Hi, I’m currently planning my first HO layout in the garage. Due to space constraints I’m looking at a double deck.
My Q is how much switching do you do on the upper deck?
I have not committed to layout height, but in the region of 43" for the bottom and 63 for the upper deck (I’m 6 feet). I would like to place 2-3 small industries and a passing siding on the upper. Just scared shorter people will not be able to see the track and find it difficult to do switching.
Your situation sounds rather like mine, with two exceptions:
I don’t have an upper deck, as such. What I have is a railroad that climbs a mountain goat trail to a summit station that will be about 59 inches above the floor.
My summit station only has one industry - a large colliery. However, that colliery has several unloading spots for supplies (explosives, timbers, assorted supplies) and both live loading and an empties in/loads out arrangement. In addition, the railroad has a busy freight house, an engine terminal and a full passenger schedule.
And one significant similarity. 59 inches is my chin level (I’m 68 inches tall) and a couple of inches above my wife’s eye level.
By using remote uncoupling I expect to have no problem operating up there, originating four (short) unit trains and a dozen or so loose cars an operating ‘day.’ As for the wife, it’s a tossup between providing her with a stepstool or a periscope. OR, I might ease the grade in a few places and bring the final height down to 53 - 54 inches. I could do that without adversely impacting the accessibility of the four levels of hidden track under that summit station.
Having just come up with an elegant solution involving taking a a one-turn helix down rather than up, and an inter-scene view block, I’ll probably go for the latter.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
My upper level is 24 inches above the lower level. I did it that way so the lower level would not be sandwiched in. So, the base track surface of the upper level is at my eye level.
If I had it to do it over again, I would lower the upper level by about 4 inches. There is a lot of switching on my upper level. I bought some cheap plastic stools for operators to stand on. (About six stools.) I also fitted the upper level facia with handles for steady support.
With my old German style layout the main yard was at 41’’ and the end station Naumburg just above at 59’'. There were a few industries and the engine had to run around.
Wolfgang
I recently had the opportunity to operate on a double deck layout. Neither level was very deep, the bottom is about 18 and the top level is 14 to 18. I do not know the exact height but can guess. I am 5’ 8" and the top level was just a little below my chin. Maybe sixty inches or a little less.
Running a train was really cool because of the line of sight. But having to find specific cars to switch on the second or third track from the edge was difficult. In some cases it was impossible because of the cars between me and the track I needed to see blocked my view.
I do not know if there is a design solution but beware the result may look great but make operating difficult.
Will carry this one more step. My railroad is 33ft by 29 ft and is three decks. The bottom deck is pretty low down, but is mainly staging yards representing certain towns, little switching so not bad. Middle deck has a lot of industry, is about waist height and is a busy part of the railroad, which is actually point to point over the three decks. The top deck, the one you are concerned with is also a very busy area which terminates in a major city with lots of switching and activity and then staging yards representing the south end. It took some planning and work but seldom does anyone have to use the raised floor area to switch the yards and industry.
The layout has been in existence since 1984, has stood the test of time.
Bob
The upper level per say of my pike is 64" off the floor. Not a true multi deck layout but rather open grid with 1x4 risers. I have 14 turnouts on the upper level. and also plan on electromagnetic uncoupling magnets.If all else fails I still have my trusty grabber to fetch the pesky piece of rolling stock that did not cooperate…
Thanks for all the replies, I will look at my design some more and see if i can at least get some middle ground. Once I have it drawn, I will post and ask for comments.
I agree. 2 layouts ago my layout was 58" (I’m 71"). It also made the duck under into the room easy to negotiate. And I usually needed a step stool to work on it. Over time I decided it was a little too high for me.
My last layout was 50". This worked well for viewing and I was able to work on it without a step stool.
I’m in my retirement home and the soon to be started layout will be 50" also. If I were doing a strictly railfan layout I would go back to 58", but this one will be shortline with lots of switching.
Enjoy
Paul
Ditto there. One other option is to make steeping stools. They could be made somewhat cheaply out of plywood, don’t need to be too tall, and can be stored underneath the lower layout portion. As said 63" comes to mouth/eye level so for m 5’ 8 frame a 9" tall step would bring the upper layout to about shoulder level. I’m average height so figure maybe a 12" step would be good.
My upper deck on my latest layout is set at 61" high and I could do the switching as it is but I prefer to be able to look down slightly on the cars when switching.
There was no way I was going to be able to change the layout height so I designed several fold down steps. These were built in 4 to 5 foot sections so they could be easily folded up out of the way when not needed.
I made the step about 8" high which is about the average height of a regular basement step so the operators would not feel that this folding step was out of place. The operators can fold all of the steps down and just walk around on them while switching if they care to do so!
With this height of a step the theoretical height of the layout is around 53".
BOB H - Clarion, PA
And as a regular operator on Bob’s layout I’m ever grateful for the fold down steps and can attest to their functionality!
If the reach isn’t long, this is about maximum height if step-ups aren’t used. (It looks/is crowded because there are three different yards along the same length of aisle. As you can see, the layout is in a California “basement.” Opening the garage door allows easy access to hidden staging tracks.)
Mark
More great replies, I have not thought about about the foldout steps, and some more design work could make this work.
Thanks
In my situation I have a double-deck layout, although have yet to do much with the top deck, and two small children. My 3yo is really active with the layout. He loves running the trains. Presently I have an aluminum “scaffold” / platform for him to stand on. The type you get at a hardware store. I’ve been mulling over more permanent solutions though so that he can more easily access the whole overall layout.
I’ve pretty much come to the conclusion that there isn’t going to be much he can do with the upper deck, aside from step on the gas and hope. He’s not going to be tall enough to see it very well, except at a distance, so interaction for him on that level is pretty much ruled-out for at least a decade.
For the lower portion of the layout though, I’ve been thinking about adding something like “church pews” at the base of the layout, where it meets the floor. They would have to fold back as they tipped up, and unfold as they tipped down, or otherwise they would probably interfere with normal access to the aisles. Maybe not, but if they did fold, it would make it easier to clear the aisles for access. In any case, that would allow him to be engaged in multiple spots around the layout. Perhaps he would not need an elevated walkway for every single spot. It might turn out that providing the access in some key locations would be sufficient. After all, we do normally operate the layout together, so if there are problems I’m around to assist.
John
You sound like you’re already doing exactly what I need to do. I have kids and have been considering how to add steps / walkways to accommodate them. Like you, I want mine to fold back out of the way if/when not in use, for access. How did you make yours? What do they look like?
john
It would be great if you could post some pics for us?
Wow, thanks for the neat tip! Now I know what I need to add to my benchwork! Great idea! John