on a 5 by 11 layout what would be a good table height. no mountains planned. no backdrop on walls. would like to sit down while running trains, maybe tall chair (like (barstool.) may as well also ask what would be a good tool to cut track with.
When I was planning my layout I was thinking table height, 30 inches. I already had a home made table of that height but after reading posts on this forum I changed my mind and compromised at 42". If I had to do it over I’d seriously consider 48". Keep in mind that you will have considerable work to do underneath the layout. Also with a low layout you are looking down on it and the higher height gives a more realistic view of the layout. In addition while a layout takes up a lot of space it gives it back when you can use the space underneath for storage. There is no one right answer.
A xuron rail nipper can’t be beat.
Just my 2 cts. worth.
You probably should have posted this under “Layouts and Layout Building”
Bob
OK here’s my 2 cents. As high as you can go, (trust me on this) and still be able to reach what you need to reach. For instance. If the layout is 3 feet deep, get something 3 feet long or deep. bend and reach out until you can reach that 3 feet AND be able to work. measure from the ground up. You still want to look somewhat down on the back items such as track, buildings etc. This of course if you do not want pop-ups. Think about ALL the suggestions you get before settling on one. The height will be the hardest thing to correct if you are not satisfied. Good luck.
Todd
If you’re going to sit, then I would do 30". Desk chairs are more comfortable than barstools.
Enjoy
Paul
Since you’re going to be sitting while operating I would say 30 to 36 inches. This is good in case you have to reach across the layout to either get something or turn a switch. and allows you a good view of everything. Also instead of right up against the wall you should leave a walk way behind the layout since being a 5 X 11 I imagine you’ll probably have a loop style trackplan and might need to be able to access the cars on both sides of the layout.
As for cutting the track I’d say get a Xuron Rail Nipper. While regular diagonal cutting plyers are more than strong enough to cut track they have a tendancy to crush the edges on both the scrap piece and the piece you want.
when my n scale layout was an around the walls type in my family room it was 38" from the floor. it is one foot wide. my mother was with me at the time and was very ill. she had a wheelchair that she never used. i used it when i was operating the layout and found that i could run trains, work on my computor, control my television and add logs to my woodstove all without leaving the chair. when my mother passed i moved the layout up to a spare bedroom at a height of 42". i should have gone up to 50" from the floor. all my switches are hand throws so i still would have been able to throw them. my clubs ho layout is 38" and i have suggested that we raise it up to 48" for better viewing but with a width of 30" i would be hard for some of our members to reach the rear of the layout. think about a chair with an adjustable height on rollers.
as for rail cutting i use a cordless dremmel tool with an abrasive cutoff wheel. i doesn’t turn as fast as a corded model but there is no deforming of the rail and no cleanup.
32" has worked well for me. I have two 5’ x 9’ ping-pong tables end to end and offset 1’ to allow the track plan to work. The tables are 30" high with 2" of blue foam on top. I used (3) 2’ wide strips of blue foam to make the table width 6’ (overhangs tables 6" on each side). So overall table size is 6’ x 18’.
Wiring under the table was difficult for me, and reaching into the table for scenery is a little hard but not a major problem for me (I’m 6’ tall with a pretty good reach). I’ve got some basic scenery in place but have a great deal of detail yet to add. I’ve also just started adding ballast to my Atlas True Track.
I have a small desk tucked into the 1’ offset (on the right side of the photo) and here I have my command station, computer and a comfortable office chair from which I can run the whole layout by throwing switches via DCC. I also follow trains around the layout with a radio throttle to do switching.
