I want to install a single Atlas C100 rerailer track as a sliding traverser track(All my engines fit on this track with some room to spaqre) that would go at the end of my staging yard. This track would only contain the diesel engine that has just entered the yard head first with its 8 car train onto the rerailer traverser. After uncoupling the diesel I would then slide the traverser to the 1 engine escape track & run the engine to the front of a train that is on one of the other 5 tracks. I plan to use drawer guides. My subbase is 1/2nch plywood with 1/2 inch homasote on top of that. I have reviewed the MR 9/2012 & the 12/2000 articles on this subject but these were on a much larger scale than my needs. Does anyone have any ideas on this.
Is this strickly staging where scenery and esthetics of the installation won’t matter? My concern is how to hide the draw slides. The rerailer may need to be mounted on something wider say 1/4" ply to gain a wider 4 point mounting to not allow it to skew, jambing the tight fit in the traverser. Continuous contact strips on either side for the track power w/ PU @ each end may prove more reliable than power through the slides. There are a mirad of slide styles available, the undermounted full extention may work better than side glides (less side movement). If you have the space under the benchwork a full piece or 1/4" ply could be used mounted to slides and hiding the entire pit. When moved the plywood base w/ rerailer attached would slide under the adjacent “deck” This would allow undermounting of track wiring to rerailer and smooth operation. The rerailer may need shimming or “bridge” to raise upward to track height.
Faced with a similar requirement I would go to the kitchen cabinet section of my local home improvement emporium and look at the slide-out hardware for a narrow base cabinet. It will almost certainly be overkill for your needs, but should provide a number of ideas.
Another possibility, assuming that clearance is available, would be to lay two lengths of flex track perpendicular to the storage tracks, then dedicate a couple of pairs of good-quality trucks to support the base to which the rerailer will be fastened. If the base is T-shaped, you can put calibration marks on the ‘T vertical’ to assist in lining up with the various tracks. The locomotive thoroughfare should be a hard stop against immovable objects, as should the other ‘outside’ track. Think very simple manual transfer table.
I avoid this problem by turning the entire train - but my netherworld is a complex maze of track and I’m running locomotives that are expected to leave the tunnel smokebox first.
Walthers made a transfer table kit, #933-2968. They are sold out at Walthers, but they are available at Trainworld. There is an extension kit available for more tracks, if desired. If nothing else, it’s something to look at.
Is your plan to motorize this unit, or run it manually?