Ok lets hear the voices of experience give a fact based opinion on the appropriate height for a layout for a shorter individual. The person in question is 5' 3" and is healthy and agile. I'm thinking the general trend towards higher layouts can be over done especially for such a person. Your thoughts are welcomed and appreciated.

Thank You

Bob

It depends on you. I like mine at 48" but I am 5'11". I have seen some that put the track at eye level so you see the sides of items and not just roofs. Mine is somewhat a compromise as I believe most are...not too high-not too low. Do you show your layout to a lot of friends or have running sessions? If there are a lot of "normal" height folks, you may want to use a small stool or a small step ladder to reach across the layout and build it at 48". Another consideraation is the underside. Do you have plenty of room under the layout for crawling around should you build it lower.

Lots of consideration. Mine is against the wall with the eventual use of canterleivered (spelling) brackets and do away with the legs.

Dick

I am 5' 10½" and I have grown to like my layout height at 48" too. It is a personal choice, there's no right or wrong way. Just figure out what you like best.

I'd suggest the following to think about (based on experience):

Height might be over-thought. More importantly think in terms of both individual height and arm's-reach. The combined height and depth of the railroad should ideally allow the person to reach the back of the railroad conveniently.

I find a stepstool to be a PITA when working on/building the railroad, so I set my height and depth so I can reach everything while standing (nominally 36" high x 32" deep). As trackage goes higher, depth can be reduced to compensate. On the other hand, I find a chair very convenient to get my eyeballs at "scene-height" when running stuff as an observer, and standing over the scene equally convenient while running as an operator.

Hope the thought helps,
Brian

The height of my railroad was based on a combination of the height of the washer and dryer, the space allowed under the staircase, and the furnace ductwork. It wound up to be 36" for lower level storage, and 52" to 60" for the main levels. I like the views that are closer to eyelevel while standing. I would not go over 60" for me and I'm about 5"10". The higher levels on the layout were easier for me to wire.

Depending on your plan, you could raise the floor in some places.

My layout is 43 1/2" to the top of the 3/4" plywood, the Vynlebed road bed and track are then on top of that. Although I'm 6'3", the layout is a good workable height for me and all the rest of the "shorter guys"!

quote:

Originally posted by christopher:
The height of my railroad was based on a combination of the height of the washer and dryer, the space allowed under the staircase, and the furnace ductwork. It wound up to be 36" for lower level storage, and 52" to 60" for the main levels. I like the views that are closer to eyelevel while standing. I would not go over 60" for me and I'm about 5"10". The higher levels on the layout were easier for me to wire.

Depending on your plan, you could raise the floor in some places.

Nothing like a few practical considerations to make decisions for you,

But, also a valid consideration mentioned - ease of wiring. Woring on your back, or even backside can also be a PITA when wiring, installing switch machines, etc....

my around-the-walls layout design has the top of the benchwork at 48". The risers and scenery bring it to about 50"-52" depending where on the grade you are.
48" was chosen because the room doubles as a bsmt. playroom and the layout has underneath storage along 2 walls, plus I wanted a higher layout. The depth is 24" on one wall, 30" on the second, and 12" & 18" on the other two.

since most lumber is modular, 1', 2', 4', etc. I try to stay in the same modules. 6", 12", 18", 24" etc.

When in the track planning stage, give some thought to the type of scenery you will want. While the higher benchwork gives more realistic views when standing, I would think more in terms of mainline track level, not benchwork level.

If you are modeling anything other than a prairie, you will want the flexibility to extend your scenery well below track level in some places, as well as above it.

Particularly if your basement has low ceilings like mine, you will probably have much more room for interesting scenery below track level than above.

This can be accomplished for a modular layout, also, by constructing some modules with deep valleys. Other modules can have the higher benchwork for yard areas, etc. which require better under-layout access and less dramatic scenery.

I like the mainline to be in the 45" - 48" height range with scenery above and below this level. It's best not to limit future scenic options when building benchwork.




Jim

Thanks all, Good suggestions and it is appreciated. My friend is leaning towards a lower layout height much as Brian suggested he preferred.

Thanks

Bob

Also, the ceiling height should be a factor. Basements with low ceilings should have slightly lower layouts. My layout is 41" high. If I were 8" shorter (5'3"), I don't think I would have made the layout 8" shorter. A couple of inches maybe.

Just a word of caution. If your layout is to low, I have seen more than one tree planted to close to the edge and taken out by a well endowed lady. Buildings and rolling stock are not exempt from this kind of natural disaster.
Al

quote:

Originally posted by AL CLAIR:
Just a word of caution. If your layout is to low, I have seen more than one tree planted to close to the edge and taken out by a well endowed lady. Buildings and rolling stock are not exempt from this kind of natural disaster.
Al

And some NOT so natural

Be careful now boys.

The track level on my layout rages from a low of about 39 inches up to about 52 inches. There is some scenery that is just short of the ceiling. I am 5' 6" tall. I wanted to make sure that I could work under the layout, as well as on top of it. It is a comfortable height for me. You can always use a couple of bar stools to sit on.

Lisa Marie

I have to worry about a different lady - my golden retriever, Penny. Since I built that "scenery to the floor" area, I have had to remove a few pine trees from the fur on her constantly wagging tail on several occasions.

Hi Jim,

I sure understand that one. Nothing like a very happy dog. Our Dog, Pumkin (passed away about 1 1/2 years ago), could take out a whole city with one sweep of the tail. He was a Saint Bernard and my best doggy buddy. He was not allowed anywhere near the railroad, once the layout was started. When I was running O scale trains on the living room floor, he did quite a bit of damage.

I designed my layout height at +- 50" mostly for eye level viewing, but never considered that it would be out of reach for my monster puppy, Jake the Golden Retriever... bonus!
Lisa, thank God I didn't have trains when I owned my St. Bernard... yikes!

I won't mention how many times I thought I had taken the perfect picture of my layout, only to find a few dog hairs in the final photo.

A few hairs even made it into a magazine photo I had published. I wonder if anybody noticed!

Penny definitely has a way of making her way (or her hair at least) into everything! But, trying to pull those pine trees out of her tail (actually more like her rear end!) was the highlight of my day.

Jim

Jim, at least your pet doesn't sleep on the layout, like my cat does. It seems it takes only a second after firing everything up for him to jump on up, waiting for another train to pass.

I can't believe my thread has been hijacked by your dogs and cats...more fur power to them...

Bob

Sorry, flanger. I guess I'm just too used to my furry one taking over all the time! I hope you got some answers before it went to the dogs (and cats)!

Jim