Do-it-yourself wooden train set: the perfect gift for your child

You first need several pieces of wood in the right size before you can build a DIY train set. For this project, it is very important to be well-prepared. You will make one locomotive and two cars in this project. You will need to get more material if you want your train set to have more cars.

It’s best to use a jigsaw to cut the boards. First you need three pieces of wood (28 x 80 x 160 mm) for the base of the cars onto which the wheels will be attached later. Three pieces of wood (18 x 90 x 200 mm) will be used to form the floor pieces that will later be attached to the axle base, which will accommodate the wheels. For the walls of the second car, you also need two pieces of wood (18 x 90 x 50 mm). The locomotive consists of two pieces of wood (18 x 90 x 70 mm), and for the semicircular front engine cover of the locomotive you need a piece of wood (18 x 90 x 80 mm). Use the tin can to draw the rounded edge for this. Just place it flush against the long edge and trace the curve with a pencil. It’s best to change to a saw blade for fine curves to saw this piece.

You should always sand the pieces of wood nicely after cutting them to size since the wooden train set is intended as a toy for children. After all, they should be able to play with it without hurting themselves. It’s best to use a multi-sander with a fine sandpaper (120 grit or finer) for sanding the rough edges. You can find useful tips in our sanding guide if you have any questions regarding the topic.

The individual elements of the locomotive and the cars are joined together using wood glue and dowels. To do so, you first need to use a cordless drill with a 6 mm Brad point drill bit to drill the holes for the dowels. We start by making the pieces of wood for the superstructures, that is, the walls of the cars and the front engine cover and cab of the locomotive. These are the pieces of wood that are 50, 70 and 80 mm in length. Use a pencil to mark the drill holes on the cut faces 20 mm left and right of the edge and hold the drill as straight as possible. Drill the holes for the dowels on the two pieces of wood for the cab (18 x 90 x 70 mm) so that they fit together flush at a right angle: the roof element on the underside and the wall element on the cut face.

Tip: Make sure that you do not penetrate the wood completely when using a dowel for the joint. You should drill about 12 mm deep for an 18 mm thick piece of wood. You then sink the remaining length of the dowel into the counterpart. You can use masking tape to mark the depths on the drill bit. Then you can see exactly how deep you can drill.

Use the measurement of 20 mm for the floor pieces. Make four marks on the car 20 mm from the front and back edge and 20 mm to the left and right of the edge.
The same measurement applies to the semicircular front engine cover of the locomotive. Drill these marked holes on the floor pieces with a 6 mm Brad point drill bit and put the elements in their respective places with the dowels and some glue.

To find the right place for the cab, use the tin can as a guide. Place it flush behind the front piece and make a mark at the other end of the tin can. This is where the cab begins. Now drill the holes for the dowels and attach the cab to the base of the locomotive. Use a cordless glue gun to attach the tin can securely between the semicircular front engine cover and the tin can.

The train is going to need a few sets of wheels, of course, if it’s going to be able to roll smoothly across the floor. These are assembled in this step. You need to apply glue to the axle bases so you can connect them to the floor pieces. Use G-clamps to hold them in place.

You start by attaching the wheels for the locomotive. To do so, use the four wheels with a diameter of 60 mm and two wheels with a diameter of 40 mm. You will notice that the wheels have different diameters, so you need to make sure that they are attached to the locomotive so they all touch the floor once attached. Measure a spot 20 mm from the front of the axle base and up 7 mm from the lower edge for the small wheels in the front. Use a pencil to mark this on both sides. Then use a cordless drill/driver with a 2 mm Brad point drill bit to drill holes in the marked spots. Then you can attach the two 40 mm wheels with one countersunk screw each.

Tip: Do not tighten the screws too much or the wheels will not turn freely. You can use washers to stabilise the wheels if they wobble.

For the four wheels with a diameter of 60 mm, measure a spot 7 mm on the axle base for the rear wheel and for the middle wheel 75 mm from the front. The axle sits higher because the diameter of the wheels is larger. Measure a spot 20 mm from the bottom of the axle base. Place a mark in the right spots before drilling the holes. Then you can attach the wheels with one countersunk screw each.

It is much easier with the two cars. Measure a spot 7 mm from the bottom of the axle base and 20 mm inward from the front and back. Pre-drill the four holes with a 2 mm Brad point drill bit and attach the four wheels with one countersunk screw each. Repeat this process for the second car.

Now you just have to couple the locomotive with both cars. You can easily make couplers using string and three wooden beads.

Start by drilling the holes in the cars through which the string for the couplers will be threaded. Use a cordless drill with a 2 mm Brad point drill bit to drill a hole exactly in the middle and 15 mm from the back end of the locomotive. For the second car, do exactly the same on both the front and the back end of the car. For the car with the two end walls, measure a spot 10 mm from the front and drill a hole in the middle here, as well. This will ensure that you have enough space to the wall.

The couplers consist of a wooden bead at the front of the car and a loop at the back of the car and the locomotive. Thread the strings from the top so that you can hide the knot under the floor piece.

Now your DIY wooden train set is ready and your child can start playing with it right away. Would you like to try out more creative DIY projects involving wood that you can make for your child? We show you how you can build a DIY chest for toy storage, DIY play shop or a loft bed with storage space.

Check out our leisure time and family time category if you would like more inspiration for family projects. You can also find tons of useful video tutorials for DIY projects for a child’s room as well as other videos with instructions for DIY projects in the living room on our YouTube channel.