O gage grooves measurements

two suggestions

1.  use a router rather than a table saw;

2.  measure a piece of track for rail width and  rail spacing.

A friend or your neighborhood hardware store [not a big box store] probably has a caliper which will make fast work of these measurements.   I suspect a 1/8 inch straight router bit will do the job.

If no one else steps up, please contact me and I will give you your measurements. I'm not able to do so right now.

"might anyone have recommendations for outer rail spacing.....etc ?"

Uh, groove-spacing-wise, it's the same as the flanges.....flange depth, too. Just go by your equipment.

Unless you just enjoy the experience of using a router, go for the table saw.  If you are using 1by 4's  you can do the measurement from the edge of the board and just flip the board around and run it through again.  Using a piece of scrap set the blade 1&1/8" from the guide and run it through both ways.  If not correct you can make the correction.  Nothing easier than that.  Same applies if the boards are wider, just different measurements.

Depth, doesn't really make much difference.  1/4" too much, 1/8" not enough.

I would be more concerned with the rollers constantly being depressed in the shelf environment for long periods of time.  Don't know if it really matters but I would cut or rout a wider groove for locomotive rollers. Just my 2 cents

Great!  I will look into the possibilities mentioned.

Thank you one and all.

I don't quite understand the roller issue.  The wheels are sitting on the board along with the rollers.  Unless you lay your engines on their sides when you are not running them or taking them off the track so they can sit up on the flanges that is how they spend their lives, with pressure on the rollers.

Just wondering if prolonged pressure on them can cause the spring to weaken.  In the box their fully extended.  On the track you want pressure on them. But sitting on a shelf for a long time. Who knows might never hurt the tension enough to matter. Just a thought 

For post war locos with Magna-traction, I put them on a section of steel track to act as a "magnet keeper" and help save the magnets.

If you have any engines with traction tires I keep them off the wood or track to protect against flat spots.

I also store all cars and trains with the couplings open to "save the springs".

I do not know if any of this makes a difference but I fell better.

I cut grooves in my shelves with a router with a rounded veining bit about 1/8 inch deep, using an edge guide.  Make the grooves to match the train wheels.  It goes real fast and I can see what I am doing.

Post 36 of the topic below shows how I built my train shelves from 1x4 inch lumber for most shelves and may provide some useful hints. 

https://ogrforum.com/...ra-027-layout?page=4

Charlie

Thanks Choochoocharlie.

read your past shelf story with all the photos admired!

lots of great ideas!

Awesome train room and display shelves.

Leroof

Beautiful shelves Choo Choo Charlie. 

The easy way is make the shelf with 1x4's and fasten the track to it. If making a showroom case then cut the grooves. I did mine with a table saw. maybe I can get you some measurements later.

I will echo what Bill Debrooke stated that is how I have all my stuff displayed and have for over 20 years and never had any problems. Don’t cut the flange groves so deep as to depress the rollers. My are just deep enough to insure everything stays in the groves I can even couple the pieces together and roll them like a train on the shelf. 

Related to shelf display I also have this wooden true-scale roadbed that one would fasten solid  scale rail  to, some might know of this interesting vintage stuff.

Might one fasten code148 or larger to make display platforms with this stuff?

or perhaps a larger rail size? Anyone know? Maybe micro engineering might carry the steel rail?

any ideas?

Hey RJT, thanks for sharing the photos of your shelves.

grooves shallow enough just to keep in place, gotcha. Thanks.

LEROOF you are very welcome and the 1x4's are a-lot cheaper than the commercial shelving that is out there if you are willing to do a little work. I run a 1x4 vertical at wall stud spacing to give me a solid attach point. I dado out the vertical pieces to fit the 1x4's and glue and screw through the back and paint to match. I like painting them white or the same color as the wall so you are looking at the trains nd not the shelves. If you look close at the double row of shelving running on the house carry thru beam you can see the vertical pieces.