I have been looking at the Granite George and Northern track plan from atlas. It has most of what I "think" I want in a track plan. I think it would be better if it had a nice little switching yard on one side. Just like the South side connecting one in the same book (plan #26) If I put the two together it would be 75 inches wide. That would make the reach from one side 37.5 inches. Would this be to wide to be able to work on or am I just making it to wide. In other posts I have read that 24 inches or so is the max to reach. Is 12 inches more to much? I will be able to reach from all 4 sides so I will not have to try and reach 6 feet. I want to get ideas before I spend money on material and find out that I painted myself in a corner. Thanks. Dru.
Well, Some would say keep it to 24 or there abouts. But I am breaking the rule myself. However, I am having very simple track work, with the trains going through that area without a lot of switching. It is primarily straight track so derailments shouldn't be frequent. If I do have problems, I will have a stool to stand on. Take advantage of the back area as a place for lots of structures. Keep the track work very very simple, but the visuals very appealing. So what the layout lacks in that area - operational interest - can be substituted with visual interest.
It depends on several factors including your height and the height of the layout, but i find 30 inches to be about the upper end for comfortable reaching. At that depth you probably will want to put the mains to the back unless you plan on switching off them regularly.
I guess I cheated a little. I measured my office desk (30") for height at the control pannel. (At my age I want to sit down to opperate ) The desk is 33" front to back, so I put a flat car at the far back side, and a box car right along the front edge. Then I stood up and reached over to pickup the flat car and noticed if my shirt moved the box car. It did. Turned it over on its side. By re-setting up this test, I determined that at my height, and length of reach, my maximum distance for safety, is 31", but 29" is comfortable. I have designed this new layout so there is no place over 29" and most are closer. Even up on the highest points in the mountain passes, I can still easily reach a heavy engine if I need to. "If it CAN happen, it WILL" and it usually does! [ 19 May 2002, 16:30: Message edited by: watash ]
I have been going over this for some time. The RED zone ( 24 to 36 inches from the edge) as I am calling it. In this area there will two L/H #4 Atlas Custom line turn out, Two bridges and scenery. One is for a siding from the main line and the other is from a siding to an other siding. In the yellow zone ( 12 to 24 inches from the edge) there are 3 #4, #6 Atlas Custom line turn outs, three more bridges Up to 12 inches is the easy area. It contains 90% of the turn outs. In this area there are 17 more turn outs. These are the ones I am not worried about. It is the ones in the red zone. I just don't want to hang from the ceiling to reach an area. If it a once in a while O.K. but I don't want to have to reach in there all of the time. It takes away from the fun. Thanks. Dru.
Like its be said before, 24"-30" is the max, but one's own physical size plays an imp't role as if one has long or short arms & what size "gut" one has determines how far your reach will be.
