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As I am redoing my plans for the train room, I will be going to a 2 level setup, with staging yards and the climb/descent between levels will be in a seperate room.
My wonder is should I put a helix in one side of the staging room, or go around the room for the 10" rise. In order to do the helix, I will only have easy acceess to one side. Two of the sides will be in a corner, and the third will back up to the staging tracks. If I go around the walls, I'll have to make a duck under at the door to get the straightline run I need.
I have a helix and a duck under. Maybe you want to look at this video. At the time of the video the upper deck was not completely finished. The duck under span now has the dual bridges in service. Maybe you can get a few ideas. I'll try to answer any questions you may have.
A helix takes up a ton of room. I built one just two months ago for my new layout. If you can take up the space, by all means, have at it. But if you really need to afford others the space in that room, you should consider around the walls. You could make the duckunder a lift-out bridge. See below.
The lift-out bridge at the entrance to the loft above our garage:
Disclaimer: I do not have a helix, nor do I ever intend to build one. In reading a lot about helixes and their construction, it seems like a Nolix would be easier to build, takes up essentially no additional space (aside from vertically), and is easier to maintain.
I admire people who do construct robust helixes - that's some fine craftsmanship, but I'm too lazy to mess with trying to build a good helix.
A nolix is a lot easier to build, and in operation, it also functions better. On my layout I had originally designed in a helix, but then discovered a nolix would work better.
By basically extending the helix out to a nolix, while it did used more track, I was able to ease the grade, extend the run, and almost eliminate the drag on the locomotive pulling the train that comes from a pure helix.
It can/must if the nolix is uni-track...say effectively comprising a loooonnng switchback. However, the general method is to have a loop at the top someplace, or continuing down the other side of the room in a descending grade.
Crandell I'll have to see some type of drawing of this to see how it works. My uncle tried this method and it didn't work for him. I don't think it's as simple as people are claiming. I like to see track plans on paper first to make sure it all works as planned.
I, as I have said in an earlier post, have a nolix up to the third level of my layout. As soon as the just installed mining area is wired and set up, I'll be able to start operations on the nolix. Tests have indicated a smooth run up and down the nolix with a 2-88-2 pulling 35 hoppers up it easily. It backed down, just as easily. It is located on this track plan in the middle of the peninsula. The track of the nolix, appears to just end on this plan. It actually continues to the small town of Jones, which starts the third level.
It's not ideal for continuous-run. But real passenger trains even run point-to-point. Either run the locos around or just run the train with a loco on each end.
