Need Instructions and/or photos

[jillp]

Looking to install "O" guage train set around my son's room close to the ceiling. My husband keeps purchasing wood that is not wide enough. What size does anyone recommend? I want enough room to put some scenery on it.

 

[ezdays]

Probably your best bet is to use particle board shelving that you find at either Home Depot or any other home center. It is about 11 1/4" x 96" and is cheaper than wood. It comes in pre-finished in white or a wood look and you can get it with a "bullnose" edge (one edge finished). I don't think you would want anything wider since that should be enough for the track and plenty of scenery. You can also find a variety of brackets for support, from plain to decorative to wood.

 

[eightyeightfan1]

Here's a pic of the shelving I think Don is talking about.
These are 3' log but the do come in 6' lengths and 10" wide.
The cars on the bottom shelf are 1/24th and the top two shelves are 1/18. Plenty of room for an O scale and some scenery.

 

[ezdays]

Ed,

I've got the kind you show in your picture too, but in order to go completely around the room you would need a more permanent installation. Those shelves you have do come in eight foot lengths, and are just under one foot wide (11 1/4"). For these, you have to go to Home Depot's lumber dept., not their shelving dept. You can support them with all sorts of right angle brackets (those are in the shelving dept.). Since interior wall studs are usually spaced on 16" centers, I'd put a bracket at every other stud and be sure they were screwed into the stud, not just into the sheetrock.

 

[HarleyJ]

Check out this web page. You've got to have some money to have one made for you however it will give you some ideas.http://freedomtrainshelving.com/index.html


HarleyJ

 

[cidchase]

Hi Jill,
If I'm not too nosy, how tall is your son? And what age?
I guess my first thought would be to put his train where he can
reach it! My amateur Freud thinks it could be a bit frustrating!

Other than that aspect, I think ezdays is giving you good
advice on the construction :thumb: :thumb: That's a neat
site, HarleyJ!

 

[ezdays]

Just a bit more food for thought.

Bad points in having it up so high:

• You're going to need a ladder handy for derailments
• Your son is going to want to climb up, listen to what Cid said
• It's going to make a lot of noise up there

Good points in having up so high:

• Makes an excellent bookshelf when the boy grows up and wants to actually run the trains on a layout
• Makes a great pot shelf when the boy leaves the nest and the room becomes mom's hide-a-way.