What is the maximum width I should use for a layout?

[hellwarrior]

Hi, I would like to know what is the maximum width I should use for a layout?  Do I need to be able to go everywhere around my layout?

Thanks for your help!

[last mountain & eastern hogger]

Hi HW,

Now I hope we are talking around the walls type layout here,,

A good measure is the length of your arm less a couple of inches, but this varies with the height of the layout as the higher it gets the less reach you have as you cannot bend over the layout when it approaches your armpit.

This is very basic but I think you will get the picture. Nothing is set in stone.

You will want to reach everywhere especially if you are going to do scenery / landscaping, and what if you have a derailment back where you can't get to it.

Johnboy out..............................................

[cowman]

Recommendations are for a maximum of a 30" reach.  That means if you can get to both sides you could have a 5' wide table.  A shelf that you can only get to from one side, would be about 30" maximum.

However, there are other things to consider.  How tall are you, how high is your layout, how much and what kind of scenery will you be reaching over?

My recommendation is to set something up at various heights and put some scenic elements on it (buildings or trees).  Reach over and see how you do at not knocking things over, when you are straightening up a derailed train.  I am about 6' tall and at 42" above the floor, reaching over much scenery, 30" is quite a stretch.  If you are going to have it lower, due to children helping or observing, you can reach further. 

If you don't have track at the furthest extent of your reach, then you only need consider getting your scenery work done at the back before adding too many tall scenic elements closer to the front.

Hope this helps.

Good luck,

Richard

[CTValleyRR]

If you have $250 or so burning a hole in your pocket, you can invest in a topside creeper. Initially designed for reaching into auto and truck engine bays without leaning or lying on anything, they work very will for getting at hard-to-reach parts of the layout. I can get over 4' in with mine.

[John Busby]

Hi

The layout can be as big or small as you want it.

Bench work sections however should not be wider than you can reach and you should be able to access all areas if you cannot guess where the most trouble and aggravation will be.

Some people do build what I would call a double width bench ( twice your reach) because it best suits their layout design or area.

This normally means that there is a central back drop /mountain range or both to reduce the usable space each side of the divider back to reachable distance.

No matter how wide, high, what shape or how many levels your railroad is, good access with comfort is the key to getting a good modelling result and reliable running.

If you can get at it its less likely to play up.

regards John

 

[galaxy]

Basic rule of thumb is to limit the depth of your layout {or to the middle} to the length of your arm with your hand bent pointing downward at maximum depth.

That way you can reach anything.  Because, yes, you will "need to be able to get everywhere"....

You WILL have occasional derailments so you want to get to them. {even with bullet proof track work something is sure to go awry}...

You WILL need to get to scenery/scenicking your layout..so you need to be able to REACH that ....

You WILL need to dust/vacuum the layout there too...

If you have high rising scenery at the edge, shorten the depth or make the scenery item{S}  removable to reach the center/inside edge of your layout.

Build in "removable sections " in "center hatches" to get to "nether regions" of a very wide/deep layout...you will thank us later...

ALSO: don't forget tunnels...you need to be able to get to RR cars/locos that get stuck or derailed in tunnels,too! so make them open-backed for easy access, OR make them only as deep as you can reach into the middle of it/them, or the tops removable.

 

[BRAKIE]

For me I like a short 18" reach for a 4x8' layout.What that means all track will be within 18" from the edge of the board.This also leaves room for a divider and scenery.

For my switching layouts I prefer 12"  reach-I use a 12" wide board.

[Alantrains]

Let me just say a 2' 6" wide bench 48" from the floor is tooo wide for a 6' tall guy.

and please don't ask how I know.  ;)

[CSX_road_slug]

Of course, you could always invest in one or a few of these guys...

[Fergmiester]

All very good points made here but one key element they forgot

How Old Are ya?!?

With age comes loss of flexibility and eyesight!

Painful truths in this hobby I know as the older I get I find it harder to get under the layout and get through my access portal (I  cant reach a section from the edges)

If you run big engines and have long cars I'd recommend nothing less than 5' 6" as it will allow you 30" curves with 3" of buffer/catchall on the edges. As already stated the lower the layout the greater the reach, just make sure that if you sit your legs won't get scrunched.

Fergie

[SpaceMouse]

Just a couple points. 

When you do your reach test make sure to put something on the close edge of the shelf like a piece of rolling stock or a structure. When reaching it is easy to break something with hanging clothes or protruding flesh from the midsection. 

What Fergie said about the age thing:  Word.  

[ONR FAN]

That is good advice Chip. 

[BATMAN]

This bench is 6' wide. You can see it has three 2' wide pieces of foam. It allows me to have 32+" radius curves. Once the landscaping is complete in the centre I will not need to reach it very often unless it is to add a moose or something. I was really limited in what I could do as far as bench work goes by all the doors, windows and a fireplace, so this was the best I could come up with. I think 30 inches is the most I would go for as far as bench work width, with track no more than two feet in from the edge. If you are going to go wider just to add more scenery in behind the track that is fine but have the will power to get the scenery done first.

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[tomikawaTT]

And now I'll throw you a curve -

The maximum width of your layout cannot exceed the width of the room it's built in.

(Less twice the thickness of backdrop and supports, unless you paint your backdrop on the wall.)

So, let's look at the maximum width of benchwork.

In a long-time ago MR, there was a photo of an O-gauge clubmember trying to reach something about four feet from the point where he was standing.  He had his thighs braced against the fascia, his torso was horizontal and his fingers - almost - but - not - quite - reached - the derailed car.  I've occasionally wondered how the problem was finally solved.  (Aside.  He was wearing a dress shirt, suspenders and a pullman conductor hat.)

My own layout has one peninsula that reaches just over five feet width at the end.  Everything that might have to be reached with anything but eyeballs is within 18 inches of the aisleway.  The scenery sweeps up to a ridgetop well above my eye level (or will, once I build it.)

As things are shaping up, everything that might require attention on the 32" (maximum) wide long bench across the garage door will be within 24 inches of the aisle.  A few ends of spur tracks might end up beyond that - but the switches and magnetic uncouplers won't.

Back to ancient history.  One MR contributor built a trapeze platform to enable construction/maintenance on a layout about eight feet from aisleway to wall.  His comment?  "Never again!"  (The present-day equivalent is one of those over-engine work platforms designed for reaching the guts and plumbing in an 18-wheeler's engine room...)

Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - within reach)

[hellwarrior]

Hello everybody, I’m 42, 5’8” and my room is 11’9” by 10’8”.  I also need to add a desk for working on my computer, drawing, painting and modeling.

So 30” seems to be the norm.  Good.  I will take that into account.

Brakie what do you mean exactly by a switching layout?

Thanks Batman for the photo display.  Very interesting.

[steamnut]

I am 5'9". I find that if my waist is at the height of the layout, I can easily and comfortably reach 32 inches. I can, uneasily and uncomfortably, reach 36" absolute maximum, but only for a limited period of time.

Key points:

1. This reach declines dramatically as the table height exceeds the level of my waist. On the other hand, if the layout is unfinished, or if you have planned for areas where you can support yourself without damaging the layout, your effective reach is extended.

2. For some operations - reaching derailed equipment, cleaning the track or layout - simple tools extend my comfortable reach 12 to 18 inches.

3. For actually WORKING on the layout I would say that the absolute maximum is 24 inches.

Bottom line: I try to stick to a maximum 32 inch reach. This isn't always possible. I will NOT place a turnout more than 24 inches from a layout edge and try to keep it below that.

Regards,

Steamnut

 

[NP2626]

While reach is the fundamental criteria in determining the width to make a layout, I feel that this distance can be exceeded, if necessary.  I have two places on my layout that are out of reach of my arm length without some help.  One of the items I use to reach into areas that exceed my regular arms length is a stool and the other is a dowel with a small balsa block glued to the end that has some foam rubber glued to the balsa block.  Some of the restrictions I have for reaching into these areas, is structures that needed to be placed near the front edge of the layout.  With the addition of my two helpers, I have no problem with these hard to reach areas.  The dowel with the block and pad on it can be used to push stalled locomotives or trains; or, as a hook to pull what ever is giving problems to a location where I can fix.

I wouldn't be to worried about having some areas that are hard to reach as methods of accessing can be determined.

[blownout cylinder]

NP2626

While reach is the fundamental criteria in determining the width to make a layout, I feel that this distance can be exceeded, if necessary.  I have two places on my layout that are out of reach of my arm length without some help.  One of the items I use to reach into areas that exceed my regular arms length is a stool and the other is a dowel with a small balsa block glued to the end that has some foam rubber glued to the balsa block.  Some of the restrictions I have for reaching into these areas, is structures that needed to be placed near the front edge of the layout.  With the addition of my two helpers, I have no problem with these hard to reach areas.  The dowel with the block and pad on it can be used to push stalled locomotives or trains; or, as a hook to pull what ever is giving problems to a location where I can fix.

I wouldn't be to worried about having some areas that are hard to reach as methods of accessing can be determined.

Now, why in heck did I not think of that. A good solution to an irritating problem here!! Thanks!!

[hellwarrior]

Thanks again guys for your help.

[mobilman44]

Hi!

Ha, I know this subject wayyyy toooo well. 

A lot of the answer depends our your height/reach and the layout's height.   Mine is 41 inches and I'm just under 5-10.  My layout fills an 11x15 room.   I wanted the most surface area I could get, and my minimum width is 36 inches.   Standing on a 1 ft. block, I can easily do whatever at that far reach.

BUT, the corners and one main area are about 5 foot in.  Soooo, I actually get on the layout to get to those areas.  That is no fun at all.   BUT, what I have done is kept problem stuff out of the corners, and just have smooth big radius curves there.   I also started the scenery on the outside and worked inward, so I don't have to get on finished scenery to get back there.

If I had a bigger area, I would keep the reach to 36 inches max.

[hellwarrior]

Thanks mobilman44 for your tip.

I don't want to get on my layout so I will be careful with the width I decided to use.

[ACRR46]

I'm 5' 10" tall and my shelf layout is approximately 24" to  30" inches deep with elevations between 48" to  54" high.  When operating I have no problem reaching the rolling stock.  However when I'm laying track or working on scenery I have a series of step stools that are 8" high to approx. 18" high to improve my reach.  

Frank

[gmcrail]

Overall size: 3000 miles.  Width: no more than 24-28"  Can you reach your trains?

[hellwarrior]

Thanks ACRR46 for your tip.

[hellwarrior]

GMCRail what do you mean by 3000 miles?