Been putting this off because there's a lot of typing involved. Oh well, here we are. I also do not know how layout development is handled here, so I'll just start this thread and use this thread for all further major progress that I will post in the comments. But in the mean time, here is my very first proper layout and the construction that has gone into getting the table ready. User Mudkip Orange showed me his layout table gave me some pointers and recommendations on how to get started. So I settled on a module setup built out of 1/4" 4'x8' plywood and 2x4's. Even a few 1x4's. Using this mass of lumber, I constructed 3 skeleton tables. Two were 3'x6' and one was 4'x6' for a total of a 6'x10' table. I built it as such to make it easier to build, and easier to handle in the event that I ever move. Props to my two coworkers for helping me out here and letting me borrow their power tools. On top of this skeleton table, I laid the 1/4" thick plywood that has its edges bordered by 1x4's and has the center bolstered by more 1x4 pieces of wood to make a module. The center of the module is supported by the center beam of the skeleton table. The center brace supports and distributes the weight and the cross beams help keep it from sagging and buckling when someone leans on it. To hold each module in place, I placed paddles in each corner of the table to keep them from moving, as seen above. This allows me to lift the module off the table and set it on the floor if I need to work on something where reaching it might be difficult and put it back in the same place. The 4'x6' table proved to be a little more tricky as I needed to cut a 2'x2' hole on one side to act as an access hatch so I can reach the back corner and back side of the table. The hatch is held in place by two hinges and a bolt latch so it can stay up for aesthetic purposes when not in use. As much as I would love to have the table in the middle of the room so I can access all sides, I have to share the room, so it goes in the corner. Only had a small issue of the screws for the hinges and latch poking through the plywood, but those were easily covered by the foam I put on later. All three tables are now moved together into one cohesive table. Once the table was put together, then it was just a matter of gluing down 1" thick insulation foam to act as a solid base to lay the track and scenery down onto. As of the time I'm posting this, all the foam has been glued down and is ready for me to start laying track. The books are there because the last piece is drying. Most I have ever used some of those college text books. As some of you may seen me post earlier, this is the track plan I have ready for this table. It designed for non-block DC operation, hence why everything runs in a single direction. The hatch will double as an operator's pit and is represented here as the light grey square. So, what's the next step? Well, right now I am simply waiting for all my track to arrive so I can start laying track. The whole layout is built using HO Kato Unitrack. Why am I laying track when I don't even have any ground painted or greenery setup? The reason for this is that I am not sure what kind of scenery I want yet. I have all my left over foam to add hills, mountains, and other topography, but I do not where I want to place it yet. I also have many scale buildings that were my father's and grandfather's that I would like to use, but I have no idea where I would place them. And since I do not have a very large printer (or printer at all) to print out a full size picture of the track plan onto the table, building it for real will have to do. Plus I am also very antsy to run something. Next step after track will likely be to give a base coat of paint of green to use as a starter for when scenery and other greenery starts going down. But that is for the future. For now, I am very happy with the table and that it is finally completed. My only complaints or things I would change is to more precisely cut and construct the wood for the table as some pieces did not line up as expected and I had to improvise a little bit, mainly on the underside supports. I also would have used two bolt latches instead of just one to keep the corners of the hatch from sagging. I also wish I could have cut the foam better so that it fits together more cleanly. Right now, there are a few janky spots or gaps I could do without. Oh well. Cutting foam with a small box cutter is tricky and I can still work with it. If any major updates happen to the layout, like greenery going down, or putting a town up, I will likely post it in the comments here as an update. Let me know what y'all think.
Nicely done! I did about the same. I laid down track first - mainly because I was improvising along the way - so I could get something rolling, if only to give my loco fleet some exercise. Then I used a marker to draw what I figured would be the scenery arrangement - again improvised - more or less! I experimented with building arrangements to see what looked better ("clicked" inside my head). Then I laid "underground" wiring, then scenery, and the final building sites. You're going to have a lot of fun.
