The Complete Handbook of Train Cases

I picked this up before replacing the road cases for our band's PA system, and the chapter on construction alone saved me from buying a discount case that would have fallen apart after a year. The writing is dry in places and the glossary is pretty basic, but the specifics on hardware and materials are exactly what I needed. It's a reference, not a page-turner, but it's now got a permanent spot on my shop bench.

There is solid information in here, and I appreciated that it didn't read like a catalog. That said, I found the chapter on choosing a case to be a slow read, and some of it felt like common sense to anyone who has been doing this professionally for a while. As an AV installer I've been through a lot of cases, so a large portion of this was review. Probably better suited to someone just starting out.

I own a small photography studio and travel to clients a few times a month, so I know what a good light stand case and a bad one feel like. The book gives a fair overview of the market and clearly explains things like deep-drawn corners versus extrusion, which is nice. But it dragged during the maintenance sections, and I'm not sure I need a full troubleshooting tree for a latch. Worth the money for the first half.

I handle logistics for a corporate AV company, and we buy cases by the dozen for televisions and projectors. The manufacturer comparisons and the full breakdown of the different grades were the most valuable part for me. I docked a star because the chapter on business opportunities is heavier on theory than I would have liked, but I still got several practical ideas for recycling and refurbishing our old cases instead of tossing them.

I was hoping for more on the repair side, since we fix our own flight cases when a wheel gets mangled or a corner gets dented. That chapter was decent, but I felt it could have gone a lot deeper. The beginner material is well-covered, and the chapter on how train cases differ from other luggage is a good standard reference. Two of my guys have already borrowed it, so if nothing else, it's getting passed around.

Decent read, but they missed out on a lot of detail when it comes to custom sizing and building cases around specific instruments. I play saxophone and travel with a few different horns, and the sections on interior padding and foam work were on the thin side. The recommendations on latches and handles were sound and confirmed what our local shop has always told us. A solid, if sometimes conservative, beginner's guide.

Finally, a reference that treats flight cases like the precision pieces of protective equipment they are. The direct comparison of extrusion versus folded aluminum framing was the clearest explanation I've read anywhere, and it changed how I look at my own rig. I've been touring sound and backline for thirteen years and still found a handful of tips on weight distribution and lid handling that I'm putting into practice. I just ordered a second copy for our tech.

It's a comprehensive, no-nonsense handbook. I run a repair shop for furniture, and I've always done repair work on road cases as a side service. This book gave me a better vocabulary to describe the work and helped me standardize my quoting process with customers. It's a touch academic in the opening chapters, but the practical chapters on troubleshooting and the specs that matter are exactly what I needed to refine my approach.