What is the Ideal Height for a Layout from Eye Level

[mbinsewi]

As far as the plan for the future, and make things easy to do in a wheel chair, well if that happens to me, I won't be in this house.

Layout is in the basement, full bath and bedroom on the second floor.  Nope I won't be here!

Mike.

[Erie1951]

This is an interesting discussion, Guys. At my current bench work height, I'll be able to look directly into the layout although I'm not sure that's what I ultimately want. Like many here, I have problems standing and will operate the layout from a seated position. As it is right now, the section that's under construction is 2'4" x 7' long. I first built the top with hinges in the rear that allows me to tilt the top up to 45° for wiring and switch machine installation. It was the idea of a friend and fellow modeler that helped me put the bench work and top together and it's great for working on a shelf layout. Now that my former Sn3 track work, wiring, control panel, etc. have been stripped out, this will help me out with the HO project. There's just no way that I could climb under a layout at my age. The height that I need to consider would allow about 35° viewing angle that has to allow for a lighting valance. This way, I think, I'll be able to view the rooftops of the buildings and get a better idea of where cars are when hidden behind them. I may not be able to lower the height of the layout, but I think that an adjustable chair may just do the trick.

[BNSF UP and others modeler]

For those who want to stand AND sit to run trains, I have found a barstool to be a great solution. Got mine brand new from a garage/yard sale for $10.

[mbinsewi]

Your right BNSF, I have couple in the train room, one at the work bench, as that's how high my bench is, and one, just because it's there, and I sit sometimes, and watch a train. 

I can't stand a regular height chair anymore.  We have stools in the kitchen, with a bar height counter we eat at.

Mike.

[SeeYou190]

mbinsewi

Layout is in the basement, full bath and bedroom on the second floor.  Nope I won't be here! Mike.

.

My original remodel plan was to add a second floor and put the layout upstairs.

.

Nope. Changed my mind. Everything is on one level, a wheelchair ramp only needs to go up three inches to get over the threshhold, and no basement or attic.

.

This is where I plan to stay.

.

-Kevin

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[Track fiddler]

I've been giving a lot of thought to different layout Heights. I'm gearing more towards an ideal working height for starters. I have a lot of work left to do on my layout.

The bathroom vanity even had me thinking. It is only 31" tall with an 8" inch deep sink. When I come home from wxxk with my Filthy Hands, my back gets more sore washing them then it does at work.

Too high of a reach doing your modeling probably isn't good. Hunched over would be even worse. Countless hours are spent modeling as the years fly by. As pointed out here, planning for the future is not just a good idea but a necessity. I'm going to get older, things will get harder.

TF

[RR_Mel]

SeeYou190

 

My original remodel plan was to add a second floor and put the layout upstairs.

.

Nope. Changed my mind. Everything is on one level, a wheelchair ramp only needs to go up three inches to get over the threshhold, and no basement or attic.

.

This is where I plan to stay.

.

-Kevin

.

 

Kevin

 

You’re correct about planning ahead!  My health problems are related to an on the job injury in 1965.  At 50 everything was OK, even at 70 it wasn’t too bad but now it’s terrible.  If it doesn’t hurt at a 10+ then it died and fell off.  Having a bad case of Arthritis also adds to the problems.

 

You don’t know if you might not be able to get around as you grow old.  I just lucked out building my layout at table top level.  There is no way I could handle a bar stool now.  Getting in and out of a car is a major task.  One of those little three wheeled electric scooters is looking pretty good right now.

 

I’m just so happy that I can still get around well enough to work on and around my layout.  I wouldn’t be able to do much of anything if it wasn’t for all my helping goodies like grabbers, magnetic pickup tools and grab rails.  I’ve always been clumsy (I have a bad case of the dropsy’s) and that gets worse with age too.

 

The Golden Years are made out of Lead at our house.

 

 

Mel

 

 

My Model Railroad   

http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/

 

Bakersfield, California

 

I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.

 

[willy6]

Being I built my benchwork with 2 X 4's, I opted for 48" because I could get 2 legs out of one board. Then I topped with 1/2" plywood and 1/2" foam. Track height is 49" inches to 56". I'm 6'0" and have about a 32" reach @ 48" high.

[JPowell]

Interesting I found this topic on here. In the last 3 days, while going through my copies of MR, MRP, and GMR, I came across 4 articles on this very topic and it has made me stop my planning to check what layout height, I feel, will work for me. 

For those wondering, the 4 articles can be found in the following:

May 2000 MR, Pg 34, Workshop: Layout Heights

MRP 2006, Pg 89, Planning Tip: Visualizing Layout Elevation

MRP 2006, Pg 92, Planning Tip: Choosing Layout Height

and finally MRP 2007, Layout Height: Should-high, or bird's-eye? This, nice in-depth article, on pages 8-13, even provides an equation for figuring out what layout height would be appropriate using one's own human height. The article includes sub-topics such as reach-in distance, helix or continuous grade, single or multi-level, etc.