What is your benchwork height and why did you choose that measurement?
52". It comes up to the middle of my sternum. This has been the advice from many who choose to have a standing or walk-a-round layout as it presents the layout to the viewer without looking down on the top of everything.
29"
This is low compared to many, but here are my reasons.
- My 6 year old can reach all the tracks without having to stand on anything.
- This height is comfortable for me to sit on a rolling stool and move easily around the layout.
- This height is perfect for me to lie on my back on the floor and reach the wiring under the bench work without having to strain too much.
- There is always the possibility of adding an upper deck!
42"
I might have gone higher but my basement ceiling is only 6’-5" and I’m 6’-4". For me at 42" and my layout a 4 x 8, it’s low enough to comfortably work on and reach across but high enough to see it up close. If I had made my layout any higher, it would have both looked and felt like I was modeling in the lower bunk of a bunk bed.
Tom
Following tstage’s remark, Linn Wescott’s benchwork book reccommends 42" for most(even large) table top plans. I don’t recall that he goes into why exactly, but in recalling other posts on this subject in the past, it seems this is a good balance in being low enough to get a good look over the layout and high enough to be able to do under the table work relatively easily. But as Simon and T Bryant point out, you may have other situations/priorities that might make you want to have your height higher or lower (young kids, double-decker layout, etc.)
Jim
Mine is 48". I’m 5’11" and the taller benchwork gives a nicer view, and is easier to work under. It’s also simple to make 48" tall legs.
Nick
I just took down my double decker (to move) and I had the top deck at 56" and the bottom at 38". I’m 5’10", so this worked out well for me. I should add that my layout was a shelf type layout, so having a far reach wasn’t a real big deal. If I were doing a deeper layout (say, something over 2’ deep) then I’d have probably lowered it some.
Also, I’m in N scale, so these heights are not too bad. The larger the scale, the lower it should be I feel. This is because the scenery will come up to meet you as the scale gets larger.
My benchwork is 52 inches above the floor. I am 6ft 2inches tall and I find this a comfortable height for me. I model in G scale and the view of the buildings on the layout is a realistic view. I built the Chama coaling tower (33 inches tall) and I am within a foot of the bottom of the floor joists.
I also have 2 duck unders and at 63 yrs of age, the 52 inches makes it a lot easier to get under them.
42" for me. Good for me to work on or I can run trains while sitting on an office chair. My 1 year old son can’t get to it but it be able when he gets a little older. I also made provisions for a 22" lower deck which is workable while sitting and my son could easily run the lower deck. (when he’s old enough) I may use a portion of the possible lower deck for a future Tomas the Tank Engine setup.
52" for me as well. I find that height allows me to sit in a lowered office chair and work under the layout. I also like the idea of viewing the layout at a slight downward angle as opposed to viewing the buildings and equipment from the top.
In Model Railroad Planning 1995, John Armstrong stated " I like yards about 53" high, 4"higher than mine, with the yardmaster standing instead of sitting on a stool. Stools would take up floor space we don’t have."
My two cents worth…Ken
My current layout is 58". I chose it because I needed to maximize storage under the layout.
Benefits include: the duckunder into the room is easy to negotiate; the side view is really great (I’m 5’11"); and you can easily put a work bench underneath.
Downsides are: shorter people don’t see it well (my wife is 5’3"); a step stool is mandatory for working on the layout; and the layout room is a little claustraphobic.
Enjoy
Paul
I built my first layout at 44" at the surface. I am 5’ 7". I found that I wanted to squat often to get the best view that a person would want, so it should have been closer to 55". That said, I did sometimes enjoy sitting at tableside, and that better view was presented thereby. I used a medium wooden stool, maybe 3’ high.
Without the benefit of John Armstrong’s preference, I decided that I wanted my yard right up to my sternum, and it actually sits 3/4" above the top of the knob. Quite high, but are you ever “in” there.
Accomodating smaller visitors may be an issue with many members, but not in my case. I have a nephew who enjoys playing with my trains three or four times a year, and he sits on a stool. Most of my visitors are adults, few though they are, with my younger 6’ brother being the biggest fan.
So, to sum up, get a chair that you will likely use (be honest), and sit on it. Picture where you’d like the view to be, and measure it. It should be about chin height. There ya go. If you build the right kind of structure, you’ll even have that storage space that either you or the missus wants.
36" for me. This makes it high enough I can get underneath to work on wiring comfortably and it puts the layout at eye level for me as I sit in a chair to operate the trains. All the controls are at my fingertips.
I’m using 46". I am 5’7" and this seems reasonable to me.
24", 40" and 60" on 2/3 of the layout. Remainder is 48" and 60" with staging under at 24" and 36".
My most important station is at 42 inches,for a most improbable reason. That’s the track gauge of the prototype I model.
However, rail routes go both up and down from there, which gives me one station at 36 inches and several at heights in the 48-54 inch zone. That’s what happens when you set one height arbitrarily on a pike that only has level track in staging and within yard limits.
Of course, my prototype, too, only has level track within yard limits.
Chuck
my old one was 45" comfrotable for me too do undernesath wiring and work on top as well my new one might be a littel taller
Mine’s at about 43". I have a 30" deep around the walls type and with a two step ladder, I can easily reach the back of the layout.
In addition, my two year old grandson can sit on the stool and easily see the trains. I can set him far enough away that he can’t reach them but still gets a good look at them.
Tom
Mine is 42" high and 30" deep. I am 5’ 10", this height allowed me to reach the back of the layout with standing on anything and provided ample room below for under-layout storage, yet was low enough to sit on the floor to do wiring and such.
John
Mine is 38" high, which is perfect for me for seated operations. I can sit or crawl under the layout to work on wiring and whatnot and not bump my head. I can stand and reach well into the layout if need be to throw a switch or rerail cars. My layout is deep, at 48", but that’s a necessity, considering my layout is built in a bonus/attic room and the walls are also the ceiling, and slope inward as they rise. What’s not hidden track is actually only about 30-36" deep though. I have approximately a 14" high backdrop hiding the loop of mainline that travels around the layout. Sitting down on a rolling stool, the layout is at eye level, which is exactly what I wanted. I can then stand and still reach very far into the layout for the occassional mishap.