Introduction: How to Build an Elevated Toy Train Track Around a Room

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About: We're Mother Daughter Projects, sharing our DIY adventures as we learn to maintain, improve, decorate, and use tech in our homes.

Steph is making her LEGO childhood dreams come true one project at a time! First, it was to establish a LEGO room in her house, followed by the ultimate LEGO storage wall, and now--an elevated train track! 

Follow along as we show you the build from the beginning to the caboose!

Watch the video for more details.

Supplies

Materials/Tools:


  • (4) 1x6x10ft Pine Board
  • 1x12x4ft Pine Board
  • 1/2” Plywood (window cover)
  • 3/4” Plywood (window shelf)
  • Liberty 6.28 in. Matte Black Steel Geometric Decorative Shelf Bracket (2-Pack) (Home Depot)
  • Crates & Pallet 6 in. Black Steel Shelf Bracket for Wood Shelving (Home Depot)
  • Everbilt #12 x 1-1/4 in. and #10 x 3/4 in. Phillips Pan Shelf Bracket Screw Kit (12-Pack) (Home Depot)
  • Everbilt 16 in. Matte Black Heavy-Duty Folding Shelf Bracket (Home Depot)
  • C.H. Hanson Magnetic Stud Finder (Home Depot)
  • Husky 24 in. Line Generator Digital Laser Level (Home Depot)
  • Kreg Pocket-Hole Jig 520PRO (Home Depot)
  • Milwaukee M18 FUEL 18-Volt Lithium-Ion Brushless Cordless 10 in. Dual-Bevel Sliding Compound Miter Saw (Tool-Only) (Home Depot)
  • RYOBI ONE+ HP 18V Brushless Cordless Jig Saw (Tool Only) (Home Depot)
  • Bosch Multi-Purpose Steel T-Shank Jig Saw Blades Set for Cutting Wood and Metal (15-Pack) (Home Depot)
  • Makita 12 Amp 6-1/2 in. Corded Plunge Saw with 55 in. Guide Rail, 48T Carbide Blade and Hard Case (Home Depot)
  • Cricut Maker Machine (used to make vinyl clouds) (Home Depot)
  • Gorilla Ladders 23 ft. Reach MPXT Aluminum Multi-Position Ladder with Project Top, 375 lbs. Load Capacity Type IAA Duty Rating (Home Depot)
  • Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch 2X 12 oz. Gloss Spa Blue General Purpose Spray Paint (for sky) (Home Depot)
  • Zinsser 1 gal. B-I-N Shellac-Based White Interior Primer and Sealer (wood primer) (Home Depot)
  • BEHR 1 qt. Zesty Apple Semi-Gloss Enamel Interior Paint & Primer (wall color)
  • (4) Train Track City Train Road Straight Tracks Building Toy Compatible with Major Brands (18pcs Straight) (Amazon)
  • LEGO City Tracks 60205 Building Kit (for flexible track) (Amazon)
  • Small Cross Flat Head Tapping Wood Screws (Amazon)
  • Lego Train of your choice!

Step 1: Cover Half Round Window

This window area (shown from the outside) was a little tricky to work around. We decided to cover the top half of the window with 1/2 inch plywood for two reasons. One, the sun coming through the top of this window makes this room miserably hot and two, we needed a way to support the train shelf past the window area. The window cover is screwed into the sides of the window area.

Step 2: Cut Shelf Corners

To connect the long pieces of shelf/track, we cut corner supports. We laid out the long shelf boards with a small board between them, laid out the curve part of the track, and cut a curve to match using a jig saw.

Step 3: Add Corner and Shelf Brackets

These corner brackets are going to support the train shelf in three of the four corners. Steph placed them 17 inches from the ceiling. Why 17 inches? Well, any lower and the Cinderella Castle LEGO set would not fit underneath!

Once the corner brackets were in place, it was time to add the shelf supports. Luckily, we were able to place these into studs.

Step 4: Add the Shelves

To determine the final length of the 1x6-inch shelves, we put them into place along with the corner pieces and marked where they needed to be cut. And yes, it was just as challenging as it looks to work with these long boards in a room filled with fragile LEGO sets!

Once the shelves were cut to their final lengths, we added pocket holes using a Kreg jig.

Not shown, but the shelves were painted the room color before they were put into place. The window covering board was also painted green on the bottom and sky blue on the top.

Once the window cover was painted, these brackets were added to support the train track in the window area.

Step 5: Secure the Shelves to the Brackets

The shelves were screwed into the brackets and then the shelves were attached to each other to form a continuous shelf.

Step 6: Add the Train Tracks and Train!

The train track pieces, curved and straight pieces, were laid out on the shelves and then screwed down into place. We added a few Lego clouds to the window covering which we made on a Cricut Maker. We added the train and took it for a test drive!

Are you wondering how we access the train? Check out how we made a rolling ladder in the space just for this purpose!

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