Generic Free-mo! (modular model railroading for all scales)
What is Free-mo?
Free-mo is a modular model railroading philosophy and standard,
for any scale,
designed to meet the needs of the
individual
modeler
that places an emphasis on realistic
scenery,
structures,
equipment,
and operations.
The separation of philosophy from standard allows new or existing clubs and organizations the freedom to adopt the free-mo standards while not necessarily following the philosophy
The Philosophy
Guiding Principles
The following is a list of goals and principles of the free-mo philosophy
that have guided the development of the current free-mo standards.
These have been gathered from many sources: email discussions, standards documents, face-to-face conversations, etc.
Free-mo was designed by modelers, for modelers.
That is to say that the principles and standards are designed
first and foremost to satisfy the needs of the individual scale railroading enthusiast.
Free-mo encourages a loose association among participants
(free from club dues, memberships or titles).
Individuals own and are responsible for their module(s).
Participants within a geographical area are encouraged to
stay in contact via informal email groups, work sessions and
operating set-ups.
Free-mo encourages scenery continuity at the end-plates as well as
insisting on prototypical scenery throughout the module (no gimmicks or fantasy displays).
Free-mo strives to keep the standards to a minimum without compromising the previous principles.
Standards
Generic Standards
The following is a list of free-mo standards that apply equally well across all scales:
An end-plate constructed of 3/4" birch plywood (or equivalent) that is 6" high and at least 12" wide. This end-plate must mount on the framework such that the face of the end-plate is perfectly vertical.
Each module shall be free standing and be at a nominal height of 50"
from the floor to the top of the main line rail (adjustable +/- 1").
Each side of a module shall have a fascia that fully covers the side.
The top edge of the fascia shall be contoured to match the scenic
topography of the module.
A single main line centered on the end-plate(s) perpendicular
to the horizontal and vertical planes of the end-plate for at
least 40 scale feet from the outside face of the end-plate.
A minimum main line radius of 300 scale feet with at least
80 scale feet of straight track between reverse curves.
Main line track shall have prototypical rail size,
tie dimensions and tie spacing.
Ties and ballast shall be continued to the outside face of the
end-plate for good appearance and matching with the adjacent
modules.
NMRA compatible digital command control (DCC) shall be used for
layout control.
Scale Standards
These standards have been taken from the official published free-mo standards for each scale as it currently exists.
| Scale: |
N |
HO |
Sn2 |
On2 |
On30 |
| Mainline Rail Code |
55 |
83 |
70 |
83 |
83/100 |
| Mainline Rail Set-back |
3/4" |
1" |
1" |
1" |
1" |
| Mainline Minimum Radius |
22" |
42" |
42" |
42" |
26" |
| Mainline Minimum Turnouts |
#6 |
#6 |
#7 |
#7 |
#5 |
Wesley Steiner
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