NEONS LAYOUT
TEAR-DOWN INFORMATION
Updated 8/1/2010
I.
General
Information
A. For each show there will be someone assigned to the
position of NEONS Layout Coordinator.
This individual will be responsible to see that all the tasks identified
in this document are completed and completed properly.
B. If you are assigned or volunteer for a specific task,
let the coordinator know when you have completed it. If you don’t understand what you are supposed
to do, ask for help. Don’t guess. It takes less time to explain how to do it
right the first time than it does to indentify and fix a problem later. If for some reason you are unable to complete
the task, it is important that you let the coordinator know that the task is
incomplete and to identify what is done and what remains to be done.
C. Tools and Supplies.
We have two tool boxes, Red and Black.
They are stored in the blue cabinets on the shelf above the clamp
box. All other tools and supplies are in
the supply cabinet. Please return all
tools and unused supplies to their proper storage place when you are through
with them
D. If you accidentally break or damage something or find
something that is broken or damaged, inform the coordinator so it can be fixed
before the show if it is critical or before the next show if it isn’t critical.
E. Fearless Leader and Razor each have a key to the
supply cabinet. It will be locked when
the layout is not operating.
F. All club members not currently running trains should
remove their personal items from the area one hour before tear-down. Take them to your car, hotel room, etc.
G. Those running trains on the layout during the final
hour of the show should begin to reduce their train size as the shut-down time
approaches so than when the show is over, the train can be quickly removed and
teardown can proceed. Power will be shut of immediately when the show is over.
II. Pre Tear-down Preparations. 30 minutes before the show ends, perform the
following steps:
A. DO NOT REMOVE STANCHIONS OR SKI ROPE FROM STANCHIONS
UNTIL STEP V. THEY ARE TO BE
B. Police the area.
1. Return all equipment, tools, etc to their proper place
in the supply cabinet or the blue cabinets.
2. Retrieve the module cabinets from the pre-assigned
temporary storage area and place them in an empty booth or along a wall near
the layout. Place all end caps under the
module to which they are to be attached.
C. Remove and store begging jars, signs and NEONS info
sheets from Red and Green modules and store them in the supply cabinet.
D. Remove black vinyl NEONS sign from back of supply
cabinet and stow on skirting shelf of supply cabinet.
E. Remove the laminated block break signs on the back of
the skyboards and the two sets of info signs (“Can you Find?”, “How long is the
train?” and “How fast is the train going?”) from the front of the skyboards at
various places around the layout and store in the top drawer of the supply
cabinet. The binder clips go in the binder clip box in the top drawer of the
supply cabinet,
F. Remove all diorama cars from the layout. Coal hoppers at Willya B. Mine, oil tankers
at Cushing Hub, Texas Flyer at Union Depot, box cars at Frisco Freight House,
etc. The diorama car box is either in
the top drawer of the supply cabinet or with Fearless Leader.
G. Remove and store module sign boards.
H. Remove skirting, folding each piece so as to minimize
wrinkling. Store on top shelf of supply
cabinet. Return push pins to push pin
box in top drawer of supply cabinet.
III. Shut Down
A. When the show is over, power to the layout will
immediately be shut off. Turn all
Digitrax CS/Boosters to sleep, switch off all four power supplies and all six
Aristo-Craft receivers. Unplug main
power cord, remove and discard duct tape, coil and store the cord in the bottom
bin of the supply cabinet.
B. Disconnect and stow the two power supplies under the
junctions that operate the junction turnouts.
C. Disconnect and remove the
D. Remove all joiner tracks. RAIL JOINERS ARE TO REMAIN ON THE MODULE
TRACKS, NOT ON THE JOINER TRACKS. Place
all joiner tracks in the joiner track box.
It is not necessary to place them in the correct bin. They will be sorted later. Track tools are in the red track tool box in
the top drawer of the supply cabinet.
Return them to the red box when you are through using them.
E. Unplug all LocoNet cables. Coil the cables. Secure each of them with a
short tie wrap and place them in the LocoNet cable box. Tie wraps are in the bottom drawer of the
supply cabinet. Be sure to get any
LocoNet cables going to adjacent loops from our junction modules. (Ours have NEON green paint on them.) LocoNet cables under the Junctions, Gateway
and Eddie Wye are permanent and should be left in place.
F. Disconnect all green ground wires, coiling them on
orange holders. Stow in bottom bin of
supply cabinet. Be sure to get any
ground wires that go to adjacent loops.
(We have five 100’ coils of ground wire, each on an orange spool.)
G. Unplug all bus wires, 110V AC electrical wires, unsecured
wall warts etc.
H. Disconnect the power stations, unplug and remove
antennae, unclamp, store the wires and wall warts inside the box base, and stow
the boxes in the supply cabinet. Store
the power supply boxes along with their power cords, ground wires and pigtails
in the supply cabinet.
IV. Break Down
A. Once all joiner tracks are removed, all skirting is
off, trains and diorama cars are removed, all below-the-module wires are
unplugged and/or removed from all modules in the loop, then and only then can
actual teardown of the modules begin.
B. Remove all clamp-on items including Blue and Purple
yards, 2’ modules and the Bridge module.
C. Unclamp all modules and store all clamps in the blue
cabinets. Balance the load between the
two cabinets.
D. Modules with end caps.
If a power screwdriver/drill is not available, there is a ratchet set
with a ˝” socket in the red tool box.
1. Install end caps.
Bolts are in the yellow box (top drawer of supply cabinet.) If the washer on the outside of the end cap
is missing, put one on the bolt before screwing it in. If the T-nut is missing, use a wing nut from
the yellow box.
2. Once the end caps are attached, lay the module on its
back. Tie up all hanging wires using the
Velcro strip on each end of the module.
It is important that these wires are secured so that they will not come
loose and end up being pinched or damaged when stored and so no loose or
hanging wires will damage the module stacked below.
3. If the module has integral legs, pull the cinch pins,
latch the leg braces in the angle iron brace, fold and latch the legs with the
gate hook(s), and re-attach each cinch pin THROUGH the hole in the bolt. Screw in leg adjustment bolts so they extend
1” or less from the bottom of the leg.
The Omega modules require special Velcro straps to secure the leg braces
and to keep them from coming loose. Ask
for help if you don’t know the routine.
4. If a module has bolt on legs, un-bolt them, remove the
legs, put the bolts, washers and wing nuts back on the module and tighten them
hand tight. Corner modules should be
stacked on a 4-wheeled dolly.
5. Attach the green end cap to both junction modules and
tighten, then attach the orange end cap to the two modules. Use 3” bolts on the thick side. Place a 2’ x 4’ sheet of foam on top to
protect the modules from debris.
6. Lower gate on Gateway. Screw leveling bolts on bottom of Gateway up
as far as possible so that the module will move freely on its wheels. Turn the signal switch to the off
position. Place wall wart on left hand
side shelf. Coil bus wires and secure
with Velcro straps on both sides.
Install end caps for bridge. Bolt
on Bridge module.
E. Modules in cabinets
1. Raise the skyboards on Beucher Farm and Skeet Shoot
and bolt them into place with three bolts at the back of the skyboards
2. Lay each module on its back. Tie up all hanging wires using the Velcro
strip on each end of the module. It is
important that these wires are secured so that they will not come loose and end
up being pinched or damaged when stored. Pull the cinch pins, latch the leg
braces in angle iron brace, fold and latch the legs with the gate hook(s), and
re-attach each cinch pin THROUGH the hole in the bolt. Screw in leg adjustment bolts so they extend
1” or less from the bottom of the leg.
V. Stanchions
A. Once all modules are broken down and are ready for
storage, it is finally time to pull the stanchions.
B. Coil rope on spool, allowing T-tops to slide down
rope. Stow T-Tops in Blue cabinets.
C. Unscrew stanchion poles from bases. Stow poles evenly in the two blue
cabinets. Stow the bases in their bins,
7 to a bin. There are two base bins in
each cabinet. Rope goes in the clamp
bin.
VI. Packing
A. Each module has an assigned place in an assigned
cabinet. The module names are written on
the right front of each cabinet slot and on the back of each skyboard at the
lower right. Place each module in its assigned
space.
B. Be careful to see that all wires end up under the
modules, not sticking out or pinched between the shelf and the module
frame. Lower latching arms to lock the
modules in place.
C. Stow the creeper chair in the Gateway door slot.
D. Stow all small items on empty shelves of the
cabinets. Do not place any heavy items
on unsupported shelves. Items to be
stowed include tool boxes,
E. Go over the Travel Check List to be sure all items are
accounted for.
F. Retrieve truck lock from supply cabinet. Do not lock supply cabinet, place supply
cabinet lock in top drawer and flip U-bolt inside cabinet. Latch cabinet doors.
G. Take all coolers outside and drain all water from
them.
VII.
Loading
A. Refer to truck loading diagram.
B. Stage all items for loading in the order and direction
by which they will go in the truck.
C. Load all cabinets & stacks w/ skyboards to right
side of truck unless specifically noted otherwise on loading diagram.
D. Gray & red cabinets must have beveled top next to
overhead door.
E. Tie off load to keep cabinets from sliding to rear of
truck and restricting overhead door from opening upon arrival.
F. Do not stack items on cabinet roofs. They will not support any load.