Building Model Railroads Made Easy
If you haven’t already purchased a model train, you should decide on that first. You will need a concept based on the scale of train you are going to use, and the amount of space you will take up with the setup. These are simple things, but if you don’t consider them early, you will certainly be sorry later.
Now, let’s assume you have your train and you know how large you want the benchwork to be. Wherever you are going to put the setup, make sure you have access to all areas so it is easy to do the work. A large layout that requires you to lay on existing work to get to other parts is a mistake. If you are like many modelers, you will not only make scenery and track layouts once, but you will redo sections of them many times.
Build and anchor your benchwork in such a way that it is difficult for someone to knock it over. Take the time to build strong legs and have a work area made of ¾-inch plywood. Anchor the plywood to the framework with screws so one part won’t move without all the other parts going with it. Keep the screws toward the outside of the benchwork to avoid putting scenery and track on top of them. Use screws so you can disassemble and transport the benchwork if you desire.
Make sure to have enough cross members under the plywood to support the setup. It is best to have the joists no further than 2 feet apart, and they can be as close as 16 inches. Do not cut corners on the legs. If you have a 4 feet by 8 feet piece of plywood, you need a minimum of 6 legs. When your train is running, you do not want the benchwork to move. If you do a poor job of supporting the tabletop, you will have constant upkeep to your work caused by movement.
You may want to include a plywood shelf below the main benchwork to hold your tools and any items that aren’t used on your setup. This is important to keep organized and to keep from constantly going to get things as you need them.
If you don’t have one, get a rolling stool that you can sit on while you work on the layout. The hobby will cease to be fun if you wear yourself out standing up for long periods.
When you begin building model railroads on your benchwork, you will have a much easier time if your work area is sound.
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