Would anyone want to walk me through building a transverser or transfer table for my shelf layout? Or maybe even a website with some details?
Anything would help!!!
Can you provide some additional information like how long is your traverser going to be and how many tracks? The weight and size of the traverser will determine what kind of drawer pulls you will need to buy. Is it for end of layout or mid-layout staging? Do you have any space limitations or interferences?
I have a couple page PDF file on staging solutions like traversers, sector plates, and cartridges. If you want it, I’ll email it to you.
about 2 feet in length it will serve 4 tracks and be at the end of the layout.
I would appreciate the PDF my email is XG01X@yahoo.com
With that size in mind, go to Home Depot or Lowes and look at drawer slides, Liberty Hardware brand is stocked at HD. They come in a varity of sizes and styles, from simple formed sheet metal to more expensive ball bearing models like you would see on filing cabinet drawers. There are also bottom mounted and side mounted styles, I used side mounted on my traverser.
Are sure 2 ft will support the length of train you will be running??? I forgot to ask what scale you are modeling.
With the traverser at the end of the layout, I assume you plan the top of the traverser to be at the same level as your layout grade so you do not have to be concerned with an incline up from the traverser to the layout, tight vertical clearances, or hidden tracks.
Some references are:
- Staging in a Drawer, Model Railroad Planning 2007
- Staging Solutions, MR 4/03, discusses traversers, sector plates and cassetes
- Railroading in a Drawer, MR 12/2000
These are some photos of my traverser, it is under the layout in the middle. This is the benchwork with traverser supports during construction. It is important that the benchwork be level, rigid (note all the bracing on the legs), and parallel front to back and side to side. Bracing the legs is essential to prevent them being pushed out of the vertical. The traverser drawer slides must be level with each other and horizontal to prevent binding.
This is my traverser during track installation; it has 7 tracks and is 56" long. I cut Atlas rerailers in half at the exit side to help prevent derailments.
The tracks need to be