My first attempt at a coffee table layout came at about the same time I bought my first Z-Scale trains from the late John Hooper at Lenox Toy & Hobby in Atlanta.  These new tiny trains were novel and were the beginning of a long and interesting model railroad experience. I had other trains before, but these were small enough to serious merit being placed in a piece of furniture. It would be nice to say that the first attempt was to succeed.  But it wouldn’t be accurate.

I had selected a simple piece of plywood:

A small Z-Scale track layout was attached, but I needed legs.  I happened upon pre-made legs at a lumber yard. These were tapered legs that screwed into metal sockets.  The metal sockets were attached to the bottom of the plywood.