Train Table

[jamnest]

Before aquiring my new basement, I had a free standing modular layout. As I moved to different rental units, I could re-assemble the layout by modifying one or two modules. My dominoes were made by having the lumber yard cut 3/4" plywood into 1x4 lumber. My dominoes were 4 to 6 feet long and 18" to 22" wide. The deck was 1/2 plywood. I bolted the sections together with 1/4" carriage bolts and wing nuts. The layout was 48" off the floor and was operated in a spare bedroom with a temporary 12' (two six foot sections) yard that extended in to the living room. I had previously belonged to a modular railroad club and basically constructed my own modular layout based on this experience.

I could use this spare room for a layout and stored lots of household things in plastic storage totes under the layout. My point being it might be possible to eliminate the long term cost for off site storage by sharing layout space and storage space. The nice thing about the dominoes is you can work on them outside of the layout room and put them into place when ready. Also if I needed to get under the layout, I could just slide the totes out of the way. when I moved to my new basement (home), I could immediatley set up the old modular layout and run trains while palnning and building the new layout.

[Anonymous]

Hey,

You can also go to World's Greatest Hobby's website. You can also buy thier "building your first model railroad" book and video, found here
That is the best resource I know of. One of the members here has a fantastic website that shows you how to do almost everything he did on his 4 x 8 layout.

Thanks,
Todd

[Anonymous]

Google for model railroad benchwork.
Also have a look here: http://www.nmra.org/beginner/

I don't think you'll find as many actual plans as you'd expect. Every model railroad is different, and most of the benchwork plans (I expect) are sketches on a piece of graph paper or the back of an envelope that evolve as the construction progresses.

[Anonymous]

Interesting reads, but nothing new. What I'm really trying to say here, and I'll put it in terms that might open up a new line of thought here---:

In the interest of saving time and money, that would be spent on traveling 30 minutes to the nearest Hobby Shop that carries "How-To" books, I wanted to find some "online" sources.

I have a 4x6 and 4x8 inventory of plywood, I've built a layout before, but never had the time and space to really elaborate...now, I do. But before I'm going to pay for a $60 storage fee to remove all the junk in my designated room to build a new more complex "wall" layout---I'd think it better to "re-educate" myself on the basics and etc, by starting back at the beginning.

Now, the beginning for me was 7 years ago, until yesterday I spelled the word "gauge" as "gage" and so forth (that's how much I'd distanced myself). So, I want to get back into the swing of things: Bottom line question here:

What websites exist on the World Wide Web (internet) that have open access to layout designs, plans, exact track needs, and where can I find a freaking B&W drawing of how to build a ONE TIER TRAIN TABLE???

[jeffrey-wimberly]

give these sites a try. You may find something that will help.

Space saving layouts
http://thortrains.net/poorhox.html
Layout design primer
http://www.vetmed.auburn.edu/~smithbf/BFSpages/LDSIGprimer/TOC.html

Hope this helps

[Texas Zepher]

Do you mean for something like a Biro, Thomas the Tank Engine, or Lionel Great Railway Adventures type trains. Or are you talking about an electric train set table?

[Anonymous]

Have both a 4x8 and 4x6 plywood sheet, etc....however no table, I can't read the example plans that are given in the useless $15 MR Table/Track booklet, they've been printed in the brigtest shade of blue and its well, its not very user freindly.

I'd wager there are a million sites on the web that have B&W plans for the basic 4x8 and 4x6 table, but I can't find a single one.

Any specific sites?

[daniel1967]

I used 40" x 48" pallets for my benchwork using mainly 3" x 4" for legs and
2" x 4" cross supports. Very inexpensive since many manufacturing businesses will give 'em to you for free... and sturdy (I can literally dance on my benchwork) I also used 1" x 4" and 1" x 6" planks for my subroadbed which also came from diassembling pallets...

Dan,
now it's time to lay some track on the MOHEES CENTRAL

[bogp40]

Do you have a track plan in mind and an overall size figured already? This could determine the type of benchwork/ table that will work best for you.
Bob K.

[Anonymous]

Need train table construction plans...tips, websites, specific directions would be greatly appreciated.