DIY Wooden Train Set

Note: The DIY wooden train track link given below is a dead link. Click here to visit my post with updated info.

Original Post: My two year old is really into the wooden train sets you can get from Brio, Imaginarium or Thomas and Friends (Thomas the Tank Engine). He plays with these trains for hours. The only problem is, you pay like $30 for this tiny little set of 12 pieces! Don't even get me started on the cost for a Thomas branded train character. Wow! Anyway, we are relying on birthdays, grandparents and holidays to fill out his set so we can build a sufficiently mongo train track. The problem for me is, I look at this wooden track and think, much to my wife's annoyance, "I can make that." Its wood, I've got a router, how hard can it be? So, to my point. I got online yesterday and found a site for a guy that has done it. He's posted instructions for building your own wooden train set online here. Your very own DIY wooden train track, cars and buildings. The step by step process is all listed here. I'm not even sure what the guy's (or ladies') name is, but in the interest of full disclosure, his e-mail starts "bkdonnelly". So I assume the last name is donnelly. Thanks Donnelly!

For my two year old's birthday, I built him a nice little train table out of that white shelf board and castor wheels you get at the home improvement store. I built it the size of an Imaginarium play mat we got and it turned out pretty good.  Thomas And Friends Sites On Sodor Play Mat By Fisher-Price (Google Affiliate Ad)  I put a drawer in it that is out of an old drafting table I no longer use to store spare track pieces. Above is a picture of what it looks like should you want a general idea of how to build your own.  Don't think you can do it yourself? Check out these cool pre-made train tables.  Kidkraft Metropolis Train Table And Set (Google Affiliate Ad), Kidkraft Ride Around Town Train Table And Set (Google Affiliate Ad).  Regardless of what you do. Make it yourself, or buy it... your kid will probably just play with the box the trains came in anyway.  Good luck!