Model Railroading > How To Build A 4x8 Good Table?

Me and a friend are looking at building a 4x8 table for a model railroad. Are there plans out there, I know its a prety simple thing but I want to make sure its braced pretty well and ive never been much of a carpenter.

Get a copy of 'Basic Model Railroad Benchwork' by Jeff Wilson. That would be a good place to start.

MSM

102 track plans

At the time I built this museum-themed 4x8 (using 2x4's for the frame, 2x2's for the legs (no braces) and painted particle board for the top) I was in a one-bedroom apt. and didn't have a lot of room. I moved before I had a chance to start the scenery.

First pic shows the track and building layout, second shows where the roads and parking lots would've been (cardboard pieces).

It was surprisingly sturdy considering the legs weren't braced.

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Get a 4x8 sheet of cabinet grade birch plywood at Lowes or Home Depot as it is usually the most flat plywood you can get (much better than any AC plywood I've seen recently). Pick up 10 1"x4"x8' (My Lowes has them on sale right now in the wood trim/millwork aisle, these are a better grade of lumber). Total cost of lumber, about $75-80.

Build a box around the edge of the 4x8 sheet of plywood using the 1x4's. Put cross braces across the inside of the box every 24". Make legs using the 1x4's screwing them together to make a L shape. Attach the legs to the box structure on the underside of the layout, I usually do it on one of the sets of cross braces.

This is an extremely strong, and probably overbuilt design, but if you use wood screws and drill pilot holes before driving the screws, you'll have plenty of lumber to recycle in the future if you decide to do something else. I just built one for my kids the other day, took about 3-4 hours of good work by myself to get it all done. My table is square and sturdy. I wouldn't be afraid to stand on top of the table, I know it's built that well. They love it, and it keeps them away from "my" trains.

If you can go up even a little larger on the dimensions then you can go up to 24" radius, or angle an oval with stock 22" radius track, or other things to make it look better and the increased radii available allows use of larger equipment.

For a model railroad huh? I just remembered that I have one that might meet your needs.

Or you could have a nice sized N layout on a sliding closet door (36x72) and look at GoodWill for a old folding table that has legs you can use.
Roger Beckett

NEEBAR Wrote:
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> For a model railroad huh? I just remembered that
> I have one that might meet your needs.

Yea, a model railroad, haha......