Lift out or duck under?

[Jeff AKA St0rm]

I have been putting off building my lift out section because i really didn't know how i wanted to build it. So after 3 different attempts 3 different ways from hinged up, hinged down, to just plain lift out i am ready to give up. I don't want the track to look like a lift out so i don't want to use cut rerailers so the joint needs to be almost perfect. Because of this i am now thinking of having a duck under. That being said the clearance under the section is 54” and it is only 5” wide. I am only 31 years old so for me ducking under will not be a problem. My question is to anyone older or with a bad back or to anyone else who wants to way in. Would you be able to get under the section with out any problems? Operators would only have to enter and exit once and would not have to use the duck under to operate. Let me know your thoughts. Here are some pics of the section.





Thanks

[Puddington]

Jeff; do a lift out - you will never regret it. There are some excellent references in past issues of Great Model Railways and Layout Planning Annuals by Kalambach.

[Cajonpassfan]

Jeff, I have a lift out, 55.5" clearance, 19" wide, but lately it's been staying put as we are collectively getting used to ducking. It seems a hassle to keep moving it all the time, but useful for improved access if necessary. So to paraphrase California's senior Senator, "embrace the duck"
Hmmm, that was bad...
Otto K.

[mark dance]

swing gate...just think of it as being as easy as opening a door, and use door hardware including hinges and latches. 

md

[basementcalling]

Mallard, wood, or shoveler?

[eric220]

For what it's worth, no duck unders was a design criteria of mine even though I'm in my early 30's. Go with a lift out or swing gate. You won't regret it.

[eric220]

Mallard, wood, or shoveler?

mr ducks
mno ducks
osar
cm wangs
lib
mr ducks

[conrail98]

I say go with a lift gate like this:

Phil

[Denver Road Doug]

If you want to accommodate others for a duckunder, just have a nice rolling office chair...they can sit, glide through, and then get back up.  Get one that sits pretty high so they don't struggle to get up, and maybe have a handrail on each side too.   

I'm not a fan of either, but I understand they are a necessary evil sometimes.  I had a layout that you practically had to crawl into once.   

[conrail98]

I'll also add that the layout in the video has another gate that swings on casters that's pretty solid and is in a main aisleway people use all the time. A few adjustments here and there with one screw for expansion/contraction due to humidity but overall no issues whatsoever in the 4 years I've been operating on that layout (it's probably been there 10/15 years before that). Two other layouts I operate on also have gates of some kind. One is an overhead swing gate but we all just duck under it since it's at about 60"-62". The other has a simple drop-leaf gate that, again, is across the main aisle used by road crews. I'm planning one for my layout and will probably do a more solid swing gate since I have 3' aisles on either side of it creating the room for swing gate versus a drop leaf,

Phil

[conrail98]

Also, here are a few blog posts from one of my favorite RR blogs (hasn't been updated in a while though,  ) which includes the construction, installation,a nd wiring of a drop-leaf gate:

http://csxdixieline.blogspot.com/search/label/Gate

Phil

[Catt]

After 10 years of NTRAK I vowed I would never do another layout of any kind with a duck under.My home N scale layout is a walk in, my club's HO has a lift bridge and our On30 will have one too.

[BCR751]

swing gate...just think of it as being as easy as opening a door, and use door hardware including hinges and latches. 

md

Don't let Mark fool you.  I tried building something like his swing gate and it was a dismal failure .  Seriously, it wasn't Mark's fault and his idea is a good one but you have to have the right space for it.

Doug

[Rossford Yard]

Looks like you have it right to me - a simple lift out.  The less engineered the better. You can see mine on the IHB of Texas in the layout engineering reports. Influenced by the Lance Mindheim books. 

[conrail98]

Just looked back through the thread and no one asked this question, what is it blocking? Is this just an entrance into the room? Is this something operators will have to navigate a lot?

Phil