N SCALE COFFEE TABLE LAYOUT WITH CUSTOM POWERPACK

[tmackinator]

The trains, plastic buildings and track were purchased from someone getting out of the hobby. By selling off items I didn't need net cost waszero or I made a little. The cherry wood was leftovers from a roll top desk I made, hard for me to price but not much. Retail cherry is probably $300.The 1/4 glass was about $150 or so. All the scenery was home made so no cost. The real cost was time but as you say it's all a hobby. A commercial built unit is easily over $2000 Thanks for your comments.

[venusflytrap99]

you know alot of hobbies like model trains and Lego layouts and fish-tanks and reptile enclosers are allot alike they all involve creativity,how much did this cost to do not including the table its in?

[tmackinator]

Thanks for the comments. I sent a response in a message to you as space is limited in the reply here. -TM

[TheDragonjm3]

This is just awesome!

It is exactly the layout I have been wanting to build.

Any chance you would share your track plans?

[Staratino]

I firmly believe I could have fun with that all day :)

[tmackinator]

@Staratino Thanks for the nice comments!-TM

[gtc1961]

Very well done, great craftsmanship there. I assume the top and sides are glass, not acrylic?

[tmackinator]

@gtc1961 Thanks for the nice comments. Yes the top and sides are glass I had custom cut. I'm not sure I would use acrylic. -TM

[LEARNTOPLAYCRAPS]

Sweet. Thanks for sharing!!!

[tmackinator]

@LEARNTOPLAYCRAPSThanks for the nice comments-TM

[Fis10n]

what if it de-rails? haha

[tmackinator]

@Fis10n Top lifts right off easily. I just can't see anymore to re-rail the cars!-TM

[Fis10n]

@tmackinator yeah i figured

[kalebsthebest67]

This layout is epic :)

[tmackinator]

@kalebsthebest67 Thanks for the great comment. This was a result of falling into some n scale trains for next to nothing and needing a new coffee table. This is my first and only n scale layout. I'm primarily an O gage operator/collector. We had a lot of fun doing this.-TM

[092755kc]

Hi, could you tell me the dimension of the inner two layer rail, thanx!

[axelsfolks]

awesome.... maybe someday... getting into HO and getting a DCC set soon...

I'd love to make something like this someday.

[tmackinator]

@axelsfolks Thanks for taking the time to comment. This was a good project for some left over wood. -TM

[pureepic441]

looks like z

[tmackinator]

@pureepic441 It's N scale.-TM

[Stephenm26]

Wow. That's brilliant!

[coasterolla]

OMG this is my goal in life is to make one

[xam107]

can you open the top if something happens?

[tmackinator]

@xam107 Thanks for your comments. Yes the top lifts right off and the side glass is also easily removed if need be.-TM

[NSWNS110109]

I have a track plan for a layout 3.75 feet x 1.6 feet (1.15 x 0.51 metres). Folded dogbone design with two passing loops, three turnouts (points), minimum 9 inch radius trackwork. Partly tunneled, but fold-down back-scene will allow access for derailment crews. Can run 2 trains at once. Email me if you want a copy.

[tmackinator]

@nacho210210 thanks for the nice comments, Nacho-TM

[chance69bollman]

i need to come to ur house im a train fanatic i have 200 train sets my basement is a train set

[aginnan]

This is almost exactly what I've been looking for... do you have some sort of track plan that I can look at to see what all track is needed, etc.? Thanks!

[tmackinator]

@aginnan I built this on the fly. The table is 30 x 52 x 21 high. I just started laying track in the available space. I have no real track plan. There is one outer loop with passing siding and the inner loop is a lazy figure eight. Note that the grade of the raised portion is on the edge of being too steep due to the space requirements and I use a dual powered engine to pull. Many single units will not climb the grade.- Hope this info helps-TM

[RedLego391]

Nice! You should put it on display in a train show! 15/5

[tmackinator]

@RedLego391 Thanks for the nice comments-TM

[jbrunsonjr]

Very impressive work!

[tmackinator]

@jbrunsonjr Thanks for taking the time to comment-TM

[lowrider1812]

very nice job!! 5 out of five.

[tmackinator]

@lowrider1812 Thanks for taking the time for the nice comments!

[kukumixumixu]

Opps. Sorry, typo error!

Make that, Thanks for the video, not foe ...

[kukumixumixu]

Very nice layout!

Thanks foe the video!

[mapexmac]

Really nice work there - I really appreciate the inventiveness of the drawers too - a very clever solution, making the entire work a very tidy operation. Entertaining, practical, concise. Brilliant!

[tmackinator]

@mapexmac Thanks, This table was built spur of the moment when I fell into some N trains for too good a price to pass up. I sold off some, enough to cover the cost of the project and keep what you see. I needed a new coffe table anyway and had the cherry wood on hand. This was a good way to involve the girlfriend who did 50% of the scenery herself. -TN

[maykevin5]

thanks for your table sizes, after a few months, here is what I have made. I wish i would have a bigger track layout, but guess this had to work. Just search for maykevin5

[maykevin5]

If you still have this table, I would be curious to get the dimensions of the glass and width and length of the actual layout inside the case. I'm going to make a table similar to yours.

[tmackinator]

@maykevin5 Hi, The layout insert is 26x 48 and the top glass is 25 3/8 x48. Side glass is 26x 11 and 48 1/2 x11. You may want to adjust your sizes to make the glass come out to all even dimentions, no fractions as sometimes the glass cutters are funny. Check to see if going over 48 inches is a problem with the glass guys. I'd suggest getting the glass first and building the table to accomondate the size of the glass.

[trackspike64]

i bet you will never get thoses houses done hey ,what did they go on strike or is ur economy that bad on your layout also ??...I dont see many trees tocut down for the rest of the work ...P.s very nice coffee table

[tmackinator]

@trackspike64 Thanks for the nice comments. The builders union went out on strike before the neighborhood was finished. The coffee tabe has been a nice addition to the living room and was a good use for some cherry I had left over from other projects that unlike the house builders, I managed to finish.-TM

[pjmacf]

A very nice overall little layout. I like it a lot! You have avoided the many errors on a small layout and created a believable little world. Slightly slower running would really finish it off perfectly.

Loved the cat examining stock!

[NSWNS110109]

@pjmacf - Agree about the running speed! Watching the train going around the far loop past the trees I reckon about 120 miles an hour in prototype speed. But a really great job on both the layout and the coffee table! Quite a showpiece. All up cost in materials?

[tmackinator]

@NSWNS110109 it's hard to film and run at the same time. I wasn't going for prototypical operation, just to display the layout. I do have some other engines that when double headed will make the grade in a much slower pace! Cost is hard to asses as I buy rough sawn cherry in large quantity -200-300 board feet- and the n equipment I bought from a guy who wanted out of the hobby and by selling off some stuff, the rolling stock and such was free. I built the power pack for about 40 in components.

[betote72]

Best regards.

It is wonderful. It is my next project. also I have N scale.

congratulations.