# New Train Shop Building going to be Built!



## Guest (May 12, 2008)

After this month I (we, mom and I) are going to get a train shop built for me so I can get out of her hair and off the dinning table, sun room and garage. 
What I would like to know is what I need to incorporate in the building. Yeah, power, A/C, heat...etc.. But I would like to see others and how they made there own style shop. I am in need of ideas and pixs will help to /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/blush.gif 
Ruff guess was 20x20 I think, mostly up to money bags! /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/whistling.gif 
Thanks, 
Toad 

PS if any one knows a dealer or person who has lens for signals send me a email.


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## NW Jim (Jan 2, 2008)

I saw one (perhaps at the Sacramento Convention?) that wisely put the studs in horizontally rather than vertically to make for neat rolling stock shelves. Perhaps you could do that in just part, if not all, of your new headquarters. 

I saw another one that had tubes (PVC pipes) for long pieces of metal or wood for building projects. These were horizontally mounted. 

If it was mine, I would make sure that I had a skylight over my bench area as well. Additionally, some kind of forced air ventialtion system could be handy. 

Also, make sure that you have Internet access and cable or dish TV. Of course, some kind of music source is great to have too. 

Good luck with your project!


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

Uh! "Horizontal studs"????? What holds the roof up? 


You forgot the fridge and microwave oven.


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## jimtyp (Jan 2, 2008)

- Air vent for painting, sanding, etc. 
- Plenty of table space 
- Tool caddies 
- storage for parts 
- Plenty of outlets 
- lots of light, natural is best but also need lots for after dark or winter short days 
- Lots of space for trains. 
- Plenty of room for tools, whatever you may have and are thinking about 
- Lock for the door, don't want others mucking up your operation or helping themselves to your equipment while you are out  
- Smoke alarm in case you leave that soldering iron on 
- magnifying lens for work on small parts


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## ShadsTrains (Dec 27, 2007)

20x20 in most areas will require a building permit and a lot of extra cost.. 10x12 is the largest I can go here without a permit. Will hopefully build a shed this summer..


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## Guest (May 12, 2008)

No permit required. 

Toad


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## leonpete (Jan 4, 2008)

Maybe some shelves for buildings, vehicles, people and accesories would also be nice. Possibly a file cabinet for articles you may like to refer to. Also if you run battery power, a charging station. How about a test track up on a bench also. Good luck, hopefully she opens up the money bag!!


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## KYYADA (Mar 24, 2008)

I would like to move my air compressor outside of the shop in sort of a little shed area and have the air piped and tapped into along the bench. Quiet is good! As mentioned above an ethernet cable would be nice too.


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## R.W. Marty (Jan 2, 2008)

Toad ? 

You have some good suggestions so far. 

My train shed is only 12 X 16 but a few things I tried to do with it. 

Install Plenty of lighting. 

Build more bench tops and storage space than you think you will ever need. 

Install plenty of Elect outlets along the bench fronts and/or along the walls above the benches. 

Insulate and finish the inside before you build any benches or shelves. 

Seperate elect. circuits, I used three. One for overhead lights, one for permanently hot plugs, 
for battery chargers, stereo/clock etc. The third circuit Is switched at the door( beside the overhead light switch)this is for all the plugs and lights along the benches and for the power tools. That switch is the last thing 
turned off when I leave the shed. This way it doesn't matter if I forget and leave a soldering iron plugged in. 

Try to keep all the dust and chip production in one area, easier to cleanup. 

In a shop the size your planning you have room for a spray booth, if you plan any painting either by rattle can or air brush, install a good hood and vent system. 

Keep your train shelves and display area as far away from the working(dust producing) area as possible. 

Have a good water supply, perferably hot and cold with a large sink and drain board area. 

The coffee pot, fridge, microwave, etc can fit in most anywhere. 

Just some thoughts. 
Rick


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## dltrains (Jan 2, 2008)

Toad, 
You might want a shop vac with multi outlets for cleaning up. And every body seemed to forget that garage door,so you can get those buildings out after you build them


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## carpenter matt (Jan 3, 2008)

I would suggest running tracks from the layout into said shed, because you will be more likely to run trains if you don't have to carry them.


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

Do not forget a bed, you do not want to waste time getting up and running to your trains. 

Better yet, just have mom live in the shed and you can take over the house!!!!


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## Guest (May 13, 2008)

Posted By R.W. Marty on 05/12/2008 5:59 PM
Toad ? 







Yes, Toad, real name is William Pugh from Rosharon, Tx. and I am a ex-Texas Peace Officer with a illness since I was 27yrs old (when it hit). Toad Frog just a nick and so I use to drink white lighting (trucked from Tenn.)and Bud Light/Ice but no more. 

To All it is coming I feel into place, but what happened to your pictures of your shop? 

Toad


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## Guest (May 13, 2008)

Posted By KYYADA on 05/12/2008 2:47 PM
I would like to move my air compressor outside of the shop in sort of a little shed area and have the air piped and tapped into along the bench. Quiet is good! As mentioned above an ethernet cable would be nice too.




Well speaking of my SAT commucation system to computer to house is about all I can do unless want to spend $$$ to get Hughes.net to come out and redo it to 2 places. Good thought thou! 

Toad


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## Henson (Jan 2, 2008)

Toad, here is a pic of the inside of a 10 X 20 building I got last fall for my trains and small hobby tools. I have wood rails cut but not put down yet. Doggie doors at each end for the trains to go 
out to main line.


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## weaverc (Jan 2, 2008)

After much agonizing, I settled on an 8'x14' Cedar building. I did not put in a ceiling so I could have a storage loft on each end. I electified the shop and installed insulation and plywood walls. I used cheap Lowe's kitchen cabinets for storage and counter tops for work spaces. I installed shelves for display. One end is my work space with spot lights. I heat and cool the building with a Lowe's 115v, 15 amp A/C heater unit that is in the wall under one of the side counters. It works great. I have a telephone, quadrophinic music and there is a bell inside with a button in the kitchen so my wife can get my attention (she often does). She always asks, "Are you gonna stay out there all day???" Email me for details or more pictures if you like.


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## jimtyp (Jan 2, 2008)

Mighty sweet digs Henson & Carl!


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

Toad, check out Tuffshed, good bang for the buck value wise, they did my garage. 

A/C, insulation and if you can do it, add a sink for cleanup


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## weaverc (Jan 2, 2008)

I forgot to mention that you should check your building codes before you decide on size and fixtures. If you're over a certain size (here it's 150 sq ft), different codes apply. Codes get more strenuous when you add electicity, heating, cooling and plumbing. When It's like a dwelling, then property taxes apply.


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## VillageRail (Apr 25, 2008)

I recommend two sheds. One for the trains, and one for everything else. I have an 8x10 that I'm converting over to a train shop. But I don't really have a place yet for the garden tools, yard toys, beach stuff, bikes, etc., etc. 

Paul


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## Guest (May 13, 2008)

Posted By vsmith on 05/13/2008 9:11 AM 
Toad, check out Tuffshed, good bang for the buck value wise, they did my garage. 

A/C, insulation and if you can do it, add a sink for cleanup




Vic, 
Tried Tuffshed and they can not bring me a building the size I want because of DOT limits " border=0> 
Even ask build on site and found there very $$$ and even some of the ones out of Houston to. 
I have a friend who does saw milling and thinking of asking him. He did my moms cabnets in the garage very well! And not high dollar, only the wood was. Here they are, please excuse the stuff, still tryn to get my fathers stuff out from his company of 40+ years and as some know he walked on 02/06/08, my birthday /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/sad.gif" border=0> 











As for those who don't know him as a kid he worked for HBT (Houston Belt & Terminal) (Edited). Best picture of him here. 











I am just easing into MLS because my buildings and structures..etc, ain't nothing like I see here! Man there is some great stuff here " border=0> 



Toad


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## Guest (May 13, 2008)

Posted By VillageRail on 05/13/2008 9:39 AM
I recommend two sheds. One for the trains, and one for everything else. I have an 8x10 that I'm converting over to a train shop. But I don't really have a place yet for the garden tools, yard toys, beach stuff, bikes, etc., etc. 

Paul



Paul, 

I do have one shead but needs to be cleaned out from mom throwing stuff in it when Katrina hit us. Tool Shead! 
Toad


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## VillageRail (Apr 25, 2008)

I have a small house with no storage space. I do have the one shed and an "office". When my wife cleans up or someone is coming over, guess where everything gets piled up. I had the trains in the office, but G scale stuff takes up space quickly. Hence, the move to take over the garden shed. I've also started putting shelves in our small attic, for anything my better half wants to keep. 

Paul


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## Richard Smith (Jan 2, 2008)

20x20 is a nice size. Since you have no permit requirements I assume that you are rural like me and have only the county to worry about. 

Pole barns are a nice option for rural areas. They usually give you more bang for the buck. The roofs are supported by trusses and side walls use girts (the horizontal studs someone mentioned) for the walls. The cement floor is usually poured after the building is up as the walls are supported by the posts (poles) and not on the slab. Metal siding and roofs are the usual. If you go this route be sure and spend small extra amount to get the plastic insulation beneath the metal roofing to prevent moisture sweating and dripping down from above. 

Rick Marty has already listed most of the things you should consider including in your shop. Insulation and some heating are very important if it gets either very cold or very hot in your area. This allows its use all year long in some comfort, not always considered in a mere garage. 

Standard walls are 10 feet high and roll up doors 8 feet. I ordered my 24x36 shop with and extra 2 feet of height. This allowed for a small loft at one end to store odd things without cluttering up the shop floor. Also I have 10 foot high roll up doors. 

If you are going to have an area for model work and painting and still have some machinery such as a tablesaw that produces a lot of dust, you might consider walling a small area off to exclude the dust from those areas a bit. With a pole barn you can put interior walls about anywhere you wish. 

Whatever type of building you decide on get as large as possible and practicable. They fill up quickly and you can't have too much room but too little causes a lot of problems. If a vehicle is going to share space then I'd recommend at least 24 feet deep and an extra 12 feet stall in building width.


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## imrnjr (Jan 2, 2008)

Toad - I don't have a dedicated train shop, I utilize my barn and a roll around work bench I've got stored in a large utility closet in the house, but based on my barn (40'x40')I'd say the four keys are overall space, power, dust control and benchtop/tool space. 

Go for the biggest building you can fit into your space and budget. You will find a way to fill the space!! Tools, trains, and supplies always take more space than you think they will!!/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/hehe.gif 
And you seem to be a guy who is always accumulating/building/bashing more!! 

I've got 200 amps to the barn and probably shoud have put in 400, but the real key is haveing power accessible every where even in the center of the room either through the floor or from the ceiling. I just dropped a 30 amp circuit and an air line down from the ceiling in the center of the floor space so I wouldn't have to drag extension cords (or air hoses)across the room to get to my work tables.  

I've got a dedicated bench top for guns and reloading, a dedicated welding table (due to dirt and grit), a general work bench about 16' long on another wall and two 3 1/2 by 6 work tables, one heavy steel and one masonite topped set at diiferent height to be either assembly/glue up/paint or saw run out tables. And I can't keep any of them clean, uncluttered or open. I always seem to have to move a partially finished project or supplies for another project from one to another to get enough space to do the project/fix/job that "has" to be done today!!/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/pinch.gif 
Maybe it's my lack of short term planning or organization.... but it's sometimes a pain 

My dust/air control capability is currently limited to a 6.5 hp shop vacuum and it just doesn't cut it. It'll handle my 9" bandsaw, but not my 10" table or 10" radial or 12" miter saws or any of my grinders/sanders. Hook up is a pain, and I just can't keep the shop clean./DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/crazy.gif Hopefully I'll be able to get a cannister or cyclone in the near future... we'll see if the CFO agrees after a bit...../DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/whistling.gif 

The only other thing is plenty of storage....design it into the space, because it's hard to make room for it later!! 

Good luck with the building!! 

Mark


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## Guest (May 14, 2008)

Posted By imrnjr on 05/14/2008 8:48 AM

And you seem to be a guy who is always accumulating/building/bashing more!! 




Mark, 
Your the only one who has pegged me to a tea or is that tee /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/satisfied.gif Must be the Texan in us. 
I am working on 8 projects at the time now and 2 includes 1:1 scale and others are G Scale! Oh yeah you know me, stuff in mail box every day. /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/hehe.gif 
Want to move to Pumpville, Tx. and add 4000 acres! /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/w00t.gif 
Thank you for input!!! 
William AKA Toad


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## Guest (May 14, 2008)

Posted By imrnjr on 05/14/2008 8:48 AM

And you seem to be a guy who is always accumulating/building/bashing more!! 




Mark, 
Your the only one who has pegged me to a tea or is that tee /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/satisfied.gif Must be the Texan in us. 
I am working on 8 projects at the time now and 2 includes 1:1 scale and others are G Scale! Oh yeah you know me, stuff in mail box every day. /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/hehe.gif 
Want to move to Pumpville, Tx. and add 4000 acres! /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/w00t.gif 
Thank you for input!!! 
William AKA Toad


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## imrnjr (Jan 2, 2008)

No problem Toad.... just remember 4000 acres will have about 12-16 miles of fence to keep up /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/whistling.gif, and if you put livestock on it you'll be off calving/kidding/lambing working calves, vaccinating, shearing, loading stock for auction, moving stock from pasture to pasture, fixing fences, waterlines windmills/wells/water troughs and it will really eat into your train time /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/crying.gif,.... 

however, a small place like mine (50 acres) can do it to you just as badly 'cause you can't afford any help!!/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/pinch.gif So every thing gets done by your hand.... it can really put a strain on your back and pocketbook./DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/crazy.gif 

If you can get your friend to build it for you, to the point of weather tight, and your physically able you could probably do every thing but the electric. Don't know what your situation is from a county or city building code requirements but having a decent electrician put your wiring (distribution and breaker panel) in to state/national is just good sense. /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/satisfied.gif 

Good luck 

Mark


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## Guest (May 14, 2008)

Mark, 
It is free range. If you fence it in the county will tax you more. At 2006 land for 1 acre was $1.00 tax per acre. As I understand it from my friend who has 200 acres there now. 
And yes 12-16 miles is fine with me  
Toadie


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## KYYADA (Mar 24, 2008)

Even with Sat internet equipment you could still network your machines or internet service. Wow Weaverc I wish my shop looked that neat and clean! If I had a building like that my daughter would have it claimed anyway......


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## leonpete (Jan 4, 2008)

Toad, I finaly added a work bench and storage for things needed to work on my trains in my small 8'X8' shed. This is a lot handier having things together and close at hand. I NEED MORE ROOM!!!!


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## Trains (Jan 2, 2008)

Leon, 

If you need more room I'll take that mallet and UP hoppers off your hands.


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## Stan Cedarleaf (Jan 2, 2008)

Hi Toad.... Sorry we got in on this so late...  Here's what we did with an 8 x16 "Tuff" type shed...


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## Trains (Jan 2, 2008)

Stan, 

That's pretty nice! Great idea.


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## leonpete (Jan 4, 2008)

Thanks Don, but maybe I could just run my Mallet on your layout some time this summer. Its the only engine I have that is also Battery power. We get to Omaha every once in a while since my wife's daughter lives there. I also need to pick up my Illinois Central GP-30 from her soon. I had it repaired down there and she picked it up for me.


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## Guest (May 25, 2008)

Wow, all looks better than what I have, dinner table /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/unsure.gif 
Thanks guys 
Toad 

Keep it Square


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