SeeYou190 davidmurray Someone earlier mentioned avoiding duckunders in case flexibility become a problem. I have mentioned several times before, but worth bringing up again. I am 53 years old, and the next layout should be my last. As such, it is designed with wheelchair access and durability in mind. You never know what the future will bring. -Kevin
davidmurray Someone earlier mentioned avoiding duckunders in case flexibility become a problem.
I have mentioned several times before, but worth bringing up again.
I am 53 years old, and the next layout should be my last. As such, it is designed with wheelchair access and durability in mind. You never know what the future will bring.
-Kevin
I am building a new layout now that is 53 inches tall. I like it. But, it will never be completed 100% because the wife and I have likely decided that we will be moving to somewhere just north of you in about 4 years.
That will be our last house. It will be ranch, because who knows if I'll lose mobility. Hopefully, the layout can be in a third car garage or some other space within the footprint of the house.
Your vision of making it low enough for wheelchair access seems like sound planning. I can't envision the desired height yet, but 53 inches will be too tall.
- Douglas
Doughless:
Might I suggest that a ranch house with a washroom in the basement, and a wide enough stairs to add a person lift on the side in the future. The lift plus a wheel chair upstairs and down will be much more pleasamt that coming in from the garage, or other outbuilding to go to the washroom.
We bought our current (ranch) house back when we were both around 50. One thing I noticed when house hunting was that so many of the houses we looked at were split-levels. I'm glad we opted for a house with most everything on one level. I remembered when my older sister had knee surgery, and if she was in her frontroom watching TV she had to go up a short flight of stairs just to get to the bathroom and the bedroom.
DoughlessThe wife and I have likely decided that we will be moving to somewhere just north of you in about 4 years.
I might be done with the remodel work by then.
davidmurrayDoughless: Might I suggest that a ranch house with a washroom in the basement,
If Doughless is moving into my neck of the woods, basements are not an option.
Living the dream.
davidmurray Doughless: Might I suggest that a ranch house with a washroom in the basement, and a wide enough stairs to add a person lift on the side in the future. The lift plus a wheel chair upstairs and down will be much more pleasamt that coming in from the garage, or other outbuilding to go to the washroom.
As Kevin has mentioned, there are no basements where we propose living. When we start looking more seriously, I'll take note of how high the transisition between the garage slab and house slab is. My guess is that in FL it isn't huge and a small ramp could take care of it.
DoughlessAs Kevin has mentioned, there are no basements where we propose living. When we start looking more seriously, I'll take note of how high the transisition between the garage slab and house slab is. My guess is that in FL it isn't huge and a small ramp could take care of it.
Mine is 3 1/2".
I am installing A 5 foot long wheelchair ramp to the front door, also a 3 1/2" rise, so the grade will be very gentle.
There are lots of houses down here with train rooms. I found that out when I was looking at houses a couple of years ago.
They go by different names, indoor gyms, craft rooms, bonus rooms, etc.
I saw a couple houses where the garage was simply extended 25 feet from the original plan, and that gave a 22 by 25 room in between the house and garage that could be a train room.
It was surprising the number of options there were.
The down side to your plan if the width is 42 inches, is your curves will be rather sharp and longer rolling stock won't like sharp curves such as 18 or even 20 inches.
If you have the space, it might be much better to design an around the walls layout and then you could have much more generous curves such as 28 or 30 inches, and if you limited the benchwork to around 24 inches the reach whould be fine too. You'll need to add a triangular section at the corners for the curves btw.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
riogrande5761If you have the space, it might be much better to design an around the walls layout and then you could have much more generous curves such as 28 or 30 inches, and if you limited the benchwork to around 24 inches the reach whould be fine too. You'll need to add a triangular section at the corners for the curves btw.
My layout is primarily made of 16" wide shelf pieces around three walls of the basement. I was able to use 30" radius curves without having to add anything at the corners.