Lining the cab floor with mahogany

[Daniel]

Hi all,

I am looking to line the floor of my engine with mahogany. I am wondering what the best way to do this would be.

I've considered gluing the wood directly to the floor but this may cause maintenance problems later. The other thought was to cut some thin brass to the size of the floor and glue the wood onto the brass. I am unsure if this would rattle around or be stable to just sit in place though?

Any thoughts or experiences with this?

Thanks

Daniel

[ejparrott]

The Royal Scot we re-commisioned at Rugby a few years ago has timber glued to a steel or brass backing. Alternativly, use timber bearers glued to the back

[RLWP]

I glued thin strips of wood onto a steel plate, many, many years later, one 'plank' has come loose, I must get around to sticking it back down someday. Meanwhile,it's neighbours hold it in place

Incidentally, the underside of the plate carries several layers of lead sheet. Right over the top of the rear axle - lovely!

Richard

[pondok]

Hi Daniel, I also found glued wood tends to work loose over years of running, especially the heat that it often needs to handle can soften glue. Rivited brass strip holding it down looks a bit out of place I find, looks better for wood lined cab ceilings. but you can get away with brass channel laid across the floor front and back (limited to straight pieces of course). The channel lies on its side, screwed to the floor, taking and securing the planks, in tongue-and-groove fashion. Usually needs some fettling and trimming but can look rather nice, either with the brass polished up, or similar steel channel painted to be inconspicuous. Apart from the usual suppliers, if you're in a rush, the big places like B&Q/Homebase usually have some in that small metal section they tend to have....

[Deleted]

Hi Daniel

For 4472's tender I built a timber frame that sits tightly in place on the soleplate and then pinned the top planks to that, all is glued with waterproof PVA and varnished to seal. She's not in service yet but I doubt that there will be any problems for many years, timber used was solid oak.

Pete

[chris vine]

Hi Daniel,

When I made my engines, I always put an 1/8" inch rod though the floor boards. From side to side.

As long as they can't slide of sideways (which they can't because they are longer than the width of the door aperture), then they sit quite firmly. you can lift them out quite easily.

You have to drill the holes quite carefully because the planks are only around 1/4" thick... a 3/32" or less would do just as well.

Unfortunately, this question has reminded me of a terrible joke: Why does Edward Woodward have 4 d's in his name? because otherwise he would be called Ewar Woowar which would be silly....

Yours helpfully (and less so!)
chris.

[Jim]

Still laughing ;D ;D ;D ;D

Jim

[Boadicea]

Jan 22, 2013 21:31:05 GMT Jim said:

Still laughing ;D ;D ;D ;D Jim

Yes Jim, I can see what you mean.

Jan 22, 2013 13:52:20 GMT RLWP said:

I glued thin strips of wood onto a steel plate, many, many years later, one 'plank' has come loose, I must get around to sticking it back down someday. Meanwhile,it's neighbours hold it in place. Richard

Same as rlwp for me, except, instead of strips I used veneer and scored light grooves in it with a hacksaw blade to make it look like planks. Stays in one piece and is less fiddly to do.

I can hear the shreeks of laughter have increased in volume Jim, but it is always good to make people happy!

[jma1009]

2 of my locos have what i can only describe as formica upside down, scribed to look like planks. they get stained with coal dust and oil anyway and yet still look the part. they dont burn when the odd hot lump of coal falls on them.

the formica is pinned to a thicker piece of wood underneath.

im not sure i would want to use individual mahogany strip...unless you have plenty to hand, but i would fix it to another board underneath. a better idea would be a solid piece scribed to represent planks.

i believe GWR loco cab floors where wood was fitted were made out of oak.

anyone know a suitable source of the type of formica ive used please? ive used up my stock. it had quite a thick backing that looks like tufnol sheet (tufnol sheet being another option for cab floors)

cheers,
julian

[Jim]

Jan 22, 2013 13:52:20 GMT RLWP said:

I can hear the shreeks of laughter have increased in volume Jim, but it is always good to make people happy!

It's all Chris Vine's fault for telling terrible jokes. ;D

[chris vine]

Years ago, I used to go to a pub fairly regularly. There was a girl who was there a lot too and I had to tell her that joke every time. She must have had a funny bit in her brain which reacted to different words in different ways. If you said the word moist, she had to leave the building. (not with me!)

C

[Tony K]

Jan 23, 2013 22:30:47 GMT chris vine said:

Years ago, I used to go to a pub fairly regularly. There was a girl who was there a lot too and I had to tell her that joke every time. She must have had a funny bit in her brain which reacted to different words in different ways. If you said the word moist, she had to leave the building. (not with me!) C

Come on Chris, there must be more for us to know about this. She obviously made an impact on your life, otherwise you would not remember her.

Other words must have also triggered actions.

Come - on, there is no watershed here! ;D

[chris vine]

Somehow I just knew that would get a comment from Tony!!!!

C

[flyingfox]

Greetings, of course we all know that mahogany was rarely used for this job in full size, usually rough pine planks were used, but I agree, mahogany looks nice.
regards
Brian

Attachments: