Oooops, apparently people never read about my later decision (posted near the bottom of the page) - so I’ll repeat it here: I redesigned the track work, so now I will have a lift-out panel to accomodate visitors.
I have a similar situation Ken, I want an around the room layout. I tried ducking under various heights, and with my 5’ - 9" 185 lb bod, I can get under 48" without much difficulty…but then again, I am 66 and in good health ( knees and back and no gut ). If this were to change by age 75 or 80, then all bets are off and I will convert to a drop down.
I’m 65 and a little overweight, but I can still do a 42" mainly because I HAVE to! My first layout had a duck-under, and I swore to God that I would never, EVER have another duck-under if my life depended on it! So what do I have? TWO!! Luckly, they’re simply for access, not operating. But if called upon, I can do a 42" still. Can’t say what I’ll be doing five years from now, though, LOL!
Tom[:D][:D]
Anything under 48" get’s a little annoying. 36" is more of a crawl under than a duck under(I know this
from experience). If you want visitors to be comfortable, I wouldn’t build the duck under ANY less than
48". 54" is more reasonable for “older” visitors (I’m 36 and my 48" duck under get to my back if I cross
under too many times). Good luck, Dave
I said no duckunder. I built two and neither of them as lasted. An good idea is to have a small rolling stool around the duckunder so those who may have problems can sit down and slide under it.
Andrew
No duckunder on my layout, but I voted for 54" because that is what my minimum would be.
The duckunder at my door is 46". I can take it with no problem, assuming I moving slowly.
The duckunder into my train room is 56" of clearance. This works well. I have never tried anything lower.
Enjoy
Paul
Remember the duck under that is high enough at 25 yrs old may not be high enough at 50 yrs old, My last layout with a duck under was at 48" and it got a little harder to get under as I got older and more health problems got worse. Also when you think of duck unders it is a lot easier to get under a 12" wide area of the layout that 36" wide area for any given height.
I could not have a duckunder on my own layout but I voted 54 inches, though I might attempt something lower for a one time visit.
I am only 48 years old but about 20 years ago I injured my foot and it still is very sensitive if I put weight on it wrong. The limited mobility from the injury has added more than a little to the weight I put on it. Age is not the only factor that can limit a persons agility. A lift out or a hinged set up would be the best way if you are having people in to visit.
OK, based on the replies I’ve seen, I decided to redo my track plan so I can have a lift-out section at the would-be “duckunder” point, by reducing the number of track junctions from 8 to 3 and placing the staging-yard throat at the opposite end.
When I am alone I’ll slither underneath, but a physically-challenged guest can lift out the 2ft-by-9inch section if desired.
Thanx everybody, for the feedback![:)]
I said I don’t do duckunders, but that’s not really true. I don’t like duckunders, and won’t design them into my layout, but I have lots of space to work with. There is one place on my layout that is a real squeeze, but visitors won’t go there. To get inside the helix the access is 19 3/4". I do have a couple of places where the tracks will go over the aisle, but I don’t consider 72" much of a duck.
When visiting other people’s layouts, I do what I have to do to get around. All I can say Ken is, If you must have them, try to have it so once you are in, you stay in til you are done. A lot of back and forth gets old fast.
“Must” ???
Ken, have you considered a removable; or lift-out; or drop-down; or swing-away bridge ? There are many options to spanning aisles other than duck-unders.
Personally, I’m opting for a swing-away bridge for the following reasons…
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arthritis: Even though I’m only 35, I have arthritis in both hips (already replaced) and both knees so ducking under things is not something I want to do.
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multiple levels: My plans so far include two decks with a 2-turn no-lix linking them. That means tracks pass the aisle at least 4 times. A swing-away door- or gate-like bridge system will allow me to move all 4 levels of tracks at the same time.
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quicker operation: A door or gate will be faster to open/close than any of the other removable systems – I could even put an automatic door-closer on it so that it automatically closes. Should I ever have to leave the layout room (phone; toilet; etc.), I’ll be able to do so much faster than if I had to lift out a bridge.
Ken, I said 54". If I visited a layout with a “duckunder”, I would do what ever I needed to get around. But, one thing that I have noted about my own layout is the more fatigued I become the more prone I am to bump my head or even worst my back at the “duckunder”. Make sure that your “duckunder” is strong enough to absorb the head banging. The installation of padding also helps keep the cursing down to a minimum. [;)] [:D]
REX