# Need a guardrail system please?



## Biblegrove RR (Jan 4, 2008)

I have installed about 300' of elevated track in my church and need a guardrail system that looks good. It is basically on a 2x4 planter type shelf that a fellow club member recommended. It is drywalled and looks great! I have thought of some type of upright beams every 9 inches or so? With 2 "cables" run  parralel between them, looping nicely in between. My buddy Dan suggested a chain like the pull chains on ceiling fans etc. Maybe comes by the roll ?


HELP! I am on a deadline with 1 week to complete! That's 7-10:00 evenings and 1 weekend left before Grand Opening of our new $5 million Church.


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Biblegrove RR on 03/03/2008 6:05 PM
I have installed about 300' of elevated track in my church and need a guardrail system that looks good. It is basically on a 2x4 planter type shelf that a fellow club member recommended. It is drywalled and looks great! I have thought of some type of upright beams every 9 inches or so? With 2 "cables" run  parralel between them, looping nicely in between. My buddy Dan suggested a chain like the pull chains on ceiling fans etc. Maybe comes by the roll ?


HELP! I am on a deadline with 1 week to complete! That's 7-10:00 evenings and 1 weekend left before Grand Opening of our new $5 million Church.


The chain you are thinking of is "bead chain" and I have seen it on BIG rolls at the hardware store a few  times.  But, although it would probably stop a derailed boxcar or other rolling stock, I doubt if it would restain a locomotive charging it, (not that it might not save a loco if it hit the chain a glancing blow).

You might consider "galley rail" like in the "not quite a layout thread here:

http://www.mylargescale.com/Community/Forums/tabid/56/forumid/6/postid/15485/view/topic/Default.aspx

But that is rather more expensive.


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## markperr (Jan 7, 2008)

you could go with 1/8" thick plexiglas.  Works well to hold back all stock and is see thru.  You can run it through a table saw with a plywood blade.  Just start slowly with the feed until you get used to the speed you should run it through.

Mark


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

Charles you beat me to the punch. 

Thats the galley rail I used, its about $8 for a 4' section at Home Depot, at least here on the left coast, I know the Depot stock can vary greatly depending on area, and might need a little "extra" glueing, tho any finish, paint or stain would likely do the same job.

300 feet might be a bit steep $$$, like $600 + tax. The chain idea is good but would rest on what you used for the posts. 

Heres an idea, use a 1" or 1-1/2" inch dowel cut to about 2" lenths, drill a pilot hole clear thru the center (to prevent splitting) so a drywall screw can be used to screw the dowel upright at a regular interval, I dunno maybe 12"-16" apart then use a brass window chain, the kind used for doublehung window counterwieghts, or similar smaller chain and use a smaller screw ( and I recommend a second pilot hole in the dowel drilled prior to prevent splitting) to mount the chain to the dowels, with the chain aligned on the outside edge with a sag allowed in the chain so it resembles a bollard and chain barrier.

Unless you using battery/RC any track powered engine will stop immediatly after laeving the rails so I doubt a charging engine going over the sides would be a great risk.

If my idea sound silly, sorry, I am on a lot of flu medication right now../DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/whistling.gif


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## SlateCreek (Jan 2, 2008)

I built an elevated layout for a pizza restaurant once. The guardrail was a series of metal posts about 3-4" high with a hole in the top, through which you passed a piece of wire. The stuff sold at Wal Mart and sporting goods stores for deep sea fishing works really well. The posts are every couple feet, and with a couple of guys helping, you can thread the wire through in one piece from one end to the other.... 

Since you're not using the layout with the supplied posts, you could make yours from pieces of welding rod, heavy gauge finishing nails (in which case you'd probably wrap the top, instead of trying to punch a hole... ) or even metal knitting needles cut down to size (dunno about expense) just to list a few possibilities. 

The one wire seemed more than enough to catch "french fry" induced derailments .... geez, who was watching those kids? 

Matthew (OV)

BTW... this layout is in a CHURCH?  Please tell me you have a car, or something on this railroad with graphics for Isaiah 6:1 .....


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

A train at your church? /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/cry.gif

I'll have to talk to Pastor Aaron about that, but I don't think I could talk him into it/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/whistling.gif


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

http://www.gscalemad.co.uk/forum/index.php?showtopic=11746&st=75&

Heres what one guy in England on the GscaleMad site is doing, looks pretty straight forward, kinda similar to my idea, at least it illustrates the general idea.


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## Biblegrove RR (Jan 4, 2008)

Thank you gentleman! 

Plexiglass is too expensive and I don't like it... Polls with chain is time consuming... Now the Galley rail, WOW! I like it and it could be stained to match the loft we have. I'm talking slides, zip lines, bastetball court, rock wall, wii, swinging bridges, disco lights, etc. We actually have a real school bus cut in half for a stage and an old 50's Ford truck for the sound booth! Open House the 22nd in Carbondale, IL> anymore ideas please keep 'em coming.....


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## trainmaster1989 (Jan 4, 2008)

The guardrail system for my shelves is made up of brass poles without chain. I drilled holes along the edge of the shelves and inserted brass tube. There's more holes than poles so it can be adjusted to fit the size of the equipment Its pretty strong and would take a lot to bend. 

Scott


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## Biblegrove RR (Jan 4, 2008)

Similar to mr. smith's idea on the g scale mad forum... I guess glueing in dowel rods would be easy and cheap... lots of wholes for 300 foot!


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## wchasr (Jan 2, 2008)

A while back there was someone selling used LGB equipment on EBAY that had seen lots of use on an indoor shelf layout that had a wire or rod gaurdrail. Thsi was obvious as some of the damage to the body was about an inch and hlaf up and was from where some overhang on teh engines rubbed against the wire on every lap. I imagine that when the layout was set up this wasn't a problem but the track likely shifted in the corners or curves and brought the engine closer to the gaurdrail thus causing some body damage. I'm not a fan of that system for that reason. Same for the chain causing similar damage. Honestly I think the plexiglas or clear acrylic would be the best idea, but that's my opinion. 

Chas


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## Biblegrove RR (Jan 4, 2008)

Well.... the galley rail stuff on tops of cabinets was not cheap at Lowe's! $10 for 4 foot section. Forgot to check on the acrylic pricing. I think dowel rod with wire or chain link is easiest at this point? I am still at a loss and running out of time! I am meeting with a team tonight to brainstorm on it etc. I need to be installing something this weekend!/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/crazy.gif
Please continue to help, your support is most appreciated!~


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## Guest (Mar 6, 2008)

why don't you just put up round wooden posts with holes in them, with two or three lengths of thick nylon fishingstring through the holes? 

that looks like a fence along the right of way. - and does not hinder observation.


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## Biblegrove RR (Jan 4, 2008)

Well...I have decided to use 6" long 3/8" square dowels that come 36" long from Lowe's... I spent a day cutting, drilling and painting about 250 of these! /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/crazy.gif  I finished one side of the 12 foot bridge and it looks great! I decided to use real fine wire that is made for hanging picture frames. It looks braided and just works great. At the ends I just run it down at an angle and after running a screw almost all the way in. Wrapped the wire around it, finished running the screw completely down, then cut off the excess. 

Do I have to become a 1st class member to post pics? It's about time eh? /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/tongue2.gif


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Biblegrove RR on 03/16/2008 6:55 PM
Well...

Do I have to become a 1st class member to post pics? It's about time eh? /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/tongue2.gif


Your loft sounds like a fun place to be.

I don't think you have to be 1st class to post pics - but it does bring a lot of storage space for them, and any other web page you might want to create, like a 'selling my hoppers' page..


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## TheManny (Jan 3, 2008)

Here's what I did: archive.mylargescale.com/forum/topic.asp
I drilled about half way through from the top of the boards with a Forstner bit, inserted precut and drilled dowels, then strung the green cable from Home Depot all the way around. A cable clamp (carefully hidden behind some of the colorful shapes attached to the sides of the shelves) is used to hold the whole thing together.


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