layout height

[indybob007]

What is your favorite height of building a layout or to race on. Do you like it tall from the floor about chest high or lower around say 3 ft or so. I am thinking lower might look better. Thanks for your opion.Indybob

[The Old Jaybird]

...my oval being built currently is about 33 inches. My road track will be 21 inches tall, with the ability to get up and walk on the table.....think short stage or drummer's riser.

TOJ

[svanaken]

Everyone has their opinions and likes in this regard as I am sure this thread will prove out. General consensus is the 32-36 inches is a good height for a track, being tall enough for most without being so low that people have trouble bending over to retrieve cars or have their controllers at max stretch of the cable. I know our club races on one track where the driver's stations are at about 24 inches and I find that to be far too low for comfort.

Personally, my track is at 43 inches with the highest part of the track at around 51 inches, but then I am tall (75 inches) and prefer the height. It also brings out the train guy in me as I can sit down on a bar stool and have the track at about shoulder height for an interesting perspective while running cars.

[RichD]

If the table is too high you will be looking at the cars from the side, which makes it harder to judge braking points. A standard table is 30 inches high. Work benches are higher because people stand at those. The table for my HO track is 24 inches high, which gives a good view if you are sitting on a bar stool. Another thing to take into account is that you might want to store things under the table and that might preclude having a low table.

[Busterfla]

I like it on the low side, better vision as a driver and more reach as a marshall. I happen to think between 28 and 32 inches is fine for a base, then the elevations can be factored in. Also the less the drop to the cold hard floor, the better the survival rate may be.

Buster

[paulporsche]

I like a higher table. Mine is @ 39" w/ a rise of about 8" @ 2 points. Since the table is 4x12', reaching cars isn't too difficult.

The reason for the height is twofold:

First, it allows for adequate storage underneath, which I need, and
Second, I feel it makes for a more realistic point of view relative to the cars.

[scrjon]

I like my track a bit higher my track starts at 36" and is 68" at the tallest spot

I have raced on an oval that is close to 5 feet high and seen a guy take a 1\24 to the side of the face, lucky the car was ok

[indybob007]

Good points all. Never thought about the contoller cables length from a short table. I do need the area below the track for storage and about 40in is perfect for all my boxes. I also have buildt many train layouts and we all have different opions on that to. I never sit when running cars ' I like standing' seems I do better that way. Thanks Indybob

[jmswms]

If you have elevations and much scenery, then lower is better (IMHO). I like to start 24-28", but I'm also using 18-24" of elevations. The more elevation, the lower you need to start. If, however, you're basically building a flat track with little elevations, then I'd go at least 32-36". These are more comfortable heights.

[gibroni]

6" since I plop a christmas tree on mine.

[MikeySlotCars]

I did mine just under 30" although i am ok to see everything on my table while sitting down on my chair but later on with some scenery & all I am pretty sure that my table will be to high when sitting down

I'll see later on when time comes i may have to cut the legs another 2-3 inch to get it to 27-28" or lower if need be?

But i would definitely not go over 30" that for sure

[brighamdmo]

I moved up to 36" table height for my latest 4X8 flat HO track, and my 56 year old lower back likes it better than my previous 30" table height setup. I am not tall (5'10"), but it seems to make a positive difference. For me, reaching across the table the 48" needed to clean or re-work track at the farthest point (the long side of the track abuts a wall) seems to be fine at waist height.

Dale in Mid-MO

[fl_slotter]

A lot of the height is up to the people that use the track.

A friend of mine is wheelchair bound. We strive to make the track lower so he can see the track.

Whatever height that makes those that run on the track happy is what the proper track height should be.

[Oiler fan]

Mine is 28". Easy to see the whole track and easy to marshall the 6 foot width.

[SlotsNZ]

My last track was 36 - 40 inches in parts.
Being short I found it too tall for comfortable reaching and marshaling. it also made it hard to judge braking points.
We have guys my height (5' 7") through to 6' 6" in club.

My current track is 28 inches basic, and rises to a highest point of 40 inches.
It makes it much easier leaning forward over it to reach cars.

I haven't had any complaints from the tall guys, but maybe they're just being polite.

I have less storage height under it, but still pack in a bunch of stuff.
Another thing - if kids race on it, lower is better.....

Why on earth would someone make an oval 5 feet tall. A lot of guys would be eye level to drive, how awful !!!