Beginner's Guide to Model Railroading

How to Build a Train Table


To operate your trains properly, you must build a train table like the one shown above to get your trains off the floor and give you a permanent place to operate your model railroad.

When you think about all the components that go into a model railroading hobby, your first impression may be one of having to do lots of complicated endeavors like carpentry, electrical, and design work. Actually, if you build a model railroad one step at a time, the work can be fun and quite easy.

For example, the wood and fasteners (nails and screws) that go into building a train table are relatively inexpensive and a table is really quite simple to build. With the help of an adult, your train table can be completed in a single day.

CAUTION: Ask an adult to help you with this project. Never use power tools without the supervision of an adult! Always remember that power tools can be dangerous and serious injuries can occur.

The Model Railroader website provides a complete set of instructions for building a train table. Click Here to read about all the tools and materials you will need to build a safe and sturdy train table. To return to this workshop, simply exit from the Model Railroader website.

Continue with this Railroading Workshop by clicking on the link below:

What Is a Track Plan?


The Train Table

Before you begin building a train table, think long and hard about what kind of model railroad you want to build. Will your layout consist of a coal mining theme or a busy city theme or a theme of mountains and trestles and tunnels? How big do you want your layout to be? A single table gives you a 4' x 8' operating platform; but two tables placed end to end gives you a long 4' x 16' operating platform. The same two tables placed side by side gives you a large square 8' x 8' operating platform. So you have two issues to think about before building your train table: What will be your railroading theme (which affects your track layout), and how large will your operating platform be (which affects the overall size of your railroading empire)?