them out of the way when operating.

7) I do not depend on the lifting cables to carry the weight of the layout when stored, but rather added safety backups of short chains and more snap hooks to support the layout. I hoist it to the ceiling, attach the safety hooks, and then back off the tension on the hoist.

8) And finally, when designing a layout to be lifted, minimize its weight. Only use plywood sub roadbed under the tracks, and fill in all other areas with foam board; use layered foam board for the scenery and not thick plaster on screen; use detachable legs; etc. Hope this helps. Gary Q