Does anyone know where I can access plans for a display case that I would make out of wood? I would like to display my locomotives in an enclosed case on the wall. Thanks in advance.
taterhead Does anyone know where I can access plans for a display case that I would make out of wood? I would like to display my locomotives in an enclosed case on the wall. Thanks in advance.
Tarerhead, funny you should post this quetion, I was going to my self.
Cuda Ken
I hate Rust
Are you looking for something enclosed? I mounted some RailRax extruded aluminum shelving pieces onto some 3/4" square hollow aluminum bars using some button head machine screws. It took a while to drill and tap all the holes, but since it is relatively thinwall tubing, you can drill a bunch of holes and then tap a bunch of holes using a cordless drill.
That looks great. You did a very fine job. I was wanting to make it enclosed and out of wood(stain it). If all else fails I will take your advice here and build this one. Nice models on display! Thanks for the info.
Here is a thread from october 2008 on the same subject that shows some ways others have done it using wood:
http://cs.trains.com/trccs/forums/p/139624/1558119.aspx
Smile, Stein
OdieI mounted some RailRax extruded aluminum shelving pieces
What is RailRax and where did you buy it? Cost as well.
It does look good, to bad the other posting is missing it's pictures.
I drew my own plans. The case was sized to exactly fill the wall space, on the theory that rolling stock expands to fill shelf available (Parkinson's law of model railroading). I used nominal 1 inch boards (3/4" actual measure) from a lumber yard. I bought poplar, as a step up from construction pine. The poplar is knot free and is less subject to warp. I used my radial arm saw to rip the boards to width (two and a skosh inches for HO). I cut a rabbet on the back sides to accept a 1/4" plywood back. Having the tools, I cut dados to support the shelves and used a molding head to put an ogive profile on the front edge of the 3/4" shelves to give them a thinner and lighter look. You don't have to be that fancy.
I wanted an enclosed case to keep the dust off the models. I routed 1/4" grooves in the front of the case to accept a pair of sliding plexiglass doors. The plexiglass was nearly as expensive as the poplar. Finish was Minwax ( a penetrating resin stain). I laid flex track on all the shelves to hold the rolling stock.
A Google search will turn up a few makers of such cases, complete with pictures to give you some ideas. It also turned up a United States patent for train cases, our tax dollars at work.
Drawing needs nothing more than an architects scale ruler and squared paper. I went to the trouble of doing front side and top drawings just to dope out the various dimensions, for instance the shelves must be narrower than the sides to allow for the back and the sliding plexiglass doors. The drawings assisted computing how much narrower.
If you lack a power saw, the lumber yard will do the rip cuts for you.
David Starr www.newsnorthwoods.blogspot.com
dstarr I laid flex track on all the shelves to hold the rolling stock.
I laid flex track on all the shelves to hold the rolling stock.
One last question - why lay flex track at all? I was going to, but haven't. The locos on mine are just sitting on the wood itself. I'm hard pressed to see a need to have them on flex. Is there some kind of potential damage to the Flange that I'm not seeing?
I'm trying to model 1956, not live in it.
I think trains look better when you can't see the flanges when they're parked. So, I grooved my wooden shelves with my table saw at the right gauge to conceal the flanges. And, yes that RailRax product looks pretty cool.
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I built these for my N scale trains. I bought the wood at HOme Depot. The wood is pre-cut in various sizes (called "scants").
I didn't put glass or plexiglas covers on them, since many items are displayed in their jewel cases. I did glue flex track in the smaller cabinet but not in the larger ones. Most of the cutting was done on a table saw. Another display that I built has blind dadoes where the shelf meets the side walls so you can't see the end of the shelf.
I know if I want to display ALL of my trains, I'll need to build another 6-10 displays! LOL
Darrell, quiet...for now
Scarpiadstarr I laid flex track on all the shelves to hold the rolling stock. One last question - why lay flex track at all? I was going to, but haven't. The locos on mine are just sitting on the wood itself. I'm hard pressed to see a need to have them on flex. Is there some kind of potential damage to the Flange that I'm not seeing?
Having the rolling stock on track just looks cooler, at least to my eye. It isn't necessary and the wheel flanges are plenty strong enough to hold up the car forever and beyond.