A new N-scale layout inside a coffee table...

Definitely the thing I hate most in my life is visiting my dentist. But not very far behind is going shopping to the Ikea store. The maze of small rooms designed to force you to look at their entire offer and prohibiting you from focusing on the one thing you need is too much to me. I avoid this place as much as I can.

Turns out however, there are good things at Ikea after all. One of those could be the LIATORP coffee table.

No, I did not go to Ikea to buy it. I got it as a Christmas gift. The intent behind this present was to allow me to build a new train layout. One that could be permanently displayed in our living room. I'm so glad the Santa Claus is really considering my needs :)

The LIATORP table can be useful for railroad modeling since it features a large, empty space under a transparent glass cover. An average person would keep a set of remote controls over there, but a miniature world enthusiast could use this opportunity for something much more interesting...

There's a large drawer inside which goes all the way out. With some modification it could become a base for a train layout. I've definitely seen a solution like this somewhere on the Internet. It would be very convenient, as I would be able to take the entire thing out to perform any needed work on it.

The other option I can see is removing the drawer for good and starting the build directly on the surface that normally supports the drawer. The top glass cover is not fixed and can be raised without a problem if you use the proper tools. Actually, I have bought those already :)

The former solution makes the actual work much more convenient. But the latter one has an advantage, too. The drawer is only 6cm deep and that would make it very difficult to even add a tunnel there. Without a drawer however, I could have structures taller than 9cm in some places. And that prospect is very tempting...

No matter which option I choose, my brand new castle model will not fit inside anyway... Sigh...

Obviously a layout inside a coffee table can't be huge. My first idea is to go for two independent loops with a small bridge and two tunnels. Some side tracks would fit there too, possibly with a locomotive shed.

Here's a computer visualization of the plan...

The first fittings are already under way. I will be using Kato Unitrack, since it's just so convenient. Looks like I'm opting for solution #2, but I have not really decided, yet.