I was about to make the same point as Charlie. The only time I really use shop tools is when I need to make a large number of identical items, such as trestle bents and such. (If I had to pick one, it would be a band saw, on the basis of flexibility). Even then, making a jig and using hand tools would often do almost as well. More often, hand-held power tools are more than adequate. For example, a saber saw is far better IMO for cutting track bed from homasote than any shop tool would be:
