Many people here have seen the Train Trailer that our Garden Railroad Club decided to invest into. It is for the purpose of setting up at train shows and other community functions.

My Business took a 12 foot utility trailer and built an enclosure on it and then turned it into a fully detailed train trailer.

3-4 of us that has set up several times, takes 1.5 hours to set up, a little less than an hour to take down. One of the club members that helped me do much of the work

on the clubs trailer, wanted to build one that can be set up in 20 minutes by him and his wife, or by himself.

So I designed a trailer that will set up quickly and easily.

Tom desires to run smaller trains, so this design will work great for smaller engines and shorter cars.

They desire to set up at senior homes, children hospitals, schools, church functions, and several Hobby promoting activities.

As I am writing this we about half done with the trailer, We both feel this is a very GREAT way of promoting the hobby.

I will show a few pictures of the clubs trailer, then start showing pics of Toms trailer.

OGRS Train Trailer

foot print is 15ft wide and 27 ft long, everything folds up into the trailer, the corners are stored into a large wooden box inside the trailer.

IMG_0506 by Dennis Rayon, on Flickr

IMG_1002 by Dennis Rayon, on Flickr

IMG_1009 by Dennis Rayon, on Flickr

IMG_1005 by Dennis Rayon, on Flickr

IMG_0458 by Dennis Rayon, on Flickr

IMG_0462 by Dennis Rayon, on Flickr

Those are a few pics of the OGRS train trailer

Toms Trailer

Now this trailer is all in the inside, the access doors all lift up for viewing the trains.

There is a 4ft x 8ft drawer that is under the layout to easily pull out for access to trains and cars.

This trailer is 14 ft long.

I did not take a trailer only picture, my first pictures are where the side frames are all ready on.

IMG_5090 by Dennis Rayon, on Flickr

IMG_5095 by Dennis Rayon, on Flickr

IMG_5094 by Dennis Rayon, on Flickr

Painting Has Started

IMG_5101 by Dennis Rayon, on Flickr

IMG_5100 by Dennis Rayon, on Flickr

The Drawer front has been installed

IMG_5116 by Dennis Rayon, on Flickr

Drawer Pulled out, self supporting when fully pulled out, it is on slides and rollers

IMG_5114 by Dennis Rayon, on Flickr

That is a serious drawer!

The BAGRS club “Roving Railroad” in the Bay Area looks a lot like the trailer layout in your first pictures. It’s currently in dire need of repair or rebuild from the ground up.

The picture above shows the 5/8" plywood has been layed and screwed to the cross 2’’ steel tubing, That is the bottom layer that gives

us a good base to screw the upper elevated base and 1" foam to. The upper section was raised for the second track loop. We used 5/8"

plywood that has pocket holes drilled in the edges and screwed to the plywood base below, then another 5/8" top screwed to the 5.5" risers.

Then the foam was glued and screwed to the plywood.

IMG_5130 by Dennis Rayon, on Flickr

There is much awesomeness in this!

Starting to Carve blue foam for rock bluff walls, carved with a couple different knives. It carves quite easy and surprisingly quick.

IMG_5132 by Dennis Rayon, on Flickr

That is freaking awesome!

How do you keep the layout in one piece when traveling? I have a 12’ single axle trailer like that and it is a rough rider.

John

The clubs trailer at the top, is tandem axel. The layout is actually setting in at around 45 degree not quite upside down but almost, I have driven it several hundred miles with no

fall offs, it is all glued and screwed. The singel axel trailer will have all the layout will be right side up. So it should hold in place. My first trip with the clubs trailer was about 75 miles

as soon as I got there I opened up the door in the back to look, very surprised it all rode just fine.

Thanks Dennis

I love your club trailer and this one will be just as cool. I like that it is all basically contained in the trailer. Will make “set up” as easy as opening the doors and putting the train on the track. I love it.

Thanks Devon

It would make a great club display, and the ability to promote the club and the hobby, and even a great individual’s layout, just can’t run the large trains.

Dennis

Dennis, Those two trailers are incredible. What an awesome way to promote the hobby. And to have the ability to bring these awe striking layouts to those folks stuck in homes and hospitals is wonderful. I know that I am always impressed whenever you post new photos of your incredible artwork and I have an idea of the caliber of work I have come to expect. But for first time viewers, having no idea of what to expect, they’ve got to be getting their minds blown! What a worthwhile project!

I am anxious to see the upcoming pics. Thanks for posting them for us. Mark

We are now applying the first base coat, We brush on a base coat of Latex water-based paint. With the blue foam as with most all foams, if you want to use an aerosol paint, the foam needs to be covered with a latex first. The propellant in the aerosol will affect the foam. ( The top trailer foam was all sprayed for coloring)

After the base coat, we brush on a 1/3 black paint to 2/3 water on as a black wash as seen in the picture below.

IMG_5140 by Dennis Rayon, on Flickr

IMG_5145 by Dennis Rayon, on Flickr

IMG_5146 by Dennis Rayon, on Flickr

After the black wash is applied, we took paper towels and patted the foam down to remove most of the black off the top surfaces. Leaving a darker black

down inside the cut crevices.

Mark and John,

Thank you for your kind words, I enjoy showing how to accomplish many things, I like showing how a lot of the things are easier than most people think they are.

This is a hobby where many clubs shy away from sharing their hobby because of the time and work it requires to set up either modules or a floor display.

The work and time it takes to set up displays for many of us older hobbyist prevents us from sharing our joys of our hobby. Which results in the loss of new members

from joining our hobbies or maybe our clubs.

Keep watching more to come.

Dennis

Dennis,

Thats looking great and good tip about the latex to protect the foam. I learned that the hard way after carving some nice rocks only to watch them melt during the MIK when I built the snow shed. But the flip side is it can make some interesting texture in the foam in its own right that to me looks a lot like lava rock.

Adding some color after the black wash

IMG_5151 by Dennis Rayon, on Flickr

IMG_5152 by Dennis Rayon, on Flickr

IMG_5154 by Dennis Rayon, on Flickr

Got the bridge cut in and stoned up to enhance the set up