Train project - The table

Where to build

Find a space to build a model layout can often by difficult, and there are lots of things to consider. The space you use to build will determine the type of layouts you can build. While looking at space I considered the layouts that would fit, looking at both shunting style layouts, end to end, diorama, and circular routes.

Shunting layouts can be very compact, fitting into a 1-foot-deep shelf, 4 feet long. This means they can often into rooms while taking up no floor space or be easy to pack away. These short of shunting layouts can provide lots of continued enjoyment with some puzzles being possible in a dozen different ways, however these don’t let you ‘run’ your trains at any speed which can also be good fun.

Circular layouts on the other hand need a lot of space, with Hornby’s TrakMat needs at least 6 feet by 4 feet. These give you the chance to run your trains, use larger trains, but can sometimes be boring to use.

In an ideal world I wanted to build a circular layout, using the space in the middle to build a shunting problem.

Now I know how much space I would like to find, next to work out where I could put it.

My first thought was my cellar, however this is a damp environment which could damage my track and reduce the lifespan of my trains. My next thought was the loft, but I had similar concerns as this was not properly converted so may have damp issues again. I do also have a spare box room, but there is a lot of stuff and we use this space to dry clothes in the winter when I can’t dry them outside.

In the end the box room was the best idea, leading to clear out, a skip and buying a tumble dryer so I could stop hang drying clothes in the house.

Designing my table

In my box room measured out and worked out I could fit a 7’ by 4’ table and still move around the edge. Loosing that much storage I also wanted a shelf in the middle. I decided the easiest way for me to do this was build my top frame, to hold my layout, the frame for the middle, to hold the shelf, then add legs and top with plywood.

To make my table I bought 12 lengths of wood from B&Q, along with 2 8’ by 4’ sheets of 12mm plywood.

I built my frame as pictured below on it’s side.

Pro tip - when buying screws check what drill bits you need to screw them in. I accidently bought 500 Torx screws and had to find to search every one of my tool boxes to find a bit that would work!

After building my frame I cut the plywood to size I attached this to the frame. You may notice there is a cut line down the middle of the table. This is so I could fit the sheets up the stairs, as the full 8’ by 4’ sheets would not go round the corner.

Once this was built I found the table a little more wobbly than I expected, so I used the offcuts to add braces in the corners to reduce wobble on the table and make it more secure. Now the table is built I can start testing layouts.

But first lets see what the dog thinks about it, she had been trying to help at every step.

Now I have my table built I can start testing my layout to see how it works. Find it here in the next update!