# Rolling Stock Transporter?



## noela (May 22, 2008)

I know there are some commercially available carriers out there, but I am interested in building one that would better serve my needs.
Is there anybody out there that has built one (or more) for themselves?
Generally speaking, my guess would be that it would be approximately 30" long, tall enough for two "shelves", and relatively light in weight. I would like to be able to carry 4 40' cars in each carrier (I will probably build two to somewhat balance my aging body), or 2 full length passenger cars, or, when I feel like my Wheaties are working, 2 locomotives.
With this in mind, it would need to be relatively light, strong enough for two locos, and have facilities for padding. 
I am not a master builder, but am handy, and tinkering is a good thing. 
Right now I am carrying equipment to and from the layout, and it is taking many, many trips, just to make up small trains.
Any thoughts, direction or suggestions are greatly appreciated.


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## Dieselguy (Apr 29, 2010)

Hi Noela,

I recalled a thread from over on the O-Gauge OGR forum where transporting trains was discussed and here's the link to that thread:


OGR thread "transport trains" 


My first thought for your need was those large plastic bins (sold at home improvement stores) with possibly some styrofoam sheets inbetween levels to protect the rolling stock. The engines could go on bottom of the bin so they would not be putting all that weight on the items below. Then use a dolly to roll several of these bins out to your layout (I think at least 3 plastic bins could ride on one dolly trip).


Rick


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## Bruce Chandler (Jan 2, 2008)

I've made a number of them. I can carry 4 cars in each carrier.

I made the first ones out of wood.









Then I tried styrene.









I also created outdoor storage:








I can store 14 cars in two layers:









For locomotives, I built a carrier for each locomotive as they are quite a bit heavier than the rolling stock and require much more support.


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## Nicholas Savatgy (Dec 17, 2008)

Noel,
I just use old plastic bread trays i get from stores, If you go to your local Stewarts or corner store and ask the Manager they will ussually give you some of there old ones. I then use carpet pad and pad them and i can carry 4 to 6 cars dependiing on how you store the cars in the trays. As you can see from the picture they stack nicely and you can transport a large amount of cars safely and in a small area.







They are the blue and orange trays in the back round.
This is set up day by the way at one of our resent shows, so you can get the ideal of what it takes to put on one of these Displays.


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

If you want light weight, then boxes made from 1/4" plywood are very strong and compact. 

These three were built at various times to hold a hopper train. The brass screws on the ends take small bungee cords to hold them together in the car.










The bottoms are pinned and glued to the sides for strength. There are low dividers along the interior for more strength. 

I often use a 1x8 as the end to make it easier to stack them. These two are a pair of long cases for coaches - but they often get used for whatever is going to the meet that day!


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## cape cod Todd (Jan 3, 2008)

Hi 
I carry my stuff the old fashioned way, one in each hand and sometimes another under an arm. Luckily my track and where I store the trains is close at hand so I don't need to travel much so maybe you could move some of your favorite pieces closer to your track. 
The bread crates are a great idea but I really like the idea of onsite storage. I have often thought of setting up a long warehouse building to just back the trains into but Bruce wow I really like the textile factory building you have. It must be a rather BIG building though to store all those cars. What do you do about critters and spiders?? I too built a wood carrier cradle for an engine that sort of looks like a gallows turntable. I store the engine in it on the shelf and it still looks good others I carry out by hand.


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## Bruce Chandler (Jan 2, 2008)

I used to carry them out one or two at a time, that's why I built the carriers. If I don't have any doors to open, I can carry two carriers at the same time. If I need to be a bit more careful, it's one at a time, but that still leaves me a hand free while carrying out 4 cars.

It IS a large building. About 42 x 24". There's more about it over at my web site: http://www.jbrr.com/html/matheson_textiles.html

I put screens around the chimneys and have not had any problem with spiders or any critters.


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## blueregal (Jan 3, 2008)

My engine carrier I built out of a wood dowel, and some ceder fencing planks, eventually there will be rail on the inside, and an LGB orange ramp to ramp the engines in and out of the carrier!! Regal











This will carry any engine, and tender I own, built it for up to the k-27 and I think the Pa/Pb also fit in it if not a little hangs out over the edge but still works!! Going to build one for my rolling stock next double wide and long enough to carry at least 4 boxcars in one shot!! Regal


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

Right now I am carrying equipment to and from the layout 

Well, one option is to keep the trains near the layout. I used a Rubbermaid plastic shed from Home Depot for many years. The only problem was spider nests, etc. in the underframes!

Engines came indoors with me, just in case. 










There's a framework of firring strips (the cheap stuff they use to line walls before nailing sheetrock on top) but 1x2s would do. And there was a cinder block and some bricks in the bottom in case it got really windy!


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## jguettler (Apr 17, 2009)

I've used the idea posted here before of using commercial bakery trays for carriers.

Here's a link to a web pages showing my carriers.

http://www.trainweb.org/wgr/Carriers/CarCarrier.html


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## Heavy_56 (Dec 27, 2007)

Has anyone found any manufactures that make these? Or is everyone just making there own?


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