Has anybody built a Helix that would allow trains to enter or exit at different levels. I’m trying to picture it in my head using only one track. Yes I know I could only have one train on the helix at a time but it would get me through different elevations without always coming out the same place. I think I would need turnouts wthin the helix so as to enter and exit. These turnouts would be hidden but would need access to them for any problems that come up.
I haven’t but I don’t see an issue. Build it.
Mark B. built the Master Helix and I’m sure it did what you are asking. Perhaps when this bumps to the top he’ll see it.
Holy Cow what a Helix, you give me encouragement Spacemouse. I’m 65, married 46 yrs. my first layout. If when the wife sends me to the dog house and the dog house is the train room, then just me and my trains, no tv, no phone, let the world go by. How good can it get.
Mark B. here -
I didn’t install any switches within my helix. I have tracks coming off a different levels, but each one is a complete track through the helix. I do have a few staging track switches right underneath the helix, with about the same clearance above as the helix tracks have. Getting to them is kinda tricky, but my helix subroadbed is also 10 inches wide (four tracks). With a single-track helix, the subroadbed wouldn’t be near as wide, so that may make access to the turnouts easier. One thing though - the substitution radius for turnouts are usually pretty large, unless you’re using curved turnouts. Unless you use a really big radius for the helix (or use the curved turnouts), your helix radius will vary from place to place along the track.
One thing you might do - to ease the grade on my helix, I put 24" straight sections between semi-circular helix sections. If you do something like that, say 10-12" long, you can place your turnouts on those and not mess ujp your helix radius.
There is someone who put a turnout at the bottom of their helix - Cliff Powers of the MA&G. Here’s his website: http://www.magnoliaroute.com/. Here’s a shot of the helix from his site:
Good luck!
Rich Weyand might have, but I don’t recall for sure.
I would try to make the helix multiple tracked if possible. I’ve seen several 3 level layout plans where the very bottom level is just staging. The outside track of the helix goes from the lower level to the middle level. Trains travel around the middle level and come back to the helix just above the outer track from the lower level to continue the climb to the top level. Then the inside track on the helix is used to get from the top level back down to the lower staging level.
I was in a club that had a standard double deck layout with staging at each end of the layout on the respective deck. The helix was still double tracked with the outside track for upward movement and the inside track for upward movement. This was done because the track length in the helix was so long relative to the distances between towns on the layout that it would through off train schedules. Essentially, the helix became a long passing siding.
If you have an arrangement as descibed in the first paragraph, you may want to make the inside track into two tracks for the reasons described in the second paragraph.
I am currently building a helix for my N-scale layout that does exactly what ericboone describes in his first paragraph.
The railroad is operated as a point to point over three decks with the lowest deck the staging. The helix has a 24" and 22" radii parallel tracks. There are eleven turns from top to bottom. With it designed this way the trains are only traversing the entire height either at the beginning or end of their runs as they are exiting staging or entering. Most of the time they are only traversing 1/3 of the helix during operations at any given time. The middle of the helix has a herniation that will come out and serve as a scenery vingette in that corner.
The helix has no turnouts inside of it and it is being designed so that all of the framework is external to the helix itself allowing me to easily climb up inside for maintenace …or hiding!
I am almost done constructing a 1/4 scale mock-up out of cardstock and straws to make sure all of the clearances are correct etc. I can post pics at some point when I get it done. It has really helped me to avoid a few critical mistakes so far.