What height is your layout?

Just remember that the little nipper will grow fast.

Since you asked, my "little nipper' is grown, so I made my layout 48" high so I can look "at" the trains in motion instead of down on them. It also aids my required duck-under access.

48" but no children are involved, unless you count me. (LOL)

I agree, go with 40" and get him a nice step stool or better yet make him a nice platform. I made my daughter an 18" square platform with 2x10" sides.

 

 As far as "adults" are concerned 40" is still low enough for a little extra reach and high enough that you can stand at the layout and sitting in a chair puts it at eye level.

Mine is 42" off the floor.  I wish it was a bit higher, but that would pose access problems to the far corners, which are already a bit of a problem (I plan to place scenery in those areas, but no track).

 

If small children were a consideration, I might have gone lower, but my layout is in a household where, fortunately or unfortunately, I am the only one who enjoys it most of the time.

42" base level works for me.

A workable compromise of access space underneath and viewing space above, plus space for higher levels.

 

Rod

My layout is 36 inches high.  Works for me.

I built mine at 32 inches. I am happy with it plus I have  second level at 40 inches and still can reach were I have to. Maybe start off with test layout before having benchwork built

 

Todd

My layout is 44.5" off the floor.  Legs 40", then 2 x 4 frame of 3.5", plywood .5" and Homasote .5".  My frame sits on top of the legs.  Once under the layout, sitting on a stool you have 43.5" of space to work on wiring, etc.

 

Jack 

Mine is 42 1/2" and if I changed anything I would make it higher.

 

Art

Mine is 44 inches at the railhead.

Mike R

Mine is 37 1/2

My layout is suspended, and I can vary the height as I please.   It probably spends most of its time at around 56".  Occasionally I lower it to about 24" to look at the whole 6' X 12' vertically. 

I set my layout at 57" to take advantage of some cabinet storage space.  looking back I wish I had the  cabinet cut down by a drawer or 2.

My layout is 12 x 16 and completely dominates the room. I had a carpenter build the tables at 40 inch height based on advice from forum members for ease of under table access. When I returned from an out of town trip the tables were all built to my specs. I felt the tables were too high for my visual liking. I felt like a little kid bellying up to a table. I then had two of my grand children stand on step stools and for them it was too high. Reluctantly I went back to the carpenter and asked him to cut 4 inches off all the legs. I am so glad I did. 

I do spend a lot of time under my table and can sit on the floor without my head hitting the underside of table, though it is a close fit. But, I spend much more of my time around my table than under it.

I recommend that you prototype a couple heights and see what works best for you.

 

The track and roads on my layout vary from 40 to 54 inches in height.  I just made some nice platforms about 12" high for the little ones.   

We are at 46", 55", and 64" for the 3 different levels. Yes, that is tall, but eye level for most people. No kids to worry about and didn't want to be looking down at the models. This enables you to see all the detail

My layout is 38" off the ground. I have a 8 and 3 year old and I have put stools around the layout so they can see it. It helps me that it is a little taller for when I have to wire something. But if you want to make it lower by all means do so. That is what makes this hobby interesting everybody has there own opition. 

Have a great rest of the weekend,

David

We have two levels. The bulk of the layout is at 36" and very easy for most kids to see the action. The city portion of our layout is at 48". I did this to tunnel underneath the city to add length to the lower main line tracks.

 

Very happy with the way it turned out.

Mine is at 35", which was dictated by the height of the window sill. I did not want to block the window. The height is fine for viewing and working under the layout. 

Mine is at 32". The ceiling in the attic is less than 7 feet. It gives the room a better scale of proportion. The lower height also makes it easier to reach across the table.

 

Gilly

My layout is in my Living Room.  I set my layout at 24" which seem to be at the lower end based on what others are posting.  I wanted the layout to be below the window sills. 

 

 

Steve

My O Gauge layout is 39 inches from the floor to the top of the platform.

My table , 8 x 12, is at 36" and it seems to work for me to work under and the grandchildren to watch. For real younger one I use a platform ladder And they can see fine. My table is also on rollers which helps for access to all side.

I am getting Mianne bench work also and going with the standard height of 40". I have a grandson that is 8 so he is almost tall enough for the 40" height. If he can't quite get to it, I will get him a stool or platform as others have said. I have some defects and can't easily get under a layout anymore, I just hope the 40" is enough.

 

Just thinking here and a suggestion, as others have said, the little ones grow so fast they will be up to the 40" height in no time (grand kids seem to grow much faster than your own kids, however). It might be regrettable to go with 30" and suffer with that for many years just for a couple years of access for the little ones. If not the 40", maybe a compromise of some sort would be something to think about.

Is this going to be your "be all, end all" layout?  If so, build it for future growth and buy or make some step stools.

 

Our first layout was 30" high when the kids we're 2.  They loved it because they could run trains and play with their cars on the roads at the same time.  I also knew this was not going to be our layout forever.  It was a layout they could play with.

 

The kids are now 11.  We are in the process of building a new layout at 41" high.  They can still play with their cars on the roads.  This will be our "be all, end all".  At least in this house it will be.

 

Ron

 

42"

My layout, which is on four levels, all interconnected, goes from a branch line serving a mine and gravel quarry at 30" above the floor, all the way up to the fourth level at 60" above the floor.  The freight, passenger and engine yard level is about 38" above the floor.  60" would be a bit too high, except for that upper level which does not have a lot of track on it and mainly serves as a turnaround loop to bring trains down to the two busier levels, three and two.

 

Paul Fischer

Multiple interconnected  branch lines originating from various areas of the basement rising from 36" congregating at a mainline junction height of 55".

 

You may want to go about arriving at a table top elevation from a different perspective. 

 

I would suggest to find a handy rolling stool, sit on it, measure your seated height and consider installing the benchwork at a level that will clear your scalp.

 

You will be working under the platform a lot, at least make it easy for installations and service.  I guarantee that as you age you will get less nimble.

I didn't work under may layout at all.  all wiring was brought to the front of layout and is hidden by fascia.

If you decide on a higher height, Lionel sells a chrome plated high stool with the Orange and blue Lionel logo on the seat cushion. I purchased one for the G'son and he loves it.

My layout is 0 inches high!!!! I built it starting in the late 1990's when my grandchildren were about 6 to 8 years old. The layout is 14' x 40'. Using 1/4"plywood, I cut  straight and curved pieces of different lengths and screwed track to them. Stations, grain elevators, houses,banks,MacDonalds,Mountains, streets were put on plywood.  The room was carpeted and we could screw track into the plywood under the carpet to keep it from moving 

 

I would have "one" of the grandchildren over and we went through catalogs and the 2 local train shops to find  things to go on the layout. We came home and started expanding the large loop I had setup when they were little . The 7 year old screwed track on the plywood.  As cities got larger we cut larger pieces of plywood and painted streets and lawns on them. As you can guess they were not good for more than an hour or two of shopping and building once twice a week. But in between I worked some on the layout based in part on the plans we had talked about. A year or so later we shifted to TMCC and all the track had to be taken up to put wiring  under it for the 18 switches we had.  They were doing electrical work at this point.

 

When the grandchildren in California and Michigan visited, much of their time was spent in the train room!  Yes, a lot of things got broken in spite of their trying to be careful, but it was worth it!!!!  

My layout is 40" high.

For me it is a comfortable working height.

For shorter observers, nieces and nephews I have some small bench's they can stand on that works for them.

Mine is 40" high - but i have about six rubbermaid step stools around it so the kids can see everything.  When they get taller, I'll store the stools. Sorry, they're not in the pic - but I got them at Lowe's for $12 a piece - very sturdy and stable.

 

40-42"

33.5 inches for the main level and 40 inches for the upper level.

That's why I like my double decker...

 

I must be the odd man out here, I'm at 24" with a lower level at about 16". To be fair tho it was built to fit in a spare bedroom originally and needed to clear a couple windows and be kid friendly. If and when I get around to my next layout I'm thinking more like dining table height.

 

Jerry

Long time layout was 42" - present layout is 48"  - I am 6'4"