What is a good isle width?

Maletrain Oct 3, 2015

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  1. Maletrain

    Maletrain TrainBoard Member

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    I am trying to plan a lay-out in a long, narrow room. Access will be down the center of the room, except for a large staging area where I will want to get behind the tracks (and scenery) as well as along the front. At this point, I am trying to design with maximum track radius, which means minimum access walkway widths. So, basically, my question is how much room to leave for operators to move around in. I am thinking about 24" behind the staging area and minimum 30" room entry and down the center. The visible trackwork is tending towards a long, narrow strip along the outside of the staging area, going into an interchange and short-line station, passenger and freight yards, shops and engine facilities taking up one side, with the short line wending its way across the end of the room and along the opposite wall back to a wye at the room entrance. There will probably be one or two operators most of the time, but the trackwork concept could support 6 (staging operator, interchanging train on main, short line yard switcher, short line coal train, short line passenger train, short line mixed freight). I will try to design so operators on opposite walls are not spending a lot of time bumping bottoms, but there will be operators passing each other.

    So, I am looking for advice from people who are experienced in actually operating layouts. How much space do I need for operators to make the experience comfortable?
     
  2. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    If there will be more than one person working in an area, it gets to be a tight fit, very fast. Even thirty six inches can be too little. I have always tried to have thirty inches at very minimum. Can you mock up the area? Using cardboard to simulate benchwork, or chalking outlines on the floor can help give some ideas.
     
  3. nd-rails

    nd-rails TrainBoard Member

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    "What is a good isle width?"

    Two fat people plus a coffee in hand.
    No operators nearer a duckunder than 3'.
    Thats it, d
     
  4. astrotrain

    astrotrain TrainBoard Member

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    Nothing worse than feeling cramp' over time small isle's get smaller and smaller. Same as duck unders. At first your okay with it 'over time you avoid it and it will ruin the day.
     

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