Drawer Rails

You could use commercial grade Drawer Rails (type like a hospital would use on the drawers in rooms) and build an open ended drawer (open on the back for air or open front and back in one wanted). It would require dropdown side to be built so the Rails have something to mount to. I mention these drawer pulls as I was able to get a boat load of rails, handles and various other hardware when a local hospital remodeled a wing and all the casework went to the dumpster. A simple request to one of the construction workers is all it took. So for the price of being nice and hooking the individual up with a case of beer netted me probably 30 sets on rails. I would be happy to send you a set if you would like, just hit me up in a private email.

Loving live in Northern Colorado

Dale

19" rackmount?

Dear Ed,

It's a pity your available space isn't 19" wide, otherwise you could easily reach for a solution from the wide variety of 19" "rack space" hardware commonly produced for the Pro Audio and Video, and IT industries...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/19-inch_rack

https://www.parts-express.com/cat/racks-cases/200

https://www.parts-express.com/cat/rack-system-hardware-accessories/614

https://www.sweetwater.com/shop/live-sound/racks-cases/

https://www.newegg.com/Server-Racks-Cabinets/SubCategory/ID-803

On a far-cheaper tip, mounting the main hardware on a simple sheet of Plywood,
and hinging it so that it "folds up out of the way" on cheap Home Depot-esque gate hinges with a hasp-retainer,

or "slides in/out" on kitchen-drawer hardware,
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Hampton-Bay-20-3-in-x-4-in-x-22-3-in-Pull-Out-Drawer-KADWR24/202518698 

is equally do-able...

Hope this helps...

Happy Modelling,
Aim to Improve,
Prof Klyzlr

Google "full extension drawer

Google "full extension drawer slides"

you don't need to make drawers unless you want to. Mount the track of a single slide to the bottom of your layout and it's mate to the top of a pull out panel. The panel can hang vertically and be pulled out when needed.

Make sure to experiment and test the slide to verify it can hold the weight of the panel when fully loaded.

GS

Off the tracks....

Hi Ed,

I'm not a wire bender so I went with stationary.  Didn't need that much room.  Heavier gauge is cheeper in solid copper too.

Nick

@Ed Slides and Hinges

Hi Ed,

Drawer slides have already bee covered and they are likely a good cheap alternative. You can also search for "instrument" and "rack" slides commonly used in the 19 inch racks Prof K referred to. They are rated by depth, extension, and ability to support different weights, some over 100 pounds!

Another alternative is to simply use a panel hinged from the back, swinging down for complete access. You can even use a panel latched in the "up" position and free floating when unlatched.

In all cases, you will need to add additional wire/cabling to support the maximum movement/extension. This usually done with a sort of "U" bend at the joint, or at the back of the slide. The "U" will allow flex and extension simultaneously -- important because use can actually break inside its insulation, including cabling like CAT5. I have seen people add a small, cheap LED light, switched to the power bus in the panel, since these are a bit of work at a minimum. Likewise, you can add a very cheap LED voltage meter of each panel for very little (check ebay). Most wire and cabling is not designed for much repeated bending, especially sharp bending, nor is it designed to span open distances supporting its own weight. Military combat wire cable is a notable exception.

Have fun! 

19" rack-mounts:

The good thing about 19" rack-mounts is that there's a ton of accessories made for them: drawers, shelves, etc. Check music suppliers for best prices (e.g., Guitar Center, Musician's Friend, etc.). Also B+H PhotoVideo (kind of like the MTS of tech stuff) sells a bunch of rack stuff at good prices. A side benefit is that rack-mount computers and pro audio gear fit right in (I have an old Alesis Midiverb II rack-mount unit I plan to add to my layout room to enhance my Kato SoundBox). Plus the fact that rack-mounted gear always looks super cool!

Also DJ suppliers make some neat accessories for 19" racks like this American DJ power supply which sells for $29.99 at any of the above suppliers:

In addition to hard-mounted, stationary racks, there's also a variety of rack-mount carts with angled rack-spaces (for improved ergonomics), with rolling casters:

Keyboard drawers:

I installed this large, under-desk keyboard drawer (below) to hold my DC-controllers, and bought a second one that will eventually to hold my 5A booster, diode-bridge, circuit-protectors, and command-station (not shown). I added additional 2" x 4" lumber (where I anchored the slides) to the benchwork to gain more clearance.

Here's what I mounted a

Here's what I mounted a control panel on some years ago. It's a set of kitchen wire rack shelves with casters (the control panel isn't finished yet).

This really worked great - I could roll it around the floor as needed. Cables were NOT a problem, as they were all stranded wires and so were flexible. Casters has locks when I didn't want the rack moving. The legs are generally in screw-together segments of 12-18" each, so you can build up whatever height you want.

Check Lowes or Home Depot, or a container store. 

One of the great things is that you can buy all the parts separately, so an extra set of feet means you can use any extra parts not for the electronics to build another set of shelves. Those are ALWAYS useful!

consider something like this for cable management

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1M-15-x-30mm-Plastic-R28-Chain-Drag-Wire-Towline-Carrier-Cable-Track-CNC-Tool-/322486680265?epid=1060682388&hash=item4b15b43ac9:g:G34AAOSwuspY9Wx3

This is just a cheap example I got by searching EBay for cable track.  The cable track supports the wire so it does not sag vertically, and allows even flexing to avoid a pinch point and the consequent wire fatigue and breakage. Electronics rack slides have the advantage of locking in both the in and out positions

Bakers rack

The kitchen rack idea got me searching and I stumbled upon this:

https://www.webstaurantstore.com/regency-10-pan-end-load-half-height-bun-sheet-pan-rack-unassembled/600PR103K.html

The price is right, it has wheels, and with the 3" between levels I could mount rolling slides on multiple levels so I could either slide out individual levels or roll out the whole cart.  With locks on two wheels it seems ideal.  Jay's idea for managing the cable flexing gets me looking for something similar, perhaps smaller, but definitely gets me headed in a good direction.

Thanks,

-Ed

Recommend rolling rack

I would recommend a rolling rack so you can completely pull it out from under the layout, no matter how well you plan there will be something above the supports or slide mounts you will need to get to some day.

I like the idea of a rolling rack.

(Don't mind an occasional Rolling Rock either.....)

If I did a rolling rack I'd be tempted to use a connectors so I could move the rack to a conveinient area for work, maintenence, cleaning, and etc.  This would minimize cable bending and cable stretching.  I could also see it as a handy way to organize and access in the TOMA schemes.

(This might also decrease the headaches from bending wires, having issues and then drinking too many Rolling Rocks....)

Nick

Top of the line

If you want to go the high end route, here's what a standard JEDEC rack will give you:

• Really solid construction (I used some of these for 35 years.)
• Castors that really roll and lock.
• Handy mounting holes.  The spacing is odd, but works with a variety of panels that are multiples of 1 3/4" tall. There are many accessories to fit, but you can just as easily screw wooden shelves in there.
• 17 1/2" w by 18" d of clear space for outsized gear. (This particular cabinet is 20" wide and 20 1/2" high, including castors)

You can also get these with MDF construction and cheap castors for (not much) less money. I can't recommend those. You can also buy the rack rails and castors and build your own box out of plywood or Redi-shelf. I've done that.. I've even made my own rack rails from aluminum angle, but it's a real pain to get holes in the right places (Luckily you don't need all of them.)

As long as we are blue skying, here's a real upscale item:

This one doesn't roll, but pulls out and spins around.

These are all in the markertek.com catalog. Search equipment racks.

pqe

Its about the wiring system not the storage shelf/drawer

My wiring system uses two stationary drawers, 1 containing my DCC equipment (Lenz), 6 TAM Valley boosters and four RRAMP meters.  My DCC bus is 14 gauge speaker wire contained in a wiring trough mounted on the inside edge (face) of my layout.  It is a 1x6 with two 1x2's covered by a fascia made of masonite.  

The drawer and wiring system is on its 3rd iteration using the same basic components on its fourth layout.  Portable, scalable and future proof.

To make the drawers work, I have service loops in the back that allow the wiring to flex as he drawer moves in and out.   I use cat 5 cabling for all signal wiring for my current sensors etc. There is a 48 port patch panel across the back of the drawer.  I use standard cat 5 wiring codes and have a series of 110 punch down blocks to terminate all the wiring.

The trouble with mounting in

The trouble with mounting in a drawer is  that lack of air flow, nice to have a lot of open air around the electronics.  Lots of good ideas,

Hey Joe

Did I hear you tell Pelsea that you were using this on a 4' X 8' oval with six switches, a manual signal, fifteen freight cars, a caboose,and an Athearn Hustler wth DCC and no sound?

Nick

( I know I'm bad but your electrical system blew me away!!! )

Heat problems

I've found that if I have heat issues with DCC command stations or boosters, I need to reduce the load.  I've used small computer fans running on 6 or 9 volts to stir up the circulation but frankly my equipment runs cool.  My boosters average about an amp each which is well within the margin of their capability (3.5 amp continuous).

My club has built several

My club has built several moveable control panels. You could mount them on drawer guides just omit the front and or back, instead of drawers they become trays. Leave lots of slack in your wire and cable them together. Ours did just fine till an emp from a lightning strike hit some components, the wire did fine. You can also build a wheeled cabinet like we did. It can store under the layout and roll out when in use, our top is hinged for access. I will post some pictures later to show you what we did.

Here is the box that holds the layers of controls for our n scale layout. We have a similar device for our HO scale layout. The panel is on wheels and has a long cord connecting it to the layout. It will run DC or DCC.

Here it is out side the confines of the layout curtains. This is the side that is used to control the layout. The hole in the top will accept a cvp products control station. The top is hinged so the control boards inside can be accessed. For DC power some tethered throttles are hung on the side of the box. They are homemade and have long cords so they can reach from one end of the layout to the other.

This is the back of the top panel. It is built on a schematic to make trouble shooting easier. All items are labeled to aid in identification. The open area will accept the cvp panel, right now part of the n scale layout can be seen in the hole. The layout is based on the original Gorre and dephetid layout that became famous. It was quite a hit at the train shows and was designed to be portable so it could be set up at the train shows.

The bottom layer of boards in the cabinet. There is a substantial volume of space between the layers. I do not recall if there are fans or not but a simple stick or pencil can be placed between the top rack and the sides to allow ventilation if needed. Also if larger components that generated more heat were installed it would be easy to vent the sides and or front and back of the case with screened openings and install a fan to move air over the components.

Previous post was updated

Previous post was updated with photos, this post is so it shows up in the recents.

@Rob - Control panel

The cabinet and control panel look's good, what is the material used for the panels themselves, doesn't look like masonite. Nice idea to put the track diagram on the back of the panel as well.

I believe it was masonite

I believe it was masonite with laminates applied to both sides. I will get the full story tonight and take a few more pictures of both control panels for you. Cabinet is a plywood box.

I did not get the full story,

I did not get the full story, until I looked at this post I forgot to check and see if it was masonite or not I think it was. I took 28 pictures of control stands, I will post them later.

Movable control stand ready

Movable control stand ready to go.

The hood is raised. Both the top load of electronics and switches can be seen as well as some of the lower level.

Level number 2 and 3. Note components positioned to allow for air circulation and serviceability.

An older version on our HO layout. Open platform at the bottom. Enclosed hinged platform at the top.

The components have good air flow and the night light indicates that the power is still on to the unit. C and B power strips shut off each half of the system. The A switch cuts power to both and is located elsewhere.

More to come later.

This is one half of the

This is one half of the wheeled control panel. The notes taped to the surface are for those that do not know how to make a train run for the open house. If I am not going to be there I have a train on the main ready to run for the operators so they only need to turn it on. If they don't touch it it will run for the two days of the open house with no issues.

This is the left side of the box for controls. Our system permits either dc or dcc to operate the layout. The lids hinge up for access and the programing track is stored in there.

Right side with the hood up.

The inside of the tray on the right side. We have some storage the wireless receiver and part of the programing track in view.

Here we have an overall view with the hood raised. One way to protect the integrity of the ires is by cabling them together.

Here we can see the back and the massive amount of wire headed to the layout from this side of the console.

Here is the other side sorry I did not put more light on the subject. The shinny buckle at the bottom is a cable that prevents the control unit from moving out too far and protects the cables from being pulled too far.

I hope the photos offer some possible ideas for control panels that may meet the needs of modelers. The panel for the HO layout has been in use for more than 5 years and possibly 10. The N scale panel was recently rebuilt and had dcc added. The N scale panel was part of the portable n scale layout and used to travel to train shows with the club and I suspect it might be older than the HO panel.