benchwork height

[twhite]

I'm 6'1" and designed the "0" elevation on the Yuba River Sub to be 45" high, which puts the highest elevation on the railroad (Yuba Pass) right at nose level, LOL!  Which is the way I wanted it in the first place.  Also, the 45" height in the yard allows me some good bend-over room to get at those pesky little freight cars that always seem to want to derail on the farthest away track. 

And as several have mentioned, a 45" height allows you a LOT of storage room underneath the layout.  So I'd say your 42" height is right in the ballpark. 

Tom

[4merroad4man]

My first deck is 34.5 inches tall and is supported by base cabinets, as would be used in a kitchen or bath.  My layout is a multi-deck layout, so the lower height is required for proper separation between the decks above.

[PurePennsy]

With lumber costs a huge considration, I divide 8' pieces by 2 and you get a 4' (48") height and there is no waste.

[ChrisNH]

  I was planning on 42" from the floor . I am 5' 5" tall .

 

I am 6'1" and have put my small layout at chest height or about 54". This has worked out for a reasons.  My small N scale trains are close up. Its easy to work on the layout without fatigue from bending over. I am counting on the height to help me hide the end of a dummy track behind buildings and trees. I would expect you would get a similar experience from a layout that is 48" high. 

For my next layout I may even go up to 56" (50" for you..) since I still feel that I am looking a bit down on the trains but a lot will depend on how far I have to reach. RIght now I only have to reach 18" at the deepest part. 

edit - one note.. I much prefer working and running my layout standing. I sit all day, if you prefer to sit then my height recommendation would not work. 

Chris 

[traindaddy1]

Ron: OK, here's my ...Mine is 38" high. Being only 5'7" tall, this is a comfortable height for me.

 May I suggest that you consider what you would like to do with the space under the layout. ie. Open...cabinets....box storage....shelves.....access to wires for trouble-shooting etc.

Too me, the overall appearance of the trainroom and the practical use of all your available space can only add to the enjoyment.  All the best.

 

[R. T. POTEET]

galaxy, at 9:46 AM you were 5' 6" tall; two minutes later at 9:48 AM you were still 5' 6" tall. You are going to have to wait more than two minutes after you finish that morning bowl of Cheerios before taking another heighth measurement! 

[chugchug]

48" to 50" seems towork the best for most folks. If you have 2 levels you would go lower.

[j610]

 Thanks again everybody . A lot of information and from all of this it seems that 42 inches is probably going to work well for me . I am going to start my benchwork in a couple of weeks . I will keep everyone posted as to my progress . Thanks again .    RON

[saronaterry]

Hi. The yard on the right is at 45" and the "blob" on the left is at about 54". I'm 5'7" and the benchwork in the yard is 2', the blob is 52" radius but accessible from 3 sides.The climb from the yard to the blob is around 70' feet. It is an around the walls with 3 pennisulas and the benchwork is no wider than about16"(except the yard, of course). All this to get staging under the layout opposite the yard wall.Hope this helps!

Terry

[doneldon]

It depends on many things like your height, age, presence of other levels, etc.

 I'm building a 4X8 table layout for my grandson.  I put it on sturdy height variable folding legs.  I can jack it up so I can work on it comfortably and lower it so he can run it, even sitting down.  Plus, it can go mhigher as he grows taller.

 Good luck on your project.

 

[leewal]

Everybody is talking about how tall they are.  Now that I'm 65, I think 7 feet wouild be a nice height.  Seriously, eye level looks great but it's tough for reaching. Like everything else in model railroading you gotta comprimise. (LIRRMAN)

Leewal

[shayfan84325]

My layout is 36" at the front edge; the terrain slopes up and away.  At the rear it is about 42" high.  It's a little low for viewing while standing, but sitting it's about right.  I've got bad knees, so I prefer to sit while operating.  I also like to run trains with my nephew - he uses a wheelchair, so the height is about right for him.

It really is a choice we all make based on circumstances.  I think many of us build our first layouts too low, and that's why it receives so much attention - most of us who have some experience know it is an important variable and that it deserves its share of consideration.

[mobilman44]

Hi!

This is such a subjective area of discussion!  There are just too many variables to consider that makes no single height "one size fits all".  I am 5'9 1/2 and have had layouts of varying heights, and none have been "perfect".  But you can get a "happy medium" if you consider the following:

- How tall are you, and what is the longest "reach" that you can handle?

- Will your layout be a single level, or have a staging area underneath?

- Will others - of different heights - be running your trains (i.e. children)?

- Will you layout be wiring intensive requiring easy and frequent under layout work sessions?

- Are there room constraints that influence the height of the layout (i.e. windows, utilities)?

Obviously there are a lot of variables, and you may need to experiment a bit before you make the final choice!

ENJOY,

Mobilman44  

[galaxy]

Hi

I'm 5'6" tall and my lowest layout point is 37".

I find it to be a good height. I selected it from the standpoint of not having to bend over much to work on it, and to have storage space underneath.

If I did it again, I may consider 40".

Hope this helps.

-G

[galaxy]

Hi

I'm 5'6" tall and my lowest layout point is 37".

I find it to be a good height.

If I did it again, I may consider 40".

Hope this helps.

-G

[kitbasher]

42 is a good one for one deck yes. My experience on a bar stool in the middle of the room sez so. I decided on an around the room shelf style, a 50 loop was possible, so I got the idea of starting off at 36", a minimum because of stuff under that height, then a 2% grade to 4 feet, another 2% climb to the 5' level. Alot of track fit in this space, but, the lower level has that 'ariel view' feel, and the top level is not completely visible from a short bar stool, I'm 5'5", but the top level is rather narrow, for light and derailment reasons, but it has open scenes, bridges, trestle, and a harbor for tall ships, some nearly scratch the 7' cieling, so keeping and eye on everything is OK from the bar stool, but the prototype idea went out the window as you realize the traffic goes downhill to the mountains and uphill to the seaport. Stick to 42" and have fun! 

[j610]

 WOW  Thanks for all the great input , guys . I agree that looking down on the layout from high up makes it look toylike . From what i hear from all of you , it sounds like 42" is about right for me . THANKS AGAIN     RON

[Anonymous]

On my new/next layout this underlayout clearance is going to provide me with room for some rollaway bookcases...

Ron,

R.T. makes a good point that a higher layout allows for more under layout storage.  I have bookcases and other drawers/files under all of my layout.  I don't know where I would put this stuff otherwise.  Below is an example.  Not very clean and neat right now but you get the idea.

-John

 

[R. T. POTEET]

Ron, this is a personal standard that you are going to have to set for yourself and most things you are going to have to consider in establishing it have been discussed.

I find that looking down at trains makes them appear very toylike - particularly N-Scale; with that in mind I build higher benchwork than has been mentioned. I am 68 inches tall and I allow ten inches - roughly shoulder heighth - for my platform heighth. That puts my eyeballs about 4.5 inches above platform - 60 N-Scale feet, what I consider a good observation heighth. Structures, trees, etc will block any complete view of a train and I find this aids my perception of depth. I use a 12 inch step stool to get me high enough to reach into the layout area.

On my new/next layout this underlayout clearance is going to provide me with room for some rollaway bookcases for my collection of magazines which will be housed in some home-fabricated magazine holders. When I need to do under the layout maintenance I will just need to roll these bookcases out of the way and have at it.

[dale8chevyss]

I think 42" would work well; mine is 46" (I am 6' tall thou) and I thought at first that it was extremely tall but the more I looked at it the more I liked it.  I think it'll work out well for your height; ease of viewing and working. 

[Medina1128]

I set the bottom of my benchwork at 44". I made each module out of 1x4, so that puts the base of the top of the layout at approximately 48". I found it a comfortable height to work on, using a 1 foot stepstool to work on the back, or center of the layout. At that height, I found that my old Wally World office chair, set all the way down, allows me to work under the layout in comfort. With the rocking mechanism unlocked, I can recline and the best part is, that I can roll around UNDER the layout. I bought one of their rolling carts, and replaced the casters with 4 way ones. It came with one set of locked casters, making it a pain to turn. I attached a power strip to the side of it, now I can take everything I need to work under the layout with me; soldering iron, crimpers, strippers, etc. Another handy item I can plug into the strip, is an automotive drop light. Make sure to get the one with florescent tube in it. It cuts down on heat, and you WILL drop it more than once.

[j610]

 Thanks a lot , all of you . What i plan to do is use the w/s modules and build a frame of  1'x8" on top which brings it to just over 42" . I am going with the w/s benchwork to save time and also the fact that it already has the levelers built in . Again , thanks for allthe help and i will keep you posted on my progress or lack there of .  THANKS , RON

[Anonymous]

I wanted my layout to be "as high as I was comfortable with" so I would not be viewing it from a helicopter.  I ended up with a layout that was "3 inches below my armpit" (51" base height for 5'-11" person) so that I could reach in during normal operation without knocking over a train car.

My staging area is slightly higher and the room entry duck-under in that area has a 51" clearance making it "no sweat."

Good luck,
-John

 

[wjstix]

42" sounds pretty good for your height. One factor of course is layout width. My last layout was around 50" high, which was great for my height (6') but it meant I had to use a little stepstool to reach some parts of the layout, since there were a few reaches of around 30". My new layout is going to have an upper level of around 58" but will be a 12"-16" wide shelf; the lower level will be about 40-42", it will mostly be a shelf layout 16" wide but will widen out to about 6' to allow for dogbone "loops" for continuous running. The lower height will make it easier to reach into the layout - plus it's about right to watch trains while sitting, a factor as I get older.

[ramoutandabout]

Me, I'm 6'1"  the height height i picked is 52"

 

ray

[fwright]

My first few layouts were all 30".  My last layout was 58", the one under construction is 50".  While 58" is a great viewing height for the first train, you can't see much behind it and it's a little high for shorter folks (I'm 5'11").  It also makes the room seem very closed in with 24" and 30" aisles. But it's great for duckunders.  So far 50" seems good, but the trains aren't running yet so I don't know for sure how well it will work out.

Enjoy

Paul 

Thanks for sharing.  I am looking at 60" to provide a 55" headroom workbench and office work station under portions of the layout.  I got this by measuring myself sitting in my chair, and not wanting to bump my head on the layout shelf.  But I'm not real happy with the idea of 60" high (I'm 5'10") trackwork either - especially with a 25" aisle in some places.

Fred W 

[tomikawaTT]

A little added info on my first post, where I endorsed 42 inches as a base height.

From that 42 inches, the Tomikawa Tani Tetsudo will play mountain goat, climbing a long, twisting 4% grade to an upper terminal 20 inches above the lower terminal and 60 inches above the floor (slopes down to the front of the garage.)  60 inches is almost too high for me to see into, and my wife and in-laws will need periscopes!  (yes, there will be a fold-in step for their benefit.)

Maximum reach in/across is planned to be 30 inches, with most of the layout a lot less.

I bring all of my wiring out to the edge of the benchwork.  Ditto with switch throwing mechanisms, both manual and twin-coil.  Since I am about as flexible as a steel H column, I have designed my layout to avoid having to do anything except benchwork/roadbed assembly from underneath.  Most of the latter can be done by reaching in from the side, except for a few spots in the center of the wide turnback peninsulas.

Can't say I'm looking forward to tracklaying at nosebleed altitude.  Happily, most of the track at the upper terminus is on a 28 year old module which will simply drop into place.

Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)

[loathar]

I am 5' 8" and am happy with my 48" benchwork.  I went as high as I could go and still easily reach all my trackwork in the back.  I didn't worry too much about reaching all my mountain scenery since I could use a step stool during construction to reach those areas and wouldn't need to reach them thereafter.

Mike B.

I'm 6'2" and went with 48" to make efficient use of 8' 2x4's. I'm happy with it. Makes my duck under "livable".

Jeffery-Doesn't 35" hurt your back?? I've always wondered how people could use those WS modules with their 36" legs. 

[IRONROOSTER]

My first few layouts were all 30".  My last layout was 58", the one under construction is 50".  While 58" is a great viewing height for the first train, you can't see much behind it and it's a little high for shorter folks (I'm 5'11").  It also makes the room seem very closed in with 24" and 30" aisles. But it's great for duckunders.  So far 50" seems good, but the trains aren't running yet so I don't know for sure how well it will work out.

Enjoy

Paul