in my trackplanning, i have thought of modeling the P&W interchange with NECR in New London. i already have an oki***rackplan, but i think i could eventually make this a 2 level layout. (its going in an 11x10 bedroom) if i do the double level thing, the only possible way is with a helix. if i have easements before the helix, and the rise will be 15 inches, could i get away with 20" radius curves? that is the biggest radius my closet will allow for. ill be running modern equipment like centerbeams at the largest. (no 89 foot stuff) if this helix is possible, then i only need premession from dad to drill shelving brackets into “his” walls(in MY bedroom) AND cut a 4"x3" hole in the wall. [}:)]
Thanks
GEARHEAD426
[8]
If 20" is the max you can get away with, use it. It’s going to be a tight twisting run and your train is going to slow down on the way up from the added resistance.
my closet is about 22x50", so i could sacrafice it as a closet and and have a sort of oval helix i guess. has anyone ever done this? my trains wont be more than 15 cars with a pair of 4 axle locomotives, so my main concern is if the centerbeams will make the curves? if they wont, thats ok. im just makin shure before i build something that my equipment will hate me for.
GEARHEAD426
[8]
why will you be using 4 engines to pull 15 cars?
Sean
no, what i meant is 2 locomotives, each haveing 4 axles. (gp38s, uboats, dash 8’s, etc.) no offense if you do, but im guessing you dont know much about the providence worcester railroad. they use 2 locomotives, one at each end of the train, so they dont need runarounds for switching. new england central on my layout wouldnt be going on the helix. it would be kind of a secondary thing in operating sessions.
GEARHEAD426
[8]
20-inch radius translates to 125 inches per turn of the helix. If you can keep the vertical rise per turn of the helix to 3.75 inches (should be enough height to clear a train I think), you will have a calculated grade of 3%. The curves will indeed impart more resistance, but I think two locomotives should be able to handle a 15-car train without problems.
Good luck!
Did you actually measure your closet or take a quick guess? Most closets, excluding older homes are 24" deep. This would help if in fact it is deeper. The other possibility is to remove the drywall directly adjacent to the helix to gain the added depth of the 2x4 framed wall. A stud can even be removed if need be- very few closets are ever cut through a bearing wall. This could possibly give you 27-28" to work with. I don’t know just how much demo would be allowed by the “Chief Engineer” though. You can always say that the stud can easily be replaced and the DW repaired. A 24-26" radius would help and not cause problems w/ those 72’ centerbeams. I may even handle passenger equipment.
You wouldn’t have to give up the entire closet, there should still be room for a short pole and some removable shelves.
Bob K.
thanks everyone. ill see if it would eventually be possible to remove some drywall. belive me, if i could, id clear out our office next to my room, run the track thru the wall, and have another 8x10 room to build in. [^]but i cant. [V]best i can do now is earn enough $ to get double the brackets , track, and foam i origionaly thought id need. [}:)][:O](thats if i can actually build it.) for the helix, id probably just take the height of the tallest car, and have the space be about a half inch more than that.
GEARHEAD426
I didn’t mean to go through the back wall of the closet. By removing the DW inside the closet just next to the door could give you that added swing for the track radius within the framed wall right up to the backside of the DW of the train/ bedroom.
Bob K.
They’ve been known to have more than two with some on each end… NR-2 the other day had 4 with 2 on each end (though one was dead in tow). NR-2 usually has 3, NR-3 usually has 2.