Hi all, I have a little project going if your interested. I was/am in need of car storage space out on the railroad during the “operating season” and thought a storage container disguised as an industry building would be the thing to use. There are several good threads on constructing these on a couple of websites so I wasn’t long in coming up with some construction ideas that would fit my plans. I am ready to start construction on the Humboldt Bay end of my “point to point” table top operation so thought the car barn would be the best place to begin as it would be the end of the line. I started with my typical table construction using 2X4 and 4X4 pressure treated lumber. If the construction seems very similar to Richard Smith’s it’s only because I stole all his ideas. Although I have deviated somewhat as I set my 4X4 legs about a foot and a half deep using concrete I find it gives me better stability without the need of cross bracing. These first two table sections are 30 inches wide by 8’-3” long. I buy 10 foot posts and cut them in half; it saves on material costs by doing it that way. To establish the location I use a string line then set the frame on the ground to locate the post holes. After the holes are dug I raise the frame to the approximate finished height and clamp it in place then plum the posts and pour the concrete. In this picture the first four posts are set and the concrete is curing, while the next frame is laid in place and the holes are dug for the next posts.
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Here the 4X4 posts are all secured in concrete and the basic table frames are secured in place. The 2X4 intermediate legs are cut and leaning in position. The 2X4 legs bear on bricks and are for down load only not for sway strength. This method provides table top support every 4 feet of table run. Also notice that 2X2 center bracing has been staggered down the center of the tables, this helps carry the load of the deck wire so it doesn’t have such a long open span.
This is a repeat view but here you can see that the first table (on the right) is set ¾ of an inch lower than the table on the left. The reason for this is to allow for the thickness of the strips that carry the track inside the car barn.
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More later Rick