How many here have low tables !

My layout was built 24" off the floor mainly due to lower ceilings and I wanted kids to be able to more easily view the layout. It does make working underneath a bit harder but not impossible.

 

 

Somewhere along the line he seen someone messin with the bridge, he said to himself, THAT'S MINE!

Low T

I like the cat in the bridge! He found a nice place for a nap until the train comes along.

 

I had a cat who found out how to get in my train room on the second floor where I used to live. It was an unfinished upstairs area, it had doors but the walls did not go all the way to the ceiling and the cat, Smokey, would climb up a ladder then crawl across six feet of a small piece of plywood and then jump to the loft area and then jump down on my layout. He got in but could not get back out until I opened the door for him.

 

Lee Fritz

Mine is main level at 24" second level at 32" and 3rd level at 40" My layout is against the wall and ceiling height of 72" and I'm 5'10-1/2". Been stalled out the last 2 years with 4 blown meniscus, twice in both knees,  stress fracture in right knee,  and left rotator cuff surgery.  None from working on the layout. Once my knees are healed up enough I will need to get on the layout to set the pillars and the open grid wood for the upper levels so that's why it's at 24" for main level.  It didn't look right any higher with the low ceiling to me. Hardest thing is having to slide down and back up steps to get on the floor to do any wiring.

My Layout table top is 24" high.  Located in my Living Room, I wanted it to be below the windows.  Laying on my back under the Layout for wiring can be a pain, but that part of the build is done.  Wasn't too bad.  The low height makes it easy to crawl on top the platform to lay track and to do landscaping, which is what I am working on now.  It is also a great height for kids.   I have and old office chair on casters, with the back removed that I sit on  when running trains.  With the chair set low its a good height.  I also like the birds eye view when I standing watching trains run.

 

Steve

Wow NJCJoe,

 

I always thought that yours was higher from all of your pics. I hope to retire in the few years and start building my standard gauge Layout. I want to model some of it after Tom Snyder's layout and others like yours and some on TMBV, that I have seen. Since it is going into a bedroom I want to have multi levels of O and Standard track. The size will roughly be 12' 4" x 7', and will only be open on one side of the long end. so having it low enough to work on , and at the same time possible to have a 2nd and 3rd levels of track is important to me. I have been considering 25-30". Any tips are appreciated

 

JoeG

Using a low height for bench work can be a double edged sword. It will make the layout look more toy like which is good if that's the look you are trying for. The downside is working under the layout. But again, it matters on the configuration of your layout. If your layout is not too deep then it's not a big deal getting underneath. 

The lower you start out the more room you have to build up. Starting at 20" from the floor, I still have room for a 7th level, 8 levels if I get rid of the light towers.

 

Lots of great pics and suggestions. Just out of curiosity, are any of your layouts on carpet, and if so do you use the threaded levelers on the bottom of your support legs?

 

If So, so it help much?

 

Thanks,

 

JoeG

Are you sure that's not Chessie??

 

My Layout in my Living Room is on carpet.  I did not use any threaded levelers.  My Table Legs are 1x6 all cut to the same length.  Do not have any problems.  Once the Layout was in place, it doesn't move.

 

Steve

Had my first trains on the carpet. That ended when my daughter decided to cut her hair

and left the remnents across the mainline. Didn't see it when I came homa and wound the hair up in the gears of one of diesels. spent the better parts of a day cleaning the hair outta the gears.

Took my 1rst train board on the road to train shows and had it at 4 feet above ground.

Im 6'7" and didn't want to bend or break my back. my wife convinced me to lower it to 3 feet so the kids could see it, I kept the control panel/work bench at 4 feet.

3 feet seems to be the good highth to work with. 

Joe,

that's a great layout, Nice job!!

Popi

Thanks Popi.