Thread: Help with Train Table

Hi ELUSSV,
I've built a couple of train tables and what I recommend is to go to a model train shop and they will/should have many books on the subject and many of these include all of the information you need. Most of the simpler designs are based upon 1 2400 x 1200 (8' x 4') mm sheet of plywood with some clever cutting to make tunnets, hills etc.
I recommend however that you build one and get it working without landscaping etc becaue I have seen many people lose interest because they have spent months landscaping and detailing without EVER seen a train run.
You can go as detailed or as simple as you want but, to maintain your interest, at least get a simple one running first.
Have you sorted out gauge yet?
OO/HO gauge take up a lot of room so I went for N gauge which gives you quite a complex (= interesting) layout on a single 2400x1200 sheet of ply.
good luck, Fletty

Thanks Fletty, unfortunately where I live there are no hobby shops for about 1500kms so won't be able to go to one soon, but I might try the book shop and see if they have anything. Also I might try and go for roughly 1500 x 900 mm ish, as we are in a small house at the moment.
Thanks again
ELUSSV

elussv,
send me your postal address via PM and I'll see what I can find and post over,
Fletty

Fletty has pointed you in the right direction.

The Australian Model Railway Magazine should be available from your Newsagent and contains adverts for all the model railway shops who will do mail order.

Another good starting point is to use an old door.

Thanks guys I will have a look at the newsagent.

Fletty I will see what the shops have and get back to you today, much appreciated
ELUSSV

Decide what you want on the layout and the room available to set it up remember you need to reach all the running stock then that will give you a size to work on. As for the construction of the board I used 2"x1" to make a frame bracing every 2' and fit sheet material to the frame. Hope this helps for a start

I have looked for plans at the library and in the newsagent, not much luck.

elussvwag,
I'll bet there is tonnes of stuff out there on the web, I know there is for slot car tracks becasue I have spent many nights surfing round sites.
I will have a poke around the web and see what I can find for you.
There are often 'WebRings' which are like connected communites of similar sites, these are good to find info quickly.

Try www.trainworld.com.au in Brighton, Melbourne

I have just been into their site and if you go to "How to" you will find a list of available titles

They have just about all the books ever written on model railways and do mail order

The Model Railways Mag website is www.australianmodelrailways.com if you are interested in subscribing.

Kalmbach used to publish a few books on this subject - might be worth looking in the net for them

Hope that helps

Well I bit the bullet after looking on EBay at Thomas The Tank Engine tables and checked out the dimensions and did a plan myself. I went down to my local hardware storer where my next door neighbor works and got some off cuts for a 6 pack, plus I spent $60 on other bits and pieces. It is nearly finnished but just needs some finnishing touches, I will post some pics later
Cheers
ELUSSV

Main question is. Is it going to mainly for you or the kids (ages!)? If it's mainly for the kids, it needs to be a loop track with sidings and or branches added. This allows them to run the train for a while without changing too much. A double loop is better. That is the train goes around twice for one full circuit. In the space you are looking at, it would have to be "N" Scale or "HO" at the most. I've built a mining layout on two levels in HOn30 on a base1200x1200. This allowed two trains to run independently. The top level from the mine to the processing plant and the bottom from the processing plant off to the port.

On the other hand, if you are going to use it and end to end layout with sidings can add interest as you have to work the points to and think to run the trains. An end to end can fit into a relatively small area and still be a large scale. I've built a "1" Scale (1/32) industrial yard layout on a 1200x1200 base. I'm also building an "O" Scale layout in 2 modules on 1200x600 bases. Modules allow you to add new sections in the future. Allow you to transport and store them more easily.

Don't worry too much about what your first layout is. You'll probably find, if the interest is there, it will be the first of many.

As for scenery, there is no right or wrong way of doing things. Collect all the trash that you find. You be surprised what can be made into scenery, buildings etc. Because of your remoteness use normal household materials. I only use sample pots of water based paints from local hardware for everything (also check the mistake pile in the paint department. Dirt is tile grout. A little goes a long way. Buildings can be made out of 3mm MDF with strips of card cut for weatherboards. Windows can be made from clear plastic from packaging glued in place with PVA glue. The base for all of my scenery is expanded polystyrene sheets and blocks covered with tissues painted with a PVA glue and water mix (with a dash of liquid detergent as a weting agent).

After a while you will be surprised what possibilities a piece of rubbish conjours up.

When I was a kid my mate around the corner had a train table that folded up into the wall like those beds. Would have been about 10' x 4, and when it was folded way it stuck out of the wall around 6"-8" and looked like a cupboard.

It had mountains with tunnels, stations etc that were screwed onto it so that they did not move. Either side on the wall had cupboard shelves where the locos and rolling stock lived. Very Cool.