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Change of plans.... stationary display?

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  • Member since
    August 2019
  • From: Lebanon Co., Pennsylvania
  • 225 posts
Change of plans.... stationary display?
Posted by steve-in-kville on Tuesday, October 29, 2019 3:34 PM

As in have a straight stretch of track mounted to a shelf with loco's and rolling stock of my choice until I have room and resources to design and build a moving track? Has anyone done this? Or should trains be kept in their boxes in a curio cabinet instead?

Regards - Steve

  • Member since
    April 2018
  • From: 53° 33′ N, 10° 0′ E
  • 2,508 posts
Posted by Tinplate Toddler on Tuesday, October 29, 2019 3:45 PM

Whatever rocks your boat!

Some time ago, I built a N scale shelf layout consisting of mini modules, each about 6" by 12", using Kato Unitrack, which "clicked" the modules together! They were stored on a shelf.

You can find info on that here

And a video (not a good one, though!)

A kind of "working" display.

Happy times!

Ulrich (aka The Tin Man)

"You´re never too old for a happy childhood!"

  • Member since
    October 2001
  • From: OH
  • 17,574 posts
Posted by BRAKIE on Tuesday, October 29, 2019 8:17 PM

steve-in-kville
As in have a straight stretch of track mounted to a shelf with loco's and rolling stock of my choice until I have room and resources to design and build a moving track? Has anyone done this?

Absolutely.. I'm in a rest home and my dresser  has shelves and guess what's on them? Several locomotives and my favorite cars.

I finally got my flat storage boxes of my 95/96 era engines and cars.Big Smile

Larry

Conductor.

Summerset Ry.


"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt  Safety First!"

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Chamberlain, ME
  • 5,084 posts
Posted by G Paine on Tuesday, October 29, 2019 10:40 PM

Dependng on the width of the shelf, you coud have a small swttching layout. There are a number of track plans for somethng like this.

George In Midcoast Maine, 'bout halfway up the Rockland branch 

  • Member since
    June 2003
  • From: Culpeper, Va
  • 8,204 posts
Posted by IRONROOSTER on Wednesday, October 30, 2019 1:23 AM

Personally, I would display them.  I would also have some dust protection with ventilation especially if using wood shelves or cabinet.

Paul

If you're having fun, you're doing it the right way.
  • Member since
    January 2017
  • From: Southern Florida Gulf Coast
  • 18,255 posts
Posted by SeeYou190 on Wednesday, October 30, 2019 6:58 AM

I have four six foot shelves in my bedrrom that have always had trains on them.

.

-Kevin

.

Living the dream.

  • Member since
    December 2008
  • From: Heart of Georgia
  • 5,406 posts
Posted by Doughless on Wednesday, October 30, 2019 7:49 AM

Use it as a test track.  Its a joy to watch a loco light up and move, and onboard sound too if you like it.

- Douglas

  • Member since
    August 2019
  • From: Lebanon Co., Pennsylvania
  • 225 posts
Posted by steve-in-kville on Wednesday, October 30, 2019 8:41 AM

G Paine

Dependng on the width of the shelf, you coud have a small swttching layout. There are a number of track plans for somethng like this.

 

 

Any links to such an arrangment? 

Regards - Steve

  • Member since
    May 2010
  • From: SE. WI.
  • 8,253 posts
Posted by mbinsewi on Wednesday, October 30, 2019 8:51 AM

steve-in-kville
Any links to such an arrangment? 

A search for shelf type switching layouts reveals many different plans.  There are also some plans in the MR Track Database.

I Googled "shelf type ho scale switching layout plans"

Hoover your mouse over "How To" on the black bar above, and click on Track Plan Database.  

I would at least do a display shelf, on which you could change things around occasionally.

Not sure if you need to be a magazine subscriber to access the data base or not?

Mike.

  • Member since
    August 2003
  • From: Midtown Sacramento
  • 3,340 posts
Posted by Jetrock on Thursday, October 31, 2019 10:34 PM

If you have room for a shelf, you have room for a shelf layout! In addition to having a place to display your rolling stock, you can get a little bit of practice in tracklaying and scenery, backdrops (building flats on a short backdrop adds a lot of atmosphere and it's pretty cheap because every kit can be used for as many as 4 buildings!) and operation (if you choose a switching puzzle layout design like the Timesaver or Inglenook.) If you have room for something, say, 5-6' long and 1' deep, you have enough room for a small yard or switching layout that you can later plug into a larger layout--or just build a couple more small shelf modules when you run out of things to put on the first one. Or you can just start out with a non-functioning static display, but just add a couple of power leads so you can test out trains on it too.

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