pioneervato
Lunatic Member
Last year I bought a 6' pre-lit Christmas tree during the after Christmas sale and I have always wanted to set up a model train layout underneath it. Well since my grandson will be spending Christmas with us this year I decided it was time to do it. For my grandson, of course.
It will be a simple "N" gauge layout on a continuous over and under loop with no turnouts or switches that my grandson should be able to easily operate once I show him how. The layout board consists of 1/2" plywood that is 36" x 96" and will fit easily in the 11' niche where my couch now sits. I attached some homasote boards to the top of the plywood and drilled a 1 3/4" holed through the top and centered it along the length of the board but about 28" from the back where the wall will be to make sure the Christmas tree's branches don't press up against the wall. The base that supports the tree will be underneath the table top and it will be a simple matter of sticking the trunk of the tree through the hole to mate with the stand. The stand will be supported underneath with a box yet to be made and there will be plenty of clearance between the train layout and the bottom tier of branches as long as no long dangling ornaments are hung on the bottom set of branches.
I still have lots to do but I started on it earlier today and made some progress. The landscape/mountains/rocks are made of styrofoam which will be glued together and then fastened to the layout with screws that will be easily covered up with some well place "trees" and "boulders". There will be a few structures but I will keep it simple for now and add and adjust to the layout in the future.
Here are a couple pics from today's progress.
It will be a simple "N" gauge layout on a continuous over and under loop with no turnouts or switches that my grandson should be able to easily operate once I show him how. The layout board consists of 1/2" plywood that is 36" x 96" and will fit easily in the 11' niche where my couch now sits. I attached some homasote boards to the top of the plywood and drilled a 1 3/4" holed through the top and centered it along the length of the board but about 28" from the back where the wall will be to make sure the Christmas tree's branches don't press up against the wall. The base that supports the tree will be underneath the table top and it will be a simple matter of sticking the trunk of the tree through the hole to mate with the stand. The stand will be supported underneath with a box yet to be made and there will be plenty of clearance between the train layout and the bottom tier of branches as long as no long dangling ornaments are hung on the bottom set of branches.
I still have lots to do but I started on it earlier today and made some progress. The landscape/mountains/rocks are made of styrofoam which will be glued together and then fastened to the layout with screws that will be easily covered up with some well place "trees" and "boulders". There will be a few structures but I will keep it simple for now and add and adjust to the layout in the future.
Here are a couple pics from today's progress.