I was wondering if it would be a good idea to double deck my small shelf layout. the layout will be roughly 1.5x14 ft howver at one end there is room for a helix. will this addition be worth the trouble ? Thanks !
helix’s can take up a lot of room…a good one (one that can utilize long trains) has to be at least 10’ in diameter minimum so that the grade is not too sharp of an incline…I personally don’t do shelf layouts…it’s just me, but a railroad empire can get too big for one person to handle…I keep mine at 48" and have three different levels incorperated into the one layout …the highest point of the layout is 60" (4" rise per level over a 250" lenght of track per level)…it’s a choice of preference, but if i did a shelf layout, it would get too overwhelming when it came to all the maintenance required to keep the railroad in good operating condition and a helix would take up more room than I’d prefer it to…ask yourself if the “cause justifies the means” before you put in a helix…Chuck
I had a similar but slightly wider layout and used a switchback to get to the upper area. It worked pretty well. IT severly limited train length which helped justify train movement between the areas
I do not know where chuck came up with the 10’ diameter bit…
30" radius, with 4" rise per loop works out to a fraction over 2% grade, which is managable. You will need to have the grade transition outside of the helix with 4" spacing.
33¼" radius Bachmann E-Z track, forty ¼-20 threaded rods, washers, nuts, some metal plumbers strapping (¾" wide, with ¼" holes on one inch centers) a base (two layers of 3/8" OSB laminated at 90°, then cut to a 6 ft diameter circle (center can be cut out if desired). and a top (same as base). is but one method, of many, to make a helix.
nfmisso
I was speaking of my layout preference…actually, my trains gradually rise to the next level of 4" over a length of 432" of track which is well under a 1% grade…(a 1" rise per 96" of track for a 1% grade and 2" per 96" of track is a 2% grade)…I was also talking about the helix…a good helix that can support my long trains if I ever do build one needs to be at least 10’ diameter so the grade is not too steep to the next level to handle my long trains…the steeper the grade the shorter the train will be…I like long freight trains so my grades are bare minimum…i was giving a preference…not facts etched in stone…when you build: " do the ways justify the means" is all i was trying to get across to train boy
If you’ve only got 14 feet of layout space, your trains should be pretty short (and engine and 4-6 cars). For that short of a train, I’d actually consider NOT building a helix, but some sort of transfer table or elevator. The cost of a helix will probably wind up being more than the cost of two 14’ long shelves! Besides, if you create a moveable transfer table, you can build as many shelves as you like (the idea’s not mine; Ian Rice has basically the same idea in “Small, Short & Practical Layout Designs”.
Ray; You absolutely correct on the cost. And Ian’s ideas are great !!
Chuck; your first note was not clear on the considerations driving the 10 ft diameter. Sounds like you need more locomotives…