Well I am in the building phase of my layout as well. I took a different perspective on sitting at my layout. I built the benchwork for my layout at 54" above the floor to the bottom of the benchwork so that I could sit in my hobby chair and move around UNDER the layout. I measured, well actually I had my wife measure, my sitting height in my chair then added two inches for clearance and came up with the 54". I really hate to twist and bend and lay upside down under a layout to work on anything, so that is why I made it so tall. As a beneficial side effect, I now have LOTS of easily accessible storage under the layout. By the way the benchwork is steel girders with Luan plywood and 2" foam board on the very top. the overall dimensions are 10’ by 12’ in an E shape with each leg 10’ and the spine 12’. I plan to operate it from several bar stools placed around the area. Each turnout is manual as i also do not like electrical stuff either.