Shelf Display

[Lodens5]

Hi All, I am wanting to make a shelf display in my front entry, the area i have is 5 feet long by about 16 inches deep, I like the wild west era . Have any of you made a shelf layout in G scale? thanks for all your help in advance cheers Dennis from New Zealand.

[ttrigg]

Dennis: I’ve not made a "shelf display" in G but years ago I did one in N scale. 5 ft by 16 inch is not much room for a "G" shelf, so don’t expect too much "action" in the display. You might give a look at what Vic Smith has done with his "pizza" layout. I suppose his challenge to you would be to go vertical. A small "critter" engine and one or two "10 ft" cars will stretch your train to over 2 feet long which is not going to leave much room for switching and track shunting. You should be able to do a "Y" section on a lower level (track along the front edge with a single turnout with branch line reaching "inside a mountain") On a second level run the "mainline" along the backside with a "spur" on bridgework over the lower mainline. Vic has a nice series constructing his portable layout which you should be able to adapt to your needs.

[Lodens5]

Thanks for that ,what I had in mind was just a single track with buildings 2 inches deep behind and having a back drop of mountains, i might have the loco set up on bearings so the loco wheels turn but is stationary like the article in the April GR mag. I would like to make something like this with a wild west theme. Thanks again for your help. Cheers Dennis.

[Bill C.]

 

Hi Dennis,

My shelf railway, mounted on a wooden board, is very simple with an LGB automatic reversing mechanism, but other companies make them too.  It measures just under eight inches deep by 10 feet long.  The background is made from border wallpaper that I felt was appropriate.  The roadbed under the track is cork cut to size, originally intended to be for used as a bulletin board.  This cuts down noise.

Might I suggest that you use small locomotives and shorty rolling stock in this situation.

There are some days when it is way too cold or way too hot to run my garden railway.  So I sit in my recliner and enjoy the shelf railway.

 Your proposed theme sounds like a good one.

Best wishes from Bill in southern New Jersey. 

  

 

 

 

 

[Bill C.]

Sorry, that other shot was before I installed the cork roadbed.  Here's a closeup with it in position.

[Lodens5]

Hi Bill , Thanks for that , I will be using a small loco and rolling stock, You did a great job I cant wait to get started. All the best Dennis from New Zealand.

[vsmith]

http://www.carendt.com/index.html

Check out Carl's micro layout site, at the size you describe, thats what your you doing, a micro-layout, its just in large scale so its a lot bigger. What you lack in space can be made up for in density of detail. Check out the Micro Design Gallery and read ALL the scrapbook entries, they are a wealth of small layout ideas. You shelf layout sounds like fun, at 16"w dont be afraid to think about adding another second level track, maybe in Gn15, maybe from a mine to a tipple next to the mainline? Sound like fun, lots of potential, good luck.

[ttrigg]

Vic: Burst my bubble why don’t you? Here I thought you had invented the "pizza"! What a vast selection of "adaptable" layouts. Thanks for the link. Looks very interesting, I’m tempted to look into making my own "pizza".

[vsmith]

If I had invented the pizza layout wouldn't Lewis Polk owe me royalties for those tiny track circles he sells? Actually the history of the pizza's goes as far back as the first sets sold to go around Xmas trees and that is going way back.