Model Railroad - Benchwork

The first phase of my model railroad project is complete. I built two tables yesterday that will form the benchwork for the railroad. I needed a way to get multiple use out of the table. It is locaed in the garage so I also need something that is strong. I decided to use the same system I used for my game table\workbench. This is 2x4 construction with metal brackets at the joints. This system is easy and quick. Te hardware is from Simpson and they have tons of different brackets for almost any application.

The dimentions are 14 feet long by 22 inches wide. The table height is about 45 inches. Each table has adjustable feet made from 3/8" carriage bolts threaded into T-nuts. This allows me to level the entire layout. I have some rubber feet to put on the carriage bolts to keep the layout from moving around.


The bench is actually made of two 7 foot long benches. This was done to make it easier to move if needed. In order to keep the two benches allied I bolted the end pieces together with a 5/16" bolt. One day I might have a permenemt layout so I did not attach the tops from the top...if you know what I mean. If I had drilled through the top and then done nu landscaping it would be ver tough to salvage. The answer is to attach the layout top with L brackets. This means that I can remove the layout from the bench very easily.


Now I need to get some paint on it quick. The heat in the garage, in Arizona, in June, can be intense. The lumber was pretty green and if I don't seal it soon it will begin to warp. I don't care about the color so I will just use some left-over paint for this. Total bill for this phase was $175, not bad!