Let's talk about layout height

[Anonymous]

I was playing around with some lumber in the garage tonight.

I'm 5'9", and I think I'd like my next layout to be pretty high - about 55" - just a few inches under my chin.

How high do you like your layout?

As a kid, I used to bend down to let the train go right in front of my nose. At 31, bending over for more than a few seconds quickly becomes irritating!

With a higher layout, it will also better lend itself to having storage underneath.

By the way, how the heck do people do double-decker layouts. It seems the upper level has to be super high, and the lower level has to be super low. The benchwork would also have to be extremely narrow to be able to view the entire lower level. (Yes, I know, the mushroom concept takes care of this...).

[Anonymous]

I heard somewhere that a good rule of thumb is to make it whatever height your horizontally-outstretched arm is. Any higher and you lose a lot of reach. Of course, if you're talking about a 12" - 24" shelf layout, you can make it eye-level because you don't need much reach.

The double-deck layouts I've visited have been around 42" and 60", approx.

[R. T. POTEET]

I'm 68" and you're 69" so the measurements are going to be approximately the same.

Go 15" below the top of your head. That's going to put the layout height (maximum) at 54", just about armpit height. I would make my minimum height about six or seven inches below that - 47 or 48 inches. At 47 inches that'll put your HO scale eyeballs about 150 feet above track height; if you're intelligent and an N-Scaler you'll see things from about 300'. HO does have a few advantages - relatively few - but this is one of them. This is where I am going on my layout.

[NZRMac]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jsmaye
The double-deck layouts I've visited have been around 42" and 60", approx.

My double and a half decker runs from 70" at the coal mine down to 64" top level then from there down to 42" for half a room and down again to 34" for the port coal unloading.

Just FYI

Ken.

[Ibflattop]

I am 6'-1" or 72 inches. My Double layout is waist height and the top level is chest height. Kevin

[mikebonellisr]

I'm 5'10" (or was when I started my around the room,24",shelf layout).My layout is about chest high.Great for watching trains,lots of storage space,lose very little floor space in a 20x20 room. easy to wire,install tortoise machines and room for a moderate size work bench below one 10" area.....works for me.
When I work on the layout I use a small step ladder.

[IRONROOSTER]

I'm 5'11" and my layout is 58" high. The advantages are a great viewing angle, duckunders are easy to negotiate, and lots of room underneath - you can fit work desks, bureaus, bookcases, 2nd layout, etc underneath. The disadvantages are having to use a 2-step stepstool to work on the layout and shorter people (my wife is 5'3") can't see it very well. One interesting effect is that a train on the track closest to you almost completely blocks your view of a train on the track behind it.
Enjoy
Paul

[Anonymous]

How high do you like your layout?

Layouts don't have to be all one height. There are places on my layout that would lose impact if it was too high. My main line passes by my foundry at a height of 52 inches. My foundry is at a height of 49 inches. I couldn't make this part work if it was almost as high as eye level. It's hard for me to explain how well this works. If anyone would like to see a picture just send me an email. I also have places where trains run at a height of 56 inches. Lots of hills...trains climbing up grade and descending. Flat is boring.

Larry "five foot six"

[jbloch]

CARRfan:

Having not done my benchwork yet, this is only from book(s). Linn Westcott's benchwork book(a really good source of info IMO and several others have agreed on other threads) reccommends a 42 inch height on most table top plans(42 X 72 thru 60 X 108). He doesn't go in to much detail about why; suspect this is low enough for overall viewing of the layout without being too low for doing wiring and other work below.

Jim

[mondotrains]

Hello Carrfan,
My first layout was too low and as you can imagine, it gave me a backache.

My current layout is 54" high and I find it perfect (I'm 5' 11" tall). The advantage of higher benchwork is the viewing angle makes the scenes and the trains look much better.

In order to reach way into the back of scenes, buy yourself one of those tool boxes that are made to stand on. It is much more comfortable to stand on than a step stool because it is about 20" long and a foot deep and being plastic, it tends to cushion your feet. The tool box is easy to move about because it has a fold-down handle on top.

Hope this helps.
Mondo

[jwils1]

My layout height is 30" as I can see and operate my entire layout while sitting, where without much movement, I have sitting access to my work bench and supplies. I can even do some uncoupling on my yard lead from this same position. For industry and heavy duty yard switching I can walk around my layout using my cordless walk-around throttle. The 30" height allows me to easily reach 24" to 30" into my layout for whatever reason needed. I know this isn't desireable for most of you but it really works for me.

[Walter Clot]

My layout is 40" high, because I started with modules in a club and that's how high the club was. We did 5 or 6 shows a year and had to carry our modules sometimes on trips of 3 to 5 hours. I am 5' 8". When I want an eye level view, I sit in a chair and lean in. I need to be up high usually to run it and see what is happening. I have a few photos of it from a tall ladder. It is an interesting view. You might want to try it sometime.[:)]

[3railguy]

The 2006 Model Railroad planning guide has a good article on this subject. In a nutshell, they say optimum height is determined by how deep the layout is with shelf layouts being the highest. They show how to put together a mock up that you can raise and lower to see what looks best to you.

[tcf511]

I think it depends on who your audience will be. My layout is 40 inches because that is standard module height which was generally arrived at based upon children in the audience. I have six grandkids and while duck unders are no fun, you can build liftups. Lugging 5, 6 or 7 year olds who aren't tall enough to see everything gets old pretty quickly as well.

[donhalshanks]

My layout goes between 48-52" high (I'm just under 6'). I kind of got this from the forum threads and reading RR modeling stuff. Works just right. Tend to use a one or two step stool to work on it. Easy to get underneath. Looks good when viewing.

Hal

[tomikawaTT]

Absolute minimum 'top of the benchwork' height, 33 inches. I get around underneath with an automotive creeper and keep things that will probably need maintenance at the edge of the benchwork.

Minimum rail height for trackage that's intended to be seen, 42 inches. This works for me.

Highest point on the layout will be determined by how high the rails are when I top out my 4% grade to the colliery at the end of the branch. Could easily exceed 60 inches. At the moment, that module is on shelf brackets 54 inches off the floor.

As for two well-separated levels, a roll-around chair does wonders. Sit down to run the lower level, stand up to handle the upper level.

Chuck.

[BR60103]

My layout comes to just under my armpit. I think this is too high, as arms and sleeves keep catching on things or knocking them over. My wife is 9" shorter than I am, and she enjoys the eye-level view.
Most of the layout is 24" deep, with one part come out to 30". I have a pair of platic step stools for working on the back bits.

[spidge]

I built my layout beginning with the yard( most switching ) about elbow high, and the rest rise to shoulder high. I am 6'3" and this is a bit high for many, mainly children. This hight also makes maintainance difficult on wider benchwork. My solution was to build a 4' wide 2 step box for me to use when making repairs and adjustments and the shorter folks have a choice as to which step to use for viewing. I simply slide it under the layout for storage.

[Anonymous]

M y layout is at 40". I'm 6',2" in height and its a comfortable. I can reach anything on my layout.





http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g265/russellrail/

[trainfreek92]

My N scale is about 30 inches tall (its on sawhorses) Its a little low but inless i want to build permanent benchwork it will have to do. When I am older I will definetly build it higher! I also have a Ho layout i got at a yard sale about a month ago that i am rebuilding wich is on storage tubs!! The control panel is only about 8 inches of the basement floor and the layout part is about 12 inches of the floor. I put a blanket down and sit on it to run trains. When i am wiring i just lay down to hook them up. It does get annoying when you are doing track work hunched over for 3 hours though!! Tim

[Virginian]

I am 6'-2", and my layout is at 36". I am toying with going to 42" on my new layout. I like to be able to watch sitting down. It's a good height for tuning/troubleshooting because I can see well sitting and I can still lean over and see the opposite side.

[jon grant]

I raised the height of my layout by 8" a few months back so track height was just below eye line, when I sit on my operating stool.





The top of the backscene is at my eye-level when I am standing up and it stands about 52" off the floor. I'm 5'10", and I find I am knocking the scenery at the front of the layout when I'm working on it or cleaning the rails. Any higher and I would be struggling.


Jon

[Anonymous]

I'm 6' and my layout is about waist level for me. I wanted it to be low so that way I can reach across if I need to and see everything that's going on.