Need Help Designing Train Table

Hi Eric,

I have found 24" to be comfortable. They sit, stand or kneel.

The modular requirements will add a little more work and expense to the project, but it's do-able. It could sit on a plastic banquet type table, which will raise the height to 30". Think frame and deck together that you connect.

You could build FasTrack Modules, 4 small radius corners for a 60" by 60" square. You could have two straight modules (45") to set up a larger track in another area perhaps for a session. Those are expensive to buy and still expensive to build, but less than a purchase.(pdf attached)

There's a couple of thoughts to get things going.

Have you considered any ready made bench work? Here's a link the Mianne's Site. It might be worth taking a look at. This would do everything you describe and you could easily use 2'x4' 1/2" plywood for the table top. The top is fastened down with angle clips. All legs are adjustable, you can get any height you want and it can be assembled with a screw driver.

I finally got some about a month or so ago in a 6'x16' size, at their standard height of 40". Took about 5-6 hours to clear the area, unpack the 3 boxes, sort all the parts, read the directions and assemble the table. Once you install all the hardware it would be very easy to take apart and re-assemble. It looks nice also.

The next morning I went up to Home Depot and got 3 sheets of their sandply plywood, had them rip them in half and came home and installed them. Table was finished in about 8 hours total, counting the trip to Home Depot. All the necessary hardware, including the angles and screws for the top is included with the kit so you don't have to go hunting all the different parts to fasten things together.

It's also easily re-configured or added on to if your nephew decides to go further with the hobby and wants something larger or a different layout configuration as he gets older. The only draw back is possibly price. Some may think it's too expensive? Personally I thought it was well worth it as I am planning to re-configure and expand as my budget permits and I didn't want to spend all my time fiddling with bench work. Especially when I get ready to change it around later on.

Thanks for the responses so far.  If I have time this evening, I'll try to find a picture of what I was picturing as a play table.

24 inches high sounds like great advice.  Thanks, Moonman.  I'm not sure FasTrack modules would work here but I'll keep that in mind.  The reason I was thinking about a table was so that he could change up the layout and figure out what he likes and doesn't.  I'm not sure but I think he may be young (6) for a modular type layout.  Plus he has a small room.

RTR...   I hadn't considered Mianne.  Thanks for the suggestion.  I was hoping to spend less than that but the suggestion is growing on me.  It would certainly meet the requirements of easy to take down and assemble as well as being able to easily store/transport.

For the "sandply" plywood...  What sizes were the boards after they were ripped?  What are you doing in terms of scenery?  Foam?  Paint?  I was thinking of a grass mat but paint may be what we end up with.

IF you own a chop saw, if you buy a Kreg Tool you've got what you need to build really nice bench work. We use 1x4's on the perimeter, 1x3 cross braces @ 16" O.C. The tops are 1/4" glued w/ Liquid Nails and screwed down. Very strong and light.

Gilly

Hello

One might try Harbor freight for the metal saw horses that go sale from time to time.

For table legs

I have a set and find for the price and what they can hold 1000 lbs per set

These are really good and be made shorter if needed.And have plastic feet on them

This is more than any small layout should weigh

I would plan everything out ,build the table and take pictures and make drawings.

Make your own kit.

Plan out everything.

See how much our sister in law can really do

Use some CAD =card board aided disign  . 

You are welcome. I figured the price might be a bit high for your application especially for a 6 year old that may or may not stay with the hobby. The time saved, ease of assembly, flexibility and expansion capability of the Mianne is really something to consider. It's also made of poplar and the way the pieces are made resists warping, twisting and all the other problems you get with standard lumber these days and remains light weight.

I got the sandply ripped length wise into 2' x 8' pieces. They also can just as easily cut it into 2' x 4' pieces for you. I think they also have it in ready cut 2' x 4' pieces, but it's a little more expensive that way. I was going to get birch plywood, but after looking at both types which were the same price, the birch was only 3 ply and the sandply was 5 ply. More plies are better for stability.

Since you are using Fastrack, I would might consider going with the green indoor/outdoor type carpet to add some silencing to the Fastrack and make the train running a bit more quiet. Some have said that type of carpet quiets the Fastrack quite a bit. The grass might help with the noise also, I really don't know about that? Paint would also be fine, but won't reduce noise.

I am using Atlas track with Flexxbed for road bed, so we have different track systems. I have some buildings, crossing gates, street lights, stop lights, autos etc., but haven't really decided on the final scenery plan. My grandson was here this evening, he has lots of ideas for all that so I will probably let him select a lot of it and where to put it. He is 9 and it might be good experience and a lot of fun for him.

A fold up table or the saw horses suggested by some of the others here might also be a good idea and something to consider. Maybe you could use brackets or something to join the small pieces of plywood if using those. The Kreg tool suggested also makes a good wood joint, but if you have to buy the tool and chop saw to construct it, you might be approaching the cost of the Mianne?

I used Gilly@N&W's approach combined with rabbeting the top edge for the 1/4" underlayment ply to sit in for a Thomas table for my grandson. It's 42" x 65". It is very light without the legs.

This is similar to the FasTrack module approach of construction for a reference. You could build these in 4' x 2' section and use quik clamps to hold them together. Then sit on saw horses or some type of support. It would be light enough to move and assemble by Mom.

When assembling, a piece of track over the joints could be fit in.

That's why I sent you the modular manual, for the concept of having the pieces(modules) and how to assemble and such. Just connecting boxes.

The Mianne will take hours to assemble and disassemble. Not something Mom will want to do.

While this could be a better approach for the OP's and layout he is trying to build, the Fastrack modules are not that inexpensive either, at least not the kits from Lionel.

Your statement about Mianne benchwork is not quite accurate. It is true that the Mianne bench work in a 4' x 8' configuration would take possibly 2-3 hours to assemble for the first time, as you have to install the t-nuts, leveling feet, quick connect hardware and alignment pins and read the directions. Once that is done it would probably take about 15-30 minutes to assemble or dis-assemble the entire table including top. Detailed drawings and instructions are provided with the kit and it should be very easy to do with just a screwdriver.

Clamps are not tools?

I'm sure the modules you speak of are a fine system, as is the Mianne bench work. Both would possibly meet the OP's needs as would the suggestions of others in this thread. I have merely tried to answer the OP's questions accurately and correct any inaccuracies. However, the choice is not mine, it's up to Grandalf97 as to which he thinks is best for his situation.

If you can get one delivered or for that matter even rent a u haul truck locally, you might try craigslist for a Ping pong table, they are five feet by nine feet, just about the size of a 036 figure 8. They are usually 30" high, they fold up and can be rolled away, and if the boy tires of his trains, he can try ping pong. Rich