Apartment layout

I don't understand the problem. Why can you not cut lumber in the room in which you will then build the layout?

Well, if you can’t cut lumber or build it elsewhere, you have a few choices- pre-made benchwork (very expensive), some type of commercially-made tables, or have the lumber yard/Home Depot/Lowe’s cut it for you.  I have no idea what they charge beyond a certain amount of cuts.

Mianne bench work, when you move you can take it with you. No power tools required,no mess, can be modified easily. If you are going to use "sheet goods", Home Depot will give you one free cut. 4x8 becomes 4x4, very easy to handle.

Steve

A while back I read something about Tony Koester (of model railroad magazine fame) building a G scale layout on insulation foam sections and supported by standard folding tables. That might be a way around your non-lumber thoughts. 

Forum sponsor Mianne Benchwork can provide you with custom-designed benchwork pieces to fit your space and track plan. The pieces are designed to be assembled with just a screwdriver, require no cutting or woodworking skill, and can easily be dismantled when necessary. I have built two layouts with this high-quality product. One layout was just completed and the other has been in operation since 1999. I would not have a model railroad if not for this product.

MELGAR

Home Despot has sets of folding table legs. They will cut ¾" ply to size and flat-head machine screws would suffice to attach them. 1X2 under the edges would prevent future sagging. You can cut them to length yourself using the handsaw provided in the trim department.

Lew

I'm sure Mianne is a great product.  But if you plan everything carefully, you can get ALL of your dimensional lumber cut at Lowe's or Home Depot.  You'll probably have to use a power screwdriver to assemble it at home, but that doesn't make a mess and it's not any louder than a vacuum cleaner.

I had every bit of the lumber for my layout (2x4's and 3/4" plywood sheets, "finished" on one side) pre-cut by Home Depot. It all arrived ready-to-go into layout benchwork  construction. The only "cutting" I did was drilling the holes for the legs to be attached to the framing.I must admit, however, that I was a bit intimidated when all that lumber arrived, in one delivery (there was absolutely no way I was going to even try to transport sheets of plywood and all those 2x4s on and in my Beemer. But the adventure of constructing it all together to make the platform(s) for my layout quickly wiped away any hesitation, and the excitement began.

So what I am suggesting, as a few others advised you, here, that having the lumber pre-cut, no matter the overall size you intend, takes a lot of work out of the formula, as far as I was concerned, and inserted a whole lot of enjoyment.

FrankM

P.S. And I sure did enjoy the fragrance of all that lumber filling the basement.

toddstrick posted:

Hello,

I am now living in a apartment. I want to build a small layout but do not has room to be cutting lumber. I also do not have access to build it somewhere else and then rebuild it here. What other ideas do you have for a small around the room layout? 12x13 is the size of the room.

You might build it in modular form, similar to N-Trak modular layouts.  You may be able to make good use of hollow-core wood doors, which are light weight, to go around the room.  Support them with tables or Mianne benchwork.  Build it so that if you ever move, you can easily disassemble the modules and take them with you.

I was in similar circumstances years ago - and after thinking about it - used the folding table legs and pre-cut plywood with braces for the legs (like Lew suggests) to put together a 3 ft by 5 ft table that I could fold away after use. Home Depot helped cut the everything for me, and even helped me puzzle through how to put everything together with only a few tools. Then I tacked down indoor / outdoor carpet and worked up some track plans using 027 track.  I still have it - and use it!

I have my layout in an almost the same size room (12' x 15').  I started with a small setup, then expanded.  Because I use green felt, I didn't have to blend scenery and could take it apart and rebuild it if needed.

Here's my plan... by no means anything special, but by phasing the build, I was able to build, run trains, build some more, run trains, etc.

The starter "module" is the part outlined in pink.  Then I added the green.  Took out the couch and then added the part in yellow, and the decided to run in and out of the closet.  Lastly, I added a narrow upper-deck on opposite sides for trolley lines and a very small airport!

I post this as a thought-provoker for you, lots of ways to go, just get started!

I feel your pain, when I was in an apartment my neighbors did not appreciate my construction efforts.  That being said there are lots of non invasive ways to get around the room.  Stand alone shelving with a top of 2 inch pink foam works well.  You can purchase it in 2 foot by 8 foot lengths at the local big box store.  There is a track plan called New England in a room in the CTT track plan database which I think is perfect for your space.  Try to look it up, it is designed for a 12 x 12 room, around the walls with a peninsula that elongates the run.  All of the along the wall sections are not all that deep which means not too much construction, the center peninsula can be located however you need it in your space and can be a couple of fold up tables.  These may be lower than you like but the ease in assembly and dis-assembly given  your circumstances may make up for it.   Use it as a concept plan, there is no need to copy it as is, good luck.

Toy trains were meant to be played with on the floor. What is all this talk of benchwork? Save the money for the lumber and buy more track, trains and accessories!

George

Conference room tables with fold up legs available various widths (18" to 36")  and different lengths (6' & 8').  Some have optional height adjustable legs.   When you get a permanent place you can sell them.

Years ago, when I lived in an apartment, I saw someone cutting wood with a power saw in the parking lot.  It was a Saturday afternoon, if I remember correctly, and no one objected.

Just a thought.

Ed

eddiem posted:

I have my layout in an almost the same size room (12' x 15').  I started with a small setup, then expanded.  Because I use green felt, I didn't have to blend scenery and could take it apart and rebuild it if needed.

Here's my plan... by no means anything special, but by phasing the build, I was able to build, run trains, build some more, run trains, etc.

The starter "module" is the part outlined in pink.  Then I added the green.  Took out the couch and then added the part in yellow, and the decided to run in and out of the closet.  Lastly, I added a narrow upper-deck on opposite sides for trolley lines and a very small airport!

I post this as a thought-provoker for you, lots of ways to go, just get started!

Hey.  That's a NICE layout for the space.

toddstrick posted:

Hello,

I am now living in a apartment. I want to build a small layout but do not has room to be cutting lumber. I also do not have access to build it somewhere else and then rebuild it here. What other ideas do you have for a small around the room layout? 12x13 is the size of the room.

I would certainly go with MIANNE benchwork.  You'll love it for your situation.  As someone said, H-D will cut your 4'x8' boards for you.  Measure well.  Bring the pieces home,  Install.  There's your layout table.

Good luck.

After I painted the attic and got the carpets cleaned ... I did not want to have sawdust etc  up their so I  cut every piece of wood outside  and walked every piece upstairs  !   My landscaping is going to handled the same way I'll make templates   buy the foam board  do it outside and bring it  up those stairs!   Painting and details  is not messy and will do all that in the attic.... good way to get skinny  legs  ...just a thought..

Nearly 50 years ago, we lived in an two bedroom apartment.  My modest collection of boyhood American Flyer trains were stored at my folks’ house. My bride of two years had seen them set them up once on the folks’ basement family room floor back before we were married. She told me that I should bring them back with us after a visit “now that we had our own place.”

After a couple of short lived “Carpet Centrals” on the floor of our modest apartment living room, I tried to figure out how to get a better set-up arranged.  Our guest bedroom had two old single beds and, while it was used fairly often by friends and relatives visiting from our hometown, it was not used for some good periods of time.

I determined that I could set a 5’ x 9’ table top of some sort across the beds to set up a temporary layout.  I quickly learned that 5’ x 9’ plywood sheets were no longer readily available, but a nearby lumberyard happily cut three 5’ x 3’ pieces out of 4’ x 8’ sheets.  Much straighter cuts than I could have done myself.  I was able to fit the plywood including scraps and several 8’ 1”x 4”s in the back of our new Pinto Runabout and headed home.

I chose 1/4” plywood to save weight.   On our second story deck, I framed and braced it with the 1” x 4”s (Easy to cut with my handsaw.) to minimize flexing.  I had a drill (My very first power tool!), and I drilled holes for carriage bolts to bolt the three sections together.  Although never more than a “Plywood Central,” it worked well, stored easily in sections in our allowable storage space, and enabled me to play trains much more often.

When we moved into our first house, I added banquet table folding legs to each section and have used them for temporary home layouts, AF operating displays at museums and historic homes in both 5’ x 6’ and 5’ x 9’ configurations, not to mention innumerable times as extra eating tables, work tables and garage and swap meet tables,  ever since.  Still have them. In fact one section is set up as a work table in the garage right now.

Not too bad for what was originally to be a short term way for me to set up trains in a small space.  I have been eying them for a while as a base for a sectional layout to display my small collection of Marx and other tinplate trains and accessories.

Still have the same wife, too.

Cheers!

Alan

All the ideas here are very good.

You could also use hollow core 30" wide doors attached to pre-assembled saw-horses as a quick way to set up a layout.

HI there 

What about using the Plastic Dinning tables  they sell at Walmart, Office depot, Menards, Lowes & etc 

Easy up any running !   you would most likely need at least two of them.   they come 4'x30" or 6'x30" or 8'x30"  .   The height is around 30" tall .  

you could  buy indoor/outdoor carpet to put on top of the tables  or buy Green Felt from Jo Ann Fabrics .  

Just an idea !   

Richie's idea is good too .  

Alan B posted:

Nearly 50 years ago, we lived in an two bedroom apartment.  My modest collection of boyhood American Flyer trains were stored at my folks’ house. My bride of two years had seen them set them up once on the folks’ basement family room floor back before we were married. She told me that I should bring them back with us after a visit “now that we had our own place.”

After a couple of short lived “Carpet Centrals” on the floor of our modest apartment living room, I tried to figure out how to get a better set-up arranged.  Our guest bedroom had two old single beds and, while it was used fairly often by friends and relatives visiting from our hometown, it was not used for some good periods of time.

I determined that I could set a 5’ x 9’ table top of some sort across the beds to set up a temporary layout.  I quickly learned that 5’ x 9’ plywood sheets were no longer readily available, but a nearby lumberyard happily cut three 5’ x 3’ pieces out of 4’ x 8’ sheets.  Much straighter cuts than I could have done myself.  I was able to fit the plywood including scraps and several 8’ 1”x 4”s in the back of our new Pinto Runabout and headed home.

I chose 1/4” plywood to save weight.   On our second story deck, I framed and braced it with the 1” x 4”s (Easy to cut with my handsaw.) to minimize flexing.  I had a drill (My very first power tool!), and I drilled holes for carriage bolts to bolt the three sections together.  Although never more than a “Plywood Central,” it worked well, stored easily in sections in our allowable storage space, and enabled me to play trains much more often.

When we moved into our first house, I added banquet table folding legs to each section and have used them for temporary home layouts, AF operating displays at museums and historic homes in both 5’ x 6’ and 5’ x 9’ configurations, not to mention innumerable times as extra eating tables, work tables and garage and swap meet tables,  ever since.  Still have them. In fact one section is set up as a work table in the garage right now.

Not too bad for what was originally to be a short term way for me to set up trains in a small space.  I have been eying them for a while as a base for a sectional layout to display my small collection of Marx and other tinplate trains and accessories.

Still have the same wife, too.

Cheers!

Alan

 

 

But do you still have the Pinto Runabout? 

No, Sean, regrettably I do not still have the Pinto.  It was our only car for two years, and we kept it a total of 16 years.  By that time our oldest son had his license, and he said, “You’re not going to make me  the Pinto are you?” So I said, “Nope,” and sold it.  Kinda wish I had it back.

A year later, I bought a former USDA Soil Conservation Sevice 1975 Ford F-100 pick-up that both boys drove through their entire high school years.

Like the Pinto, the F-100 (long narrow box) had a manual four speed transmission which boys learned to manipulate and carried the tables I made along with my trains to multiple train shows and displays over the years.

Cheers!

Alan

Alan B posted:

No, Sean, regrettably I do not still have the Pinto.  It was our only car for two years, and we kept it a total of 16 years.  By that time our oldest son had his license, and he said, “You’re not going to make me  the Pinto are you?” So I said, “Nope,” and sold it.  Kinda wish I had it back.

A year later, I bought a former USDA Soil Conservation Sevice 1975 Ford F-100 pick-up that both boys drove through their entire high school years.

Like the Pinto, the F-100 (long narrow box) had a manual four speed transmission which boys learned to manipulate and carried the tables I made along with my trains to multiple train shows and displays over the years.

Cheers!

Alan

Thanks Alan,

We had a Mercury Bobcat back then that was a clone of the Pinto.

Also long gone.

MELGAR posted:

Forum sponsor Mianne Benchwork can provide you with custom-designed benchwork pieces to fit your space and track plan. The pieces are designed to be assembled with just a screwdriver, require no cutting or woodworking skill, and can easily be dismantled when necessary. I have built two layouts with this high-quality product. One layout was just completed and the other has been in operation since 1999. I would not have a model railroad if not for this product.

MELGAR

I have built a total of four layouts in the past with Mianne benchwork. Three were in apartments and the fourth was in a condo (spare bedroom). Highly recommended because I was able to easily assemble, dismantle, and re-use the same components (plus some new ones that had to be added, depending on the situation encountered after each move). My current layout in my ranch-stlye home's basement is a good bit more permanent, but I had initially planned to use Mianne benchwork here for that significantly larger layout. My renovation contractor changed my mind on that score when he asked/volunteered to build benchwork for me and my wife offered to pay for it.

I am in an apartment as well. My 9x6 spare bedroom layout is supported by two of the Lifetime brand 6' folding tables from Lowe's. On the tables I have a simple open wooden frame topped with 2" blue foam insulation. Eight years of operation with no problems. 

toddstrick posted:

Hello,

I am now living in a apartment. I want to build a small layout but do not has room to be cutting lumber. I also do not have access to build it somewhere else and then rebuild it here. What other ideas do you have for a small around the room layout? 12x13 is the size of the room.

There are a few ways to do it. Think in terms of a 24" wide shelf at 30"-40" off of the floor. When you get the benchwork designed, Home Depot will cut the pieces to size for you. This also makes them transportable to get them home. 

Making holes in the walls to mount brackets to wall studs is easily repairable before you move to protect your deposit.

Wall brackets and plywood deck.