Bit of a cop-out, posting a link to my blog like this, but I need run! This is my duckunder. Click the image to see what I did to make it injury-proof.
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Building the CPR Kootenay division in N scale, blog here: http://kootenaymodelrailway.wordpress.com/
Super. I did the same thing on one end section of our layout where my wife has a bean bag chair and an Ott light to do her cross-stitching under the layout while I work on the layout above. We call it her "girl cave".
Yes a very good idea. And it will help to stop THIS! Ouch!
Modeling B&O- Chessie Bob K. www.ssmrc.org
Funny thing about Duck Unders, I built mine, when I was 38-39 years old and it seemed easy enough back then. However, now that I am 65, I don't feel quite the same about it!
NP 2626 "Northern Pacific, really terrific"
Northern Pacific Railway Historical Association: http://www.nprha.org/
NP2626 Funny thing about Duck Unders, I built mine, when I was 38-39 years old and it seemed easy enough back then. However, now that I am 65, I don't feel quite the same about it!
I hear you, as a carpenter ladders/ staging, stairs and all sorts of crawling around used to be "easy". Now I'm not much behind you at 62, the body just doesn't like a physical day anymore. I just let those young Bucks take it on, I'll stick to the finish work! Duck unders? maybe easy getting down, but where's that crane to get up.
There is probably a mathematical formula depicting how duck-unders get lower each year.
My original pike had two duck-unders at 52" from the floor. I began layout when I was 42 which then was fine, but later on in 2006, I completely redesigned and rebuilt area removing both of them. Then at age 68 I could still bend fairly well, but visitors??? One incident was main reason for tearing them down.....
Enter "Sir Cumference", a vistor well endowed with an 86" waist line and close to 475 pounds buck naked (what a thought!). I was in another part of layout when appearently he was advised to go to ramming speed to successfully navigate duck-under #1. Well it didn't go well for him or the layout, as after an hour of no less then four of us trying to extricate him (two pulling and two shoving on the caboose), we had to go drastic. The duckunder was lined with 1/4" Masonite sides attacthed to vertical supports. We had a choice to either cut the 2.5 foot section above the duck-under, or somehow remove sides and supports. By this time, Sir Cumference was in pain, so out came the sabre saw.
The following day, several model railroad buddies came over with really big saws and pick-ups, and this 700 square foot section of the Piermont Division became history. Those who have visited my layout since and have my book...."My Life With Model Trains" notice immediately that something is different, as the re-do took place just after book was published.
Point......simple, just don't design layout with duck-unders. It can be done!!!!
HZ
Sir Cumference passed away last year, but he had lost damn near 100 pounds....just not soon enough! He was a fine fellow and his nick name was self inflicted.
I was naughty and built my layout with a duck under, but it's a small 10x18 foot room and around the walls - too complex for a lift out. But since the floor has carpet, its easy on the knees to crawl under. Hopefully in a few years I'll be able to move to a house with a little more room for a layout and do it properly like some of you. In the mean time, the suggestion from the OP looks like a good way to cushion the blow when getting up too soon before clearing the benchwork!
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
IMO, it is too easy to build a lift up/out or a swinging gate to have to deal with duckunders. If I had to have a duckunder, I'd keep a stool with wheels nearby and make it a roll under.
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