My Return to Model Railroading

[HardcoreABN]

After not having any trains since '98ish, I figured it was time to get back into model railroading and slot cars. It is time to start getting my trains and Tyco US-1 Trucking set ready to pass on to my 2 year old son. No, he won't be playing with them unsupervised. I talked the wife into using an empty room in the house until we finish the upstairs this spring- which will give me a 14x22 room to play in.

This layout is going to be an 8x8 L shape table. The table is framed with 2x4's and the top is 5/8 T&G OSB.

Picked up 10 2x4x8, 6 5/8x2x4 T&G OSB from Home Depot.

Here is the table framed out

Here is the table finished

Still have some work to do, but it will slowly get finished.

 

[D&J RailRoad]

If you're wondering why the spot light car doesn't work, it's because it needs to be on the track. J/K
Good start on the benchwork. Looks like you have done some planning in advance of this work. I see a spool of wire on the floor so you must have plans for a control panel. Don't forget to run wire leads to the track around the layout instead of relying on the single point of contact from your power supply. That will give you better electric connections and solder them to the track rather than rely on a pinch connection.

 

[Burlington Bob]

By HardcoreABN;

Still have some work to do, but it will slowly get finished.

If you are like most of us you'll find that to not be the case. You'll always have something that you want to change or add to or do something with!

Welcome to the Forums and feel free to ask any questions. There are plenty of good people here that can help. Looks like you are off to a good start.

Is that a Vette that you kitbashed into a truck!?

 

[Motley]

That is classic! Stuffing all the lumber in a Vett. Funny as hell.

 

[otiscnj]

Regarding the 'stuff it' photos, couldn't you find a nice VW Bug to bring the 4x8 and 8' long plywood and lumber home in(said in my best sarcastic voice). I'm with Motley-love the pick up, and built up photos!!!!!!! Have had to deal with similar issues, never a Corvette though-not something everybody who's done this sort of thing, thinks to record 'how it all packs in, for future reference, of course.' A first in my looking at 'train photos, since 1973, based on what I've seen.' Good job!

Regarding the table you've built, you could have used 1x4" lumber in stead of 2x4"s, to frame out the plywood. These pieces add strength via the 'web depth,' ie narrow dimension, not the width or thickness of the lumber. I studied engineer, and this is one of the first things they teach you in one of the mechanics course's (Mechanics of Materials, is what my school called it in the early 80's). By using the 2x4's instead of say, 1x4's or 1x3's, you actually built in dead weight that doesn't add any support, which means if you have the same layout, as you've built it, I'd expect that in 5 years or so, there will be sags in your table top. What should you do? I've leave it up to others to tell you whether to go back and rebuild the better way with the 1" lumber, or to keep it, as you may change things later on anyway, so 5 years is longer than you need to be worried about. If this is intended to be your 'layout of a lifetime,' sort of project, I'd tell you then to redo it.

I would say that the 2x4 running down the length of your 4x8 or such, section, isn't enough to support the top of the table, beyond a few months without sagging, depending upon your location, climate, and humidity controls of the space. Replace it with several shorter boards(1x4s or 1x3's) running from front to back of the table instead of its 'long length.' This will add strength, and prevent most sags, for much much longer.

Welcome to the forums!
Otis

 

[HardcoreABN]

They were 2x4 sheets of OSB, not a 4x8- no way that would fit in the car. I used 2x4's because I can reuse them far easier when I tear the table down this spring/summer when I move it all upstairs to the 14x22 room. Haven't decided what I am going to use when I build it upstairs. The car-guy in me says all polished stainless steel tubing lol.

If it was going to be a permanent table, I would just add legs so I would have no more than a 4' span.