I converted my table top layout to a free-standing layout. (I replaced the 7" legs with 41" legs.) The conversion worked out great, except now I have no place for my power supply/throttle (DC). What have others done?
Richard
I have a couple of shelves mounted beneath my layout for my DCC base station and a couple of power supplies. I've also mounted outlet strips on the benchwork and legs.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
I, too, added a shelf below the bench top and in addition, mounted it on drawer slides so that I can pull it out for operation and stow it under the bench top when not.
Dante
I'm always surprised when modlers use an odd height when lumber comes in 8 foot lengths. Cut in half gives you 2 4 foot (48") legs (no waste). One of the earliest lessons I learned on the forum was that a layout takes up space but then gives it back. Under the layout I have 4 2 drawer metal file cabinets along with a wooden one with a drawer and 2 doors with shelves inside. The cabinet easily slides in and out under the layout.
This cabinet is where where all of my power supplies and DCC are located plus having convient storage .Thankgoodness for the 48" legs.
Bob
Don't Ever Give Up
superbe I'm always surprised when modlers use an odd height when lumber comes in 8 foot lengths. Cut in half gives you 2 4 foot (48") legs (no waste). One of the earliest lessons I learned on the forum was that a layout takes up space but then gives it back. Under the layout I have 4 2 drawer metal file cabinets along with a wooden one with a drawer and 2 doors with shelves inside. The cabinet easily slides in and out under the layout. This cabinet is where where all of my power supplies and DCC are located plus having convient storage .Thankgoodness for the 48" legs. Bob
Bob, repeat after me -
ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL!!!
My personal view of Hades is a place where the base height of the L-girder framework is more than 42 inches. That's driven by my physical size and lack of mobility. 48 inch legs would be too - long for a single level, short for a bi-level. Then, too, short lengths of steel stud can be used for all kinds of things for which short lengths of 2x4 are useless.
My power supplies are, to put it mildly, decentralized. Most are mounted to the layout framework just inside the fascia line adjacent to, but not part of, control panels. Power for accessories is provided by several small transformer-rectifier units. Rail power is provided by MRC and home-brew DC controllers powerful enough to handle my needs. Spares are kept in a cabinet on casters that lives under the CTC panel. That cabinet doubles as a worktop and can be rolled anywhere it's needed. Layout electricals include fascia-mounted outlet boxes for 120Vac, all powered from a single switch near the main door.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
tomikawaTT superbe I'm always surprised when modlers use an odd height when lumber comes in 8 foot lengths. Cut in half gives you 2 4 foot (48") legs (no waste). One of the earliest lessons I learned on the forum was that a layout takes up space but then gives it back. Under the layout I have 4 2 drawer metal file cabinets along with a wooden one with a drawer and 2 doors with shelves inside. The cabinet easily slides in and out under the layout. This cabinet is where where all of my power supplies and DCC are located plus having convient storage .Thankgoodness for the 48" legs. Bob Bob, repeat after me - ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL!!! My personal view of Hades is a place where the base height of the L-girder framework is more than 42 inches. That's driven by my physical size and lack of mobility. 48 inch legs would be too - long for a single level, short for a bi-level. Then, too, short lengths of steel stud can be used for all kinds of things for which short lengths of 2x4 are useless.
What is the best height for a layout surface?
Rich
Alton Junction
richhotrain tomikawaTT superbe I'm always surprised when modlers use an odd height when lumber comes in 8 foot lengths. Cut in half gives you 2 4 foot (48") legs (no waste). One of the earliest lessons I learned on the forum was that a layout takes up space but then gives it back. Under the layout I have 4 2 drawer metal file cabinets along with a wooden one with a drawer and 2 doors with shelves inside. The cabinet easily slides in and out under the layout. This cabinet is where where all of my power supplies and DCC are located plus having convient storage .Thankgoodness for the 48" legs. Bob Bob, repeat after me - ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL!!! My personal view of Hades is a place where the base height of the L-girder framework is more than 42 inches. That's driven by my physical size and lack of mobility. 48 inch legs would be too - long for a single level, short for a bi-level. Then, too, short lengths of steel stud can be used for all kinds of things for which short lengths of 2x4 are useless. Which begs the question, why did the OP choose an odd height like 41"? What is the best height for a layout surface? Rich
Which begs the question, why did the OP choose an odd height like 41"?
Yes, but because it's an odd height, you can be sure it WAS a conscious choice. Let's help the OP with his question, not criticize his design choices.
Because I had small children (the older two are now taller than I am), I built a 48" tall step stool with a railing. Just below the topn od the railing is a 9"wide shelf. The DCC base station and a DC powerpack (for lighting and switch machines) takes up about half of the shelf, the rest can be used for storing uncoupling picks, portable derails, and the cards we use for simplified operations.
Connecticut Valley Railroad A Branch of the New York, New Haven, and Hartford
"If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right." -- Henry Ford
My layout has L-shaped legs of 1x4s. I made a L-shaped shelf of 1x8 or so lumber and put it between two end legs, about 18" down from the surface. This gave me 5' of shelf to place my electronics on, a power strip, NCE system, DCC circuit boards, etc.
Paul
Modeling HO with a transition era UP bent
I found that layout height is rather subjective, with a few factors to consider:
I set 48" as the height for the bottom of the benchwork. This allowed me enough room to reach the rear of the layout from the front. It also allowed me to use a common rolling office chair to roll around under the layout. With the tilt locking pin released, I can roll around under the layout, reclined at a comfortable angle.
I tried one of those special creepers from Micro Mark, but found that the wood used in construction was pretty weak, especially if you're a larger person. I plan to remove the upholstery, and replace the wood with plywood the same thickness.
Marlon
See pictures of the Clinton-Golden Valley RR
My layout consistes of multiple levels which range from 34" (YOU sit on a rolling Chari to work the Yard and another area a SteelMill)
To a height of 60" which I have provided my Operators a flip down Step (which is 8" high) so the Operator - if they are real tall - can just Switch the town without the Flip Step - or if they are short - use the flip step!
With my Grand Kids - the 34" height make it easy for them to run trains and it is at their height!
As they grow taller - they just move to different areas of the layout - which are at 42" to 50".
Why the odd heights - it just happened to be how the different towns were laid out and their REAL elevations - I tried to give a sense of elevation change but I also had to add ONE TURN HELIXs to keep a Train from being in 2 or 3 Towns at one time (which I hate - and looks quite foolish - with a short train).
I figured that thinking of my Operators comfort over what I though I needed -
would keep the Operators coming back for each OPs Session every 2 weeks
- and it does -
as I get 20 Operators on a Thursday OPs night and
some drive for 1 to 2 hours to make the Ops Session!
As for my Power Supplies - they are on boards attached to the walls under the 34" sections!
I have rugs right to the edge of the Layout and can easily just lay on the rug to work on the Electronics under the layout.
Which doesn't happen much as I did reliable soldered wiring and screw terminal strips and crimped & soldered wire ends.
And circuit boards are in sockets (with a spare - programmed and ready to insert) - if the board fails during an OPs Session.
I even have a spare Command Station - programmed sitting near by
Keeps Murphy working much harder to foul things up! ;-)
BOB H - Clarion, PA
Remember there is 'stuff' on top of the legs, so a 41" leg length does not mean the layout surface is at 41". If the layout is of L-girder construction, by the time you add in the joists and then whatever surface is on type (especially if 2" thick extruded foam is used anywhere, you are getting close to a 48: base height.
My layout was at an 'odd' height (ie, not just cutting piece of lumber in half) because I had to account for a sloping ceiling. Every inch higher reduced the width, and every inch lower increased the width. I designed it at the best compromise between height and how much room I had to maintain the radius I wanted. End result, it was indeed lower than my ideal near eye-level height, but it was still high enough to comfortably sit underneath and also fit the shelves and cabinets I had for storage. 99% certain my next layout will be double decked, which means compromise all around.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
superbeI'm always surprised when modlers use an odd height when lumber comes in 8 foot lengths. Cut in half gives you 2 4 foot (48") legs (no waste).
Really? A completed layout costs thousands of dollars. You would set it at other than perfect height to optimize the use of a $5 piece of lumber? Besides at 41" you still get two legs per 8' board so cost per leg is the same for any size up to 48", and there is always something you can a use 14" piece of lumber for.
I have the right to remain silent. By posting here I have given up that right and accept that anything I say can and will be used as evidence to critique me.
Kind of a bizarrre digression, but here are a couple of answers. First, the reason for 41" legs is simple--I have a thing for prime numbers. But seriously, a 41" leg, plus the plywood and foam, creates a height just lower than the bottom of the light switch the layout sits in front of. Perfectly logical.
As for wasting lumber, here is the template for the legs, braces, and spacing blocks. Not much waste at all from a 2'x4' project panel.
Now, back to our regularly scheduled program, "How to Locate a Power Supply." Thanks to all for the suggestions. I like the use of drawer slides. Now to figure out how to do this...
Richard,
Leg length has no connection to your question, "How to Locate a Power Supply". My comments about leg length may be bizzare to you but you raised the subject of leg length when you said you went from 7" to 41" legs without any further explanation. I assume you were trying to say that you raised your layout and now have room to locate your power supply and how can you do it.
For the record I'm well aware that there is no particular leg length that is suitable for all. That is elementary.
I did answer your question as to how I located my power supply and indicated I couldn't have done it without the 48" legs.
Good luck.
Going back to the original question, I put a shelf between one set of legs and have the three power packs and the DCC power supply located there which are then plugged into a switched surge protector. I used 12 gauge Romex to make a short extension cord which runs from a GFI outlet to the protector. This shelf is located underneath the main control panel. I have never liked the idea of running 120 volt wires around the layout so this seemed to work for me.
There's never time to do it right, but always time to do it over.....
When I started this layout new I also raised it above 50 inches at the lowest point which I slid a workbench storage area beneath and used an area for the power supply command station and other electronics.
Lynn
Present Layout progress
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/11/p/290127/3372174.aspx#3372174
An update. Based on all of the input and advice, I put a pull-out shelf on my layout. I looked into buying a pre-made pullout, but it was too darn expensive. I bought the rails online for about $6.00, used some leftover shelving and, viola, I had a pullout shelf. I am starting to scare myself.
This may be a little overdone but I like the way it came out. I have my DCC power station on a slanted platform built into the facia. Just another idea to look at.
-Bob
Life is what happens while you are making other plans!
Aside from my throttles, I have power supplies for lighting. And, as I start installing switch machines, I have build shelves under the layout. Used throttles are perfect for lighting controls.
Power supplies for lighting. Cab controls (throttles) are connected to terminal strip on left.
Prop for fold down power buss wiring.
Prop in place.
Power control panel features swing down door. Upper panel is held in place using Vel-cro strips.
LION threw out the power supply, throttle, reversing switches and all other train controls.
Layout of him runs AUTOMATICALLY, and him built a 1:1 scale interlocking machine to control the track. (The TRACK controls the movement of the trains).
ROAR
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS