I am getting prepared to build the Oregon Pass from Atlas King size Layout book. The question I have do I have to use the cookie cutter plan or does someone have an idea of how much woodland scenic risers and inclines that is needed in place of the cookie cutter. I’m not sure if anyone has done this but surely with all the railroaders out there its been done. Maybe another book or internet or something. HELP please if all possible. Its a 4 layer track layout. A daunting task and I know it will take me long time to complete.
There is no mandatory reason to build this layout as a cookie cutter. If this is your first layout, I’d recommend that you either build it as a cookie cutter (as in the Atlas book), or learn about girders and risers. I doubt that this would convert easily to Woodland Scenics products since they are intended for even grades (1%, 2%, etc) and I think this layout has 2.5% and other odd grades.
My own layout that I intend to build (if I do not have to move for a job) is based on the Oregon Pass Lines (OPL).
Since I consider the OPL a single level, I modified it for my Penn Dixie lines with three levels - one at about 26" above the floor, one at about 42" above the floor (the original Atlas layout), and the last is about 62" above the floor.
It might be easier if you build one of the earlier layouts in the book before attempting the OPL, especially if you’ve never built a layout before.
There are a multitude of books by MR and others about building different benchwork styles and I would suggest reviewing them before starting.
I was planning on building this in a 2.5 car garage with a +9 foot ceiling, but a job might be available in Colorado and this Penn Dixie might not be build.
Thank you for your 3dimension views as multiple levels shown as conventual drawings are hard to understand. I like watching trains also and the longer the mainline run the better. If you don’t have a large basement or attic then doubling the avalable space appeals to me. Trains dissappearing into a helix for minutes I know I wouldent like plus they take a lot of space. I saw a vidio of a HO layout on UTube sort of like your plan. Trains circled around in mountains and came out often enough to see them and it was realistic. It took over 10 minutes and not at a real slow speed to complete a loop. Sorry I couldent begain to point anyone to it.
I fully agree with the you about helixes and the travel times. That is one reason that I made much of the standard gauge open to scenery.
The narrow gauge helix was stretched to allow for a canyon where a lower level would come out of a tunnel, cross a bridge, and re-enter another tunnel twice.
As for the 3-level helix itself, I have been contemplating a “vertical elevator.” It would be a train length track where the train pulls onto it and then a switch triggers to move the track vertically. When the track gets to the other position, the elevator stops and the train rolls off.
I have built several robotic style items. I took an old Atlas manual 6" metal lathe and designed the hardware (mechanical and electrical) to attach an old IBM AT to it. I then wrote the code to allow numeric control of the Atlas from the PC.
The design is half the fun for me.
The video you are talking about (which I have nor seen) sounds like the locomotive was geared for a scale speed. Most locos have a top end scale speed of 100-150 MPH - way too fast. I was also contemplating a higher speed on the helix.
I was also looking at one man operation. While the NG loco is out of site on the helix, I could go over to the SG section to watch/operate a SG train.
One idea that occurs to me about multi-levels is to use the idea of a split level house. So the train might disappear for a minute or so until it has traversed from the upper level to the middle level. Then it is visible for a while and then disappears for a minute or two until it get to the lower level. with two levels set at say 60" and at 40" on the right side of the room and then two levels at 50" and 30" on the left side of the room, this would be a 2-level layout with the train disappearing on a helix or whatever type of vertical transition for about half the time each time the train changes levels. In a way this is a 4-level layout.