# Need ideas or plans



## honesttjohn (Feb 17, 2015)

My son wants me to make his son, my grandson, a train bed. I have til next spring, when the coming new addition will be ready for the crib and he'll be just shy of 3 and ready. Anybody got any good ideas or plans for such a thing. I know he wants something pretty decent, but I don't have a clue what to even look for. I've seen a few but they looked awful chincy. Thanx in advance.


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## kp91 (Sep 10, 2004)

https://www.google.com/search?q=tra...hXCxYMKHd2pDnEQ_AUICigC&biw=590&bih=387&dpr=2


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## Gaffboat (Mar 11, 2012)

Nice link to some cool looking beds, Doug.


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

Plans? Plans? Don' need no steenkin' plans.

You forgot. Google is our friend. But, in case you actually do need plans. Plans, ugh. 
Thomas Train Bed: 10 Steps (with Pictures) How to Build a Train Bed - How To Instructions Building a Train Bed: 11 Steps (with Pictures)

And a few pictures. Me I'd take a look at train beds, then go looking at real trains, then go from there.


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## kp91 (Sep 10, 2004)

Gaffboat said:


> Nice link to some cool looking beds, Doug.


Pinterest and google/bing searches are great sources of ideas... that is where my wife finds the things she wants from me.

Took a while for me to upload the images...


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

There all pretty neat ,but I'm liking the CP one the best


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

*Hometown Crowd*



RainMan 2.0 said:


> There all pretty neat ,but I'm liking the CP one the best


Yeh, but you're biased! 

(For you foreigners, CP is Canadian Pacific)


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

Only consideration I'd have is about the more enclosed the bed is, the harder it is to change bedding. but the more enclosed it is, the more the kid is likely to love it.


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## MT Stringer (Aug 15, 2012)

Just keep in mind that you have to get it in the house, up the stairs and through the door into his room! :surprise:

So, build, take apart and put together on location.


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## honesttjohn (Feb 17, 2015)

Oh yeah, it has to be in parts. Probably gonna weigh upwards of 300 pounds.


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

RainMan 2.0 said:


> There all pretty neat ,but I'm liking the CP one the best


Well gee Rick, you shoulda said ya likes CP trains. Here's a few ideas for you then, and all very simple to build.


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## swiftyfrommi (Jan 21, 2013)

Here is the one I built last year. I just kinda made it up as I went.









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## MT Stringer (Aug 15, 2012)

Boy, those cow catchers look ugly! They would be tripping me every time I walked by.


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## jj777746 (Jan 17, 2015)

Heritage Park at Calgary has a train with an engine just like the first picture on @ JOAT CP trains post. Thanks for sharing some great old photos Theo.


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

jj777746 said:


> Heritage Park at Calgary has a train with an engine just like the first picture on @ JOAT CP trains post. Thanks for sharing some great old photos Theo.


Small world . 
I seen that very train at Heritage Park around 1973


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## old55 (Aug 11, 2013)

Welcome to the forum Derek.


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## hawkeye10 (Jul 28, 2015)

DesertRatTom said:


> Only consideration I'd have is about the more enclosed the bed is, the harder it is to change bedding. but the more enclosed it is, the more the kid is likely to love it.


Tom I bet they are young. Your thinking like an old person. :wink:


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## hawkeye10 (Jul 28, 2015)

swiftyfrommi said:


> Here is the one I built last year. I just kinda made it up as I went.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Derek that is nice very nice.


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## 197761 (May 2, 2017)

Just make sure you make it a full twin or extended twin so he can grow into it. You never know how fast a kid will grow and wouldn't have to rebuild another one in 5 more years! lol


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## Bushwhacker (Jun 16, 2009)

DaninVan said:


> Yeh, but you're biased!
> 
> (For you foreigners, CP is Canadian Pacific)


"US FOREIGNERS" ?? I thought you guys were the foreigners.


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## honesttjohn (Feb 17, 2015)

Nice one Derek!!!!

I already figured it'll probably be a make it up as I go type of thing.

Will most likely go buy the mattress and build around it. Might even do a build thread here to give you guys a good laugh or two.


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## kp91 (Sep 10, 2004)

We won't make fun of you, just try to keep you on track


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## swiftyfrommi (Jan 21, 2013)

honesttjohn said:


> Nice one Derek!!!!
> 
> I already figured it'll probably be a make it up as I go type of thing.
> 
> Will most likely go buy the mattress and build around it. Might even do a build thread here to give you guys a good laugh or two.


The one I built came apart using threaded inserts and t-nuts. I have quite a few pictures I could send you showing in different stages if that helps. 

Sent from my SM-N910P using Tapatalk


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## kp91 (Sep 10, 2004)

swiftyfrommi said:


> The one I built came apart using threaded inserts and t-nuts. I have quite a few pictures I could send you showing in different stages if that helps.
> 
> Sent from my SM-N910P using Tapatalk


That would be great


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

Bushwhacker said:


> "US FOREIGNERS" ?? I thought you guys were the foreigners.


It's all a matter of perspective. We is furriners to them, they is furriners to us. And we all get along just great.


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

Yeah, I've been thinking that some of those beds would be a real pain to make up. So what I've been thinking is maybe make the front part hinge at the front, so it could be tilted out of the way. Or, slide forward. Anything to allow access to make the bed. Might be a good idea to put some type of lock on it tho, so the kid can't move it on his/her own. Hmm, or maybe just pull out like a trundle bed, that might work best of all, simpler, and safer. Yeah, I believe I would go with the trundle bed, if space allowed to pull it out.


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## MT Stringer (Aug 15, 2012)

If he grows too fast, you might have to add on a caboose! :surprise::grin:


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## honesttjohn (Feb 17, 2015)

swiftyfrommi said:


> The one I built came apart using threaded inserts and t-nuts. I have quite a few pictures I could send you showing in different stages if that helps.
> 
> Sent from my SM-N910P using Tapatalk



Either post some of them or PM your email address to me and I'll send you mine,


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## swiftyfrommi (Jan 21, 2013)

Here are some of pictures. The people I made it for were going to paint it. I don't think they ever completed it before their grandson took over.









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## thomas1389 (Jan 4, 2012)

kp91 said:


> We won't make fun of you, just try to keep you on track


And make it a steam engine. A diesel will smell up the house.


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## kp91 (Sep 10, 2004)

Derek,

Thanks for posting the pics! I like the pvc for the cylinders.


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## honesttjohn (Feb 17, 2015)

You use a lot of MDF? Masonite to make the curved parts? 

That's a cool build. Congrats!


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## swiftyfrommi (Jan 21, 2013)

honesttjohn said:


> You use a lot of MDF? Masonite to make the curved parts?
> 
> That's a cool build. Congrats!


All mdf, the curved parts are 1/8 mdf 

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## honesttjohn (Feb 17, 2015)

OK --- I got some ideas now ----- gonna try to do it using no MDF. Thinking of using my CNC machine and do some things that I haven't done before. Some Baltic Birch ply is in the mind's plans.

I may owe MEBCWD after this one.


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