A New Way To Display your trains?

Neat, Would be a test with some standard gauge though, although I guess some modern large scale loco's are pretty heavy as well.

I was looking at different designs and it appears that they have different sections for larger strength... C and boxed sections.

Some are similar to the aluminum C section products out there.

I was thinking of displaying some of my O prewar trains, instead of letting them sit in a box under the layout, and thought now this would be cool!

Hmm...  I'd be a bit concerned about some of my high end stuff, it's pretty heavy!  If these all came crashing to the floor, I'd be VERY unhappy!

I just hope my wife doesn’t get wind of this acrylic shoe display idea.  🤫

Curt

if these are fluorescent lit, be aware that tin lithography and some plastics do not react favorably when bathed in UV radiation.

Looks like a shoe store, but I suppose trains on a wall resembles a hobby shop.

What, me worry?

I wonder how it would look as a backdrop behind the displays?

J Daddy posted:

smilesrs posted:

I wonder how it would look as a backdrop behind the displays?

Actually with some of the technology I have seen - what about an etched city backdrop with LED lights?

 

 

Now that is way cool!

As a comment, and as an opinion, I do not care for the look at all, even for shoes. "Cheap" comes to mind, too. (I can just see some of my shoes on display...no - I don't want to see some, or any, of my shoes on display.)

Thumbs down, all around.

Thumbs up here J Daddy, I like the look very much. Thank you for sharing this.

John

I too would be concerned about the strength of the shelves. Model trains have much higher density and weigh a lot more than shoes. I wonder if a model train has a higher density than its full-scale counterpart?

Hiawatha98 posted:

I too would be concerned about the strength of the shelves. Model trains have much higher density and weigh a lot more than shoes. I wonder if a model train has a higher density than its full-scale counterpart?

Multiply the weight of a given model by 48^3 (110592) and compare the result to the weight of it's actual counterpart.  I'm using a rough argument that since the model is 1/48, it would take 48 of them in all 3 dimensions (l x w x h) to fill a similar volume of the real thing.  (Possibly a bit of a flawed argument, so feel free to poke holes in it .)

That should be close enough for such a curiosity.

Let's guess a model scale GG1 weight about 15 lbs (I guessed, feel free to use the correct number).  15 x 110592 = 1,658,880 lbs. 

If Wikipedia is correct (replace with your favorite more accurate railroad reference), it claims a GG1 weighed 475,000 lbs.

Looks like the answer may be yes! (YMMV, and specific models may vary).

As to the shoe shelves, I'm not sure I would want them for myself, but I am sure they could be made to look good in some instances.

-Dave

I will wait for version with a Earthquake fence.

I use Lawyer style bookcases with glass window doors, they keep the trains from rolling off.

If needed they can also be locked and lighted.

That helps keep invited and non-invited quest's hands off the trains.

Interesting idea. Guessing since it is out in a store and customers will touch or lean on it must be of sturdy construction.

I always look at shoe store displays with their floating shelves and puck lights. Also my optometrist has furniture with built in floating shelves and lighting. The n I go home to my walls of Glenn Snyder shelves.  

Where can I find that back drop?