I know this has been discussed to death (Most things have) here but I want to get some opinions from people with a 2 or more tier layout. Did you helix it or get to the second level via grade change. Or something else???
I would say my available wall area is 18’ on one wall and 6’ on another. (Numbers subject to change as I actual find new places to store things.) It will be a garage shelf layout.
I think the choice between nolix (grade change) or helix depends a lot on the geography of your layout. I’m modeling the Midwest which is generally flat so a nolix would have seemed very out of place. If you’re doing the West Virginia or Pennsylvania hill regions, a nolix will fit right in.
Another consideration is the depth of your shelves. A helix takes up a lot of space but it is concentrated in one area. A nolix that doubles-back to gain altitude will eat up a lot of shelf space all around the layout, especially if you have passing tracks and want a decent gap for the sake of scenery between each loop of the nolix.
Ahh hadn’t thought of this. I’m not normally a prototypical modeler. I hadn’t intended to model a specific line or anything but I did plan to model the scenery after my home town area. Illinois. So since Illinois for the most part is flat maybe I should research a nolix. Any good sites???
My bottom level is flat and the top level represents the country area between my city and the mountains so I have a nolix grade on it. My layout is both point to point for the coal trains and loop to loop for continuous running.
Ken.
I think a nolix is generally fairly straightforward to build (i.e., it’s no different than building any other type of rise in the track). You just need to do the math and see if it will fit. For example, a 2.5% grade is probably the most you would want and assuming 18 inches between the 2 levels, you need 720 inches of track to get from one level to another or 60 feet. If you can wrap that much track around the layout, then you have your nolix.
A helix is much more involved in terms of construction. The Kalmbach books on layout construction have discussions of how to do it. Not sure about any layout sites. I think the standard method is to cut quarter circles out of masonite and glue two layers together. You then support the spiral with either metal rods or notched 1x1s (you slip the edge of the masonite into the notches. These approaches minimize the vertical distance between each level of the helix. Generally speaking, the bigger the radius of the helix the better since the grade required is less so a helix with less than ~22" radius curves is pretty tough to make work.
Hmm not going to work I guess. 60 feet is a lot of track. Looks like I sticking with my original plan.
With a similar situation, I was able to get enough grade on one whole end to make the change. In the other end I did sort of helix, but much of it is open and the other in a tunnel. The helix passes through a mining scene four times. It gives lots of little bridge opportunities.
Did you gradually reduce the radius or something? I thought about doing this. Disguse it as a mountain…but again Illinois doesn’t have many mountains. 
We have designed, and started building with both. There is a helix at one end, with a ‘nolix’ from one end of the helix back to the “main level” on the other side of the room.
The helix doesn’t have to be part of the layout scenery, it can be offline in a separate room or just wall it off and backdrop.
Bob K.
If you choose a helix make sure there is ample room between the tracks vertically. There is nothing sadder then trying to rerail one car and knocking the whole train on the floor because of a lack of room. Better a steeper grade and/or a longer [larger?] helix then skimping. Just an opinion from monster hands here. lol
Stephen
Jeremy, the nolix apppoach may be a good one. Although 60’ may sound like a lot, visualize the track looping behind a backdrop a couple of times. A nolix can decrease your shelf width, but you will not need to deal with the huge helix. I am building a nolix layout and I need two loops of mainline behind my backdrop to reach the next level. My track and cars need to be nearly flawless. Even if that is the case, I need to be able to access the nolix trackage behind my backdrop. I haven’t progressed that far yet, but I think I will use velcroe to attach backdrop panels, so that I may easily remove them for access if needed.
So, since I am modeling Indiana and Illinois, I will have nearly flat terrain and thus need the nolix trackage to be out of sight behind the backdrop. With this set up, I can utilize a 1.4% grade…a benefit to hauling 20+car trains.
Think about it.
Mike