This seems rational

And therefore is probably going to be heavily ragged on.    I have mine at 48 inches, but it's N scale so I can reach farther back since the buildings aren't as tall.

"determining benchwork height"

    The benchwork width and type of scene also affects the decision. Wider benchwork or taller scenes might require a lower shelf height than narrow or flat scenes. I don't like to bend over to get a good view of the trains so I usually shoot for somewhere around 53 -55 inches height if the scene is 30 inches or less in width. I just checked my new little N scale shelf layout and it ended up at 56.5 inches for top of plywood. I have a short step ladder in the train room that I use if I want to work on the layout from a taller position. .....Dave Branum  

Layout height and depth

Watching your height investigation with interest. I am nearing the moment of truth with my layout. The room has the first coat of paint on it right now, I should be building benchwork sometime next week. I am a 6' tall 47 yr old builder and in good shape . I am still torn between a U and a doughnut with duckunder. If I go with the U, I am going with 36" bench height and full 4' shelves in most places. If I go doughnut, I am going maybe 44" tall and about 36" max reach. I have a 4'x8' test layout together on sawhorses in the shop right now. I have been testing my reach at different heights , along with my ability to duck under easily. I find that I can reach across the entire 4' table at 36" height with ease. Putting a loco on the rails at that reach is a bit of a trick, but reaching over and grabbing it is easy.  When I raise the layout to 44" (where I can duck under easily), it reduces my reach to about 36". I see many guys saying they have issues reaching beyond say 24" and that I will have massive problems going with a layout as deep as I plan. Do I have unusually long arms or something? Why all of the insistence on such narrow shelves? Are most MRRr's a lot shorter/older/out of shape?

I agree

Rick, took this picture a

Rick, took this picture a while back (Mostly done now). anyway, 53 1/2" with 32" reach. I am 6' tall and figures this would be good to go!!!! After operating a couple of time I ended up building a platform 8" high (2"x8" with 3/4" ply on top) to give myself a 45 1/2" height. Much easier to reach in and never get any complaints about it from fellow operators.

many guys saying they have issues reaching beyond say 24" ?

It is because one has to be able to do work at the distance and not just reach back there occasionally. What might seem fine in bare benchwork stage is going to feel a lot different if tall trees or buildings are going to be there later. Many years ago I built an O scale trolley layout and the height seemed fine until I started to add the trolley poles and wire then I realized I'd created an access monster, the metal pole tops were just at the right height to stab my wrists and forearms when I reached over to work behind the tracks. After a few weeks of scratches and scabs I decided to dieselize the line and take down the overhead :> )   .DaveBranum

I Have a Short Reach

My layout is at 43.5" and most areas are within 24" reach, but there are two 30" deep places that my 26" arms can't quite get to. I have a small stool for that. The real problem is that the bottom is too close to the floor. I could use another 4-5" in order not to strain my neck. Fortunately, I don't have to get under there often. My wife, who is 5' thought 43" was too high.

Obstacles & Reach

Good points about obstacles such as trees and power poles Dave. On my first layout 35 years ago I hand built several dozen power poles, glued them on and strung thread wires on them. After a month or two I tore them off after discovering that they were in the way of working on and operating the layout. My new layout is going to be a sparsely vegetated desert scene.  At this moment I am "leaning" (yes , pun intended) towards going with a 36" height x 48" deep U layout. I have been experimenting with my 4x8 for over a month now, and I really have no issues reaching all the way across it. I suspect that many years of working construction have accustomed me to reaching much farther and then being able to accomplish tasks at these long stretches compared to the "average Joe". I am also going to make sure that I have spots where I can place a hand when I need to access the back area after construction. I am still , however, interested in these experiments and comments about how to determine height and reach for a layout.

One thing to consider regarding duck unders

If you have any desire to share or show your finely crafted modeling and handy work to friends and family, is it fair to expect them to duck under anything? Asking other people to take part in an obstacle course just to see your layout just doesn't seem very reasonable.  If you never plan on showing it to anyone, then you can practice playing the limbo all you desire. Building a drop gate, swing gate. lift up, or removable lift out is not that difficult. Honest.

But your the boss, and it's your layout so you are allowed to do whatever  you feel.

As for myself, I'm going to go into business selling helmets and head cream to all those that insist on such a silly idea.

Randy

More details on my layout regarding height & reach

Reach and viewing

reply to Stoker

Typically height deals a lot with viewing. At 36 inches high you will be able to reach in farther but a lot of your lean in of your body will be hard on your scenery and bending will become a bother when working on details at the far end of the layout.

The viewing angle you have with the layout at that height will be much the same as if you were looking at it from a window in a building several stories above ground. With the layout at a higher elevation you can begin to approach the angle of viewing that you would likely see if you were along side the right of way watching the train go by.

One way to experience the views I am talking about would be to look at some videos on line that were taken of real trains from the ground along side the right of way and then go to goggle earth and look at some areas of interest with the satellite image zoomed in and see which view you enjoy the most. 

If you like the view from the hillside looking down on the trains by all means go with your initial plan, but if you like the close up more ground level view you may want to rethink your plan and adjust it prior to building.

If you eventually try to do multi level layouts your view will be forced into more of a compromise.

Remember it is your railroad and you should build what appeals to you but I suggest you look a bit beyond just what can be reached vs what can actually be built and maintained at that distance. One other thing to try since your layout would require this would be placing and adding scenery to a structure as well as installing a turn out and switch machine at your maximum reach in distance on your test layout. If that becomes a deal breaker for you after you have done them you will have saved your self lots of frustration and aggravation and added a great deal to your future  enjoyment of the hobby.

Best of luck in your project.

Rob

Different approach

I've been building a 10 x 3 foot N-Scale layout for the last two years that will eventually be a 10' x 9' and it's in my home office which has concrete hydronic heated floors.  I had a custom metal frame fabricated with casters that support the open grid layout, the layout is 36" off the floor and at it's deepest is 40" deep, I have two large comfy office chairs also with casters that I can sit down in and wheel around the layout with ease.  I can reach almost anywhere on the layout from a sitting position with the exception of a couple switches and hidden staging.  At 52 and working all day on my feet it's a joy to just sit and relax and work on my layout or operate it from a sitting position.

Tim

Viewing Angle

Thanks for the thoughts Rob. I am comfortable with 36" for both work height and viewing perspective. I like the top down view, and I have been making all of my workbenches and sawhorses @ 34 1/2" Unisaw height for a long time. Something to keep in mind about my layout is that I am not building it to be the ultimate example of perfection. We will more than likely be selling this house off in a couple of years after I run out of useful fix ups and additions to do on it. Something I have noticed by reading these MRR forums is that a lot of guys get stuck in a "perfection rut". They obsess about having the ultimate realistic layout in every detail, and nothing less will do. The end effect is that many of them end up not only never finishing their layouts, quite a few never even start them. This will not be the case for me. This is more of an exploration layout to give me something to do inside during our indoor season here in AZ- Summer. I am using Atlas turnouts with surface mount switches (even some Brass ones *gasp*) and the idea is to get a fun fully functioning layout done quickly. When I decide to build something I don't mess around, I should have trains running on this layout in a couple of weeks. I figure I will either retain interest in this hobby, in which case I will want a more elaborate and realistically detailed layout and will be tearing up this one and re-doing it by next spring, or I will lose interest in MRRing, in which case the layout will be a storage unit with scenery on top of it. I am still kicking around ideas for both 36" height U and ~44" high donut layouts at this point too. Right now the U is winning, but we shall see if that remains the case next week when I fire the saw up. Depending on how things go with my other project (finishing the 650 sf addition here) this week, I should be posting pics of my benchwork next weekend.

Edit to add: After reading Tims post above, I also wanted to add that I too will have a chair for operations. Maybe even with a cupholder for "frosty beverages".

As Randy pointed out . . .

Thanks Bruce !! It's always

Thanks Bruce !!

It's always reassuring to know that at least one person agrees with me on something. 

Randy

How High Is High?

Units of Measure?

Rich-

I like where you're going with the design of your new layout.  One thing I couldn't quite relate to.  Well, the 48-inches I get.  But the armpit and elbow - - - is that in US Customary measurements, or is that in Metric?  

Other operators were a

Other operators were a consideration when I started planning my double-deck layout, and at the time the guys who seemed most interested were four to six inches taller than the two guys who, now that the layout is operable, are most enthusiastic.  They must put up with a top deck which is a wee bit too high for them.  They don’t complain, and I notice tipping their heads up to see at the increased elevation also helps in focusing the bi-focal glasses.

Kevin - LOL!

Layout height

The original article hit the target exactly!  Benchwork height is a PERSONAL thing!  There is no BEST height.  My layout ranges from 49" to 54".  I'm 5'8" and like to run my layout from a bar stool.  The highest level is across a doorway with a scoot under, a steno chair under a model of a vertical lift bridge.  My widest area is 36" but the track is only 23" from the edge, well within comfortable reach to work.  Since there are buildings and scenery between the aisle and the tracks, I deliberately deleted the track at the very back.

Other operators