Like so many of the others responding above, my track comes very close....here and there.  

But, I became very comfortable doing that after seeing a friend's layout....Terry Johnson (Great Layout Adventures, Vol. 7).  Clearly it was doable.  I continued with my own layout plans/construction.  Glad I did.

Actually, though, I've had a rather antithetical perspective about this whole notion.  I've seen lots of layouts in my 70+ years.  Some of these experiences have been when I was part of busloads of ogling hobbyists descending on the basement layout at a time.  Others, have been with smaller groups...maybe just a couple of curious parents shepherding a couple of finger-poking kids.  

Which has led me to ask (rhetorically, of course!)...

"How close to the edge of the layout are your visitors?" 

.....or their elbows, poking fingers, sweeping-arm gestures, over-filled coffee mugs, slippery beer cans, etc., etc..  After all, the rail-to-wheel-flange relationship has proven quite predictable and reliable for 1:1 and 1:48 trains.  Arm, hand, finger, bobbing head, swinging butt, et al movements of homo sapiens?.,,,,not so much.

Don't get me wrong......I have no special edge barriers on my layout for containing trains, nor do I have electric fences spaced more than an arm's reach to contain visitors.  

A cattle prod is all I need.  

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Just Kidding!!!!

I am on the edge in several places on my layout which is 44" above the floor. I use Fastrack, which has non derailing switches.  I have had one Legacy GP7 fall off in 8 years, and that was my fault.  I left a magazine on the track which caused the derailment.  Luckily , we have a few great members in the Detroit 3 Railers who can bring engines back to life.  In this case, John and Ryan from the club did a GREAT job of bringing that engine back to life.

I'd like to see more suggestions as to material used for an edge fence, guard, fascia board, whatever to lessen the possibility of disaster. Wood stock available to me here locally is too thick to be flexible. Plexi is not flexible either. What is that black fascia being used on Elliot's layput?

My plan is to have phone poles between the edge and the track, and string them with "wires" to act as a barrier.  I've seen ones that were short on the 1:1 trains, so I was going to make them short on my layout.  It'll be easy on the straight edges.  For the one curve I was going to place them at an angle, like this:

Only tilted away from the track like I have seen in real life (I've never seen them tilt towards the track, only away.  But it was the only image I could find quick on Google.).  Sure, they'll be closer together then prototypical, but it should slow my BB down enough if it tries to jump I can get to it.

I was requested by fellow member Joe to share my post on your thread. 

Y'all think this is too close? 

https://ogrforum.com/topic/my-postwar-layout 

(ps: I still need to fur the edge out) 

Neat layout! That's called "living on the edge!" 

Unless you have parts of fingers in a display case near your layout, preserved in formaldehyde, you are wasting space and are too far from the edge. Just my opinion.

Gerry

George S posted:

I'm setting up a new temporary layout. I setup some benchwork and laid some track. However, I am ending up with track very close to the edge of the benchwork. How close to the edge is your track? What do you do when you get close to the edge?

George

My track on one 8' end is about two finger-tips widths away from  the edge. There has not been a problem except when an engineer exceeded the speed limit. That led to an engine and several cars flying off the curve that enters on to the straightaway where the edge is. Maintaining moderate to slow speed and adherence to well published speed limits has alleviated any problem.  (the first engineer is now assigned coal yard duties)

I do not park my trains on that edge so when little visitors come they cannot grab the trains. Before running the trains I ask them to sit in chairs that are comfortably back just a little. Their parents help out too.

This ones for you ~ Joe... & for All others that like to Live Dangerously. 

(insert smiling grin here)

Mine is right up to the edge on the long sides of the 6x12 layout.  Maybe I need to add another 6 or 8 inches..  Or feet lol

Mine is pretty close as well.  I have had several go off too.  I dumped a Williams brass K4, a Lionel GG1, and a few tinplate trains.  the tinplate was a bummer because the one car that went down drug the rest with it!

about a half inch and sometimes less

In some places I run close to the edge, but my tracks run at a slight angel, not parallel to the edges, this creates some. visual interest .

sinclair posted:

My plan is to have phone poles between the edge and the track, and string them with "wires" to act as a barrier.  I've seen ones that were short on the 1:1 trains, so I was going to make them short on my layout.  It'll be easy on the straight edges.  For the one curve I was going to place them at an angle, like this:

Only tilted away from the track like I have seen in real life (I've never seen them tilt towards the track, only away.  But it was the only image I could find quick on Google.).  Sure, they'll be closer together then prototypical, but it should slow my BB down enough if it tries to jump I can get to it.

The cowboy line in western Neb had a lot of those short ones.  Great idea to model. 

Richard E posted:

In some places I run close to the edge, but my tracks run at a slight angel, not parallel to the edges, this creates some. visual interest .

Sorry to go OT.....but what a great looking layout......do you have a photo album or more pics???  Thx

My layout was featured in 2 articles publishes in CTT. One on in Oct.2012 and another in May 2015. I also posted many pictures in Scott Smith's Weekend Photo Fun.

Richard E posted:

My layout was featured in 2 articles publishes in CTT. One on in Oct.2012 and another in May 2015. I also posted many pictures in Scott Smith's Weekend Photo Fun.

Sadly two truck loads of old magazines that went to the recycle bin included most CTT......but thanks....great work.

My track is quite close to the edge, but I used my first grade knowledge of bunk beds when I designed my layout.

If the trains don't derail in the middle of the layout, I am probably OK with them near the edge.

Accordingly, my top bunk bed measured the same width as the bottom and I never fell out of the bottom bunk so I had no worries.        (provided Mr. Murphy was held at bay) 

TJ

I try and keep the turns about 2" from the edge of the fastrack roadbed, although as little as 1" occurs on one tight corner. I run the straight track right at the edge of the layout if the track is a siding. Further back from the edge is better if you have the room. I do not have room and am forced to put the track quite close to the edge of the table.

However, I have a carpet on the floor of the train room, and have never had a car or engine fall off the track. I tend to run the engines quite slow on the sidings, say 10-15 smph, and a maximum of 25-30 smph on the main line.

Alright Joe, fixed up my edge work. No more track hangin off in the air... 

Next step, plexiglas railing.