What is the minimum aisle width for being able to walk around and to have enough room so I don’t bang into the table when I throw switches?
I would say that 22" is the absolute minimum. I have used 22" and it works, but this was a small bedroom layout and I was the only operator. If you want to have room for people to pass in the aisles, then I would recomend at least 36". Of course it all depends on the amount of space you have and the amount of comfort you are willing to sacrifice. I have seen several club layouts that use 24" ailes and they just put up with the crowded condition in order to fit more layout into a given space.
D&H,
Those who have done research say 22" min. for one operator and 28" min. for 2 people to pass. If you have the space the wider the better.
Ernie C
It depends in part on your size. To test it, put a cardboard box or something on your kitchen counter to bring it up to layout height. Then have someone hold a piece of lumber (2’ x 6’ or so) vertically about 24 inches behind you, and see how constricted you feel.
- Harry
I use 36" for basic aisle width, with 30" at a ‘pinch’ point. Our club has 48" for a minimum, but it also has two decks/levels. 22" should work if you just need to have access, but you will not be able to ‘operate’ from such confined aisles. Of course the ‘size’ of your body and how high are also going to [lay into this. An old layout I had had a 30" by 60’ pit that I had to get into to switch a mine. That was in the late 60’s when I was a teenager - I am not that flexible now!
Jim
If your moderately[:-^] over weight like I am, 24" minimum! I did 20" and I wish I had gone wider.[2c]
Aisleways are definitely not a, “One size fits all,” proposition, because modelers come in too many sizes! Also, be aware that an individual’s dimensions will change with time - usually to something bigger!
I’m built like a barrel, so for me 24" is a minimum aisle width. In order to maintain that, one piece of along-the-wall shelf that was originally drawn straight will have a gently-curving concave fascia when I install it. I couldn’t narrow the end of the adjacent benchwork, and I won’t compromise the aisle width.
The one place where people will interact with each other when I have visiting operators has an irregular ‘blob’ of floor space, the minimum width of which is 32 inches. A short side-step will increase that to 40 inches plus.
Interestingly, by designing the aisleways first, I found that the track schematic I was trying to implement just fell into place. Sometimes, you get lucky!
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
An awful lot, my dear friend, will depend upon whether you weigh 150# or 350#; if you weigh 350# then a 22" aisle width ain’t likely to feed the bulldog! John Armstrong said that an 18" aisle width would be acceptable as long as it was short; I weigh in at 160# with a 32" girth and I can tell you that I don’t feel very comfortable at all squeezing through an 18" aisle I don’t care how short it is!
Murphy’s Railroad Law #1:
“The number of wide bodies visiting your railroad at the same time will be directly and inversely proportional to the narrowness of the aisles.”
If I could do it again, I would keep it to 36" standard and 28" for short sections. I stuck to this for the most part but I have one section that squeezes to 22" and I hate it. In addition, this section has switching on both sides of the aisle… not good.
In my younger (and thinner) days, I used 18 inches as a minimum for a non-operating aisle. Now I use 24 inches as a minimum regardless. I try to keep my aisles 30 inches or wider.
Nick
Also keep in mind that your visitors, or at the very least wife and kids, need to be able to comfortably access the aisles, so size them accordingly even if you’re planning on being the only operator.
Narrow aisles are poor for maintenence and upgrade work also.
I’m lucky, I don’t need an aisle for my 4x8!! When I move (hopefully next year) I will have 24" as an absolute minimum, and at leasy 36" wherever possible. My 38-40" waist ain’t likely to get any smaller - and believe me I try!![banghead]
I have 34 inch aisles and I have under benchwork storage shelves. I am 65, and considered a large man. Being able to access this storage requires space to be able kneel down or bend over without hitting the benchwork.
Things to consider are your age, ability to move freely, your body size and how long this layout will be in use. As you get older your body changes and your ability to move around in limited areas decreases.
I’m 14 and I only weigh about 100 lbs but I might be running it with my brother at the same time, so I’ll probably go with 24".
I started at 24" but moved to 20" after I ordered a 2-10-4 Sunset models Selkirk. It required a 30" radius. We have many friends and the house is always full of company. A couple of Saturdays back when the men came into the trainroom to see the progress two of the wives followed and came to a screeching halt when they saw they could not squeeze through that 20" space. I felt a little embarresed for them but soon realized that being able to run a Selkirk was more important. Besides all the men could get in and that was the important thing. Brent
Another unmentioned factor so far is that the narrower the asiles the more lilley damage to the surfaces of the railroad including buildings and equipment are likley to occur as people lean over to pass.
On an older layout that had severe space restrictions I ended up with one short (36" deep) aisle that was only 14" wide, now I’m 6’0 200+something pounds and if I inhaled deep enough before I ventured in I was OK, but I dont recommend it, it was too tight so when I rebuilt the layout I eliminated the aisleway. Today I wouldnt go any narrower than 20" for limited access aisles, if its a primary access aisle 24"
I"m 6’1" and weight about 220 and I dont think that at my age I’m going to get any smaller, so my one aisle on the Yuba River Sub is 36" wide. That’s also where the main controls are on the MR, so I have to be comfortable when I run trains. Since I’m a ‘lone wolf’, I don’t have much in the way of company, but when someone does come over to see the layout, there’s still room for two or three of us to fit in if we don’t try and dance, LOL!
Tom [:P]
My last layout had 2 aisles 24" and 30". The track was at 58". The layout felt claustrophobic even though I could get through it all right. My under construction layout at 50" high has 36" minimum aisles. That feels a lot better.
Enjoy
Paul