With all the same enthusiasm and expertise demonstrated in previous Model Railroader Project Layout efforts, host David Popp and Bryson Sleppy begin constructing the East Troy Industrial Park (ETIP) model railroad! While it will be just a small semblance of the former Milwaukee, Racine, & Troy HO scale (1:87.1) layout, the all-new ETIP promises to be built in the same tradition and keen attention to detail…starting with the benchwork! In this episode you’ll walk through the steps for shaping the wood frames that, quite literally, get the train off the ground. Even more, you’ll want to explore the simple, yet extraordinarily helpful insights the crew shares in Model Railroader Tips & Tricks posted on Trains.com Video!
Be sure to keep up with the construction progress by linking into the Trains.com Workshop Webcam (available 24/7), and the full series of helpful, instructional videos rolling out every month until the effort concludes. Even then, the fun will continue in frequent Trains.com articles/updates and Model Railroader print features, beginning with the January 2026 issue. You won’t want to miss the new techniques and tips the crew will share with you along the way, as they have a bit of fun bringing the ETIP into fruition!
David they make a bit that drills and countersinks at the same time it works great and yes the drill will go long enough for your screws
Worried about which way your lumber will warp? Fortunately, most “lumber yards” sell the pre-warped lumber at no extra charge!
Who knew framing could be done at high speed? Sure helps to have two people, lots of clamps, a square, a clear space and drafted plans too.
Question – why the 8-10 inch gap on the right wall? Is there something going there in future? Why not build right to that wall?
Good eye, Andrew! Yes, we left that space open to allow us to be able to separate and position the layout sections easily.
David, you mentioned not having a 12′ piece of 2″ for the top of the L girder, when I build my 7′ diorama, I used 1×6 boards and ripped off a piece for the “L” so I could buy long enough pieces without worrying about having to purchase multiple boards. Also, if you don’t have access to a framing square, you could use the “3, 4, 5” rule; measure 3′ on one leg, 4′ on the right angle board and 5′ should be the measurement between the 3 and 4 measurements. It proves you’ve got a 90 degree angle. Learned that watching “This Old House!”
That’s one hell of a hump in the floor there?
Deckmates are the best with T25 heads. Lumber yard, David? You are old school. Haven’t heard that term in a while.
Worked in one in college before “home and building center” even existed.
Time to get started. L girder is the way to go if your layout is semipermanent. A word of warning if your layout is portable gap the rails or the wood will shrink and get warped because humidity is a killer of layouts.
Plastic base, N-Trak, or T-Trak you can get away with it the base is foam or plastic that will never warp but if you go wood you need to gap your rails or the humidity will pull the track out of the ballast and cause kinks. For this layout we are going old school L girder when Andy and Lynn designed the MR&T it was all L girder perfect start for a layout.
Good start. My biggest interest is the the makeup of the tabletop/track roadbed. Straight plywood with cork or other roadbed, plywood with a layer of foam, track laid directly on plywood (perhaps with thin cork sheet for the “main”) or other. Probably episode three.
Hi Roger. Roadbed is coming in a couple of episodes. We used both cork and foam roadbed products on top of the plywood.