Paul, Thank you for your constructive comments. I am reworking to a 1.66% grade. I greatly appreciate it! [ February 02, 2006, 01:00 PM: Message edited by: Hutch ]
Because you prefer fewer engines, I would think the less they have to work the better. An engine that drags a cut of cars "ok"up hill today may not age well. I'd go 2%.
Yes, you guys are correct. I have spent the afternoon calculating, and I am going to redo the helix to an increase of 2.5 inches / 360 degrees which will give me a 1.66% grade and will work well with the rest of the layout. Thanks to Colonel, PowerSteamGuy and Balou for your comments.
Hutch: I looked at all the benchwork and must say that's quite a project that you're undertaking. You were wise to readjust the gradeon your helix. You'll be pleased with the results and your loco's will perform much better with a softer incline. Have fun... Stay cool and run steam......
Well, alot transpired today. Here are the successes and failures: Successes 1. Realized the helix grade was too steep 2. Recut a section of subroadbed that I had pieced together previously and it worked out perfectly. 3. Refined my helix level supports, and they worked much better with a little more tolerance. Failures 1. Came up with a fine plan for a 1.66% grade helix. Recut the helix supports, installed the spacers...Uh oh. Houston we have a problem. The splices took up too much room in the helix subroadbed. 2. The regrading of the helix leaves my one of my intermediate levels out of place. For example in the original track plan, you exit the helix at elevation 15 and return to the helix at elevation 17. In the new helix design, I exit at 12 3/4 and somehow expect rentry at 17.... Duhhhhhh. I can't drop the rentry down, because I have to make it to the top level. I have already added a turn to get there. At this rate, my train will stay in the helix forever if I keep adding turns. Oh well, back to the helix design desk with a fresh head tomorrow. The successed today strongly outweighed the failures. I am happy. Once I get this helix worked out with less than a 2% grade and 1 minus infinity turns, I will be estatic.
Hutch: You'll be happier operations wise with a grade less than 2% on the helix. BTW, are you going to use DCC or DC? Stay cool and run steam....
I've been using Lenz systems for years. I have the lenz 100 system. I found the learning curve with Lenz is easier than most systems on the market. Lenz also has an excellent warranty and support system on their DCC systems and decoders. Stay cool and run steam.....
The brands most folks are choosing, are: NCE, Lenz, and Digitrax. My experience is with the latter pair. Of those, I liked Lenz best. But also would be happy with Digitrax. Have yet to operate with NCE.... Boxcab E50
I followed Bob's suggestion and got a lenz and am very happy with it. I have only used it a couple of times as i am wiring in the turnouts Their are 21 of them and i have 11 stationary ones to wire in. Hutch Keep plugging a way from what i have seen so far. Your work looks great. Alan
Alan: I think you've really enjoyed the Lenz 100 system. The learning curve is gentle. The support is fantastic not only from Debbie Ames at Lenz North America, but also from the folks at Tony's Trains where you bought the system at my suggestion. There is a fantastic warranty on the DCC system and on Lenz decoders as well. They will always replace a blown decoder, no questions asked and will handle any problems that occur with their DCC systems as well. They also provide upgrades to their systems when they become available. Stay cool and run steam....
OK, now you have my attention.....it is a helix afterall ....the most mind awe inspiring thing to me If I bother with too many questions....I am sorry but I am very impressed with your construction and the jury is still out on what I plan to do with my layout plan. 1. How in the heck do you get the curves so perfect? 2. Are the support "slots" cut into the verticals all the same? How do you know at what level to make them? 3. What are the verticals? 1x4? 4. What is the footprint of your helix? 5. Can your helix support double track? Thaks for humoring my questions. You layout is coming along very nicely
You may have noticed at the beginning of this post, that I drew the entire layout in AutoCad. Using this AutoCad drawing, I plot full size templates of sections of trackwork on a 24" plotter. I cut out the subroadbed, and trace onto the plywood I am getting ready to cut. It normally works out perfectly. We are a construction company, so that is why we have a large plotter. The verticals in the photos are 1x4's, with cut pieces glued on top to create the notches. I have rebuilt these three times now, and now the current version for the new helix grade are built using 1x2's. The notches are 5/8 to give me some wiggle room with the 1/2 subroadbed. The helix has an inside diameter of 48" and an outside diameter of 50.5". My helix is roadbed is 2.5" wide. I think if I just cut the circles 3" wide you could easily accomodate a double track. The inside track would have a steeper grade slightly however. A larger radius is your friend. Also, I construct my helix 60 degrees at the time. In other words, I cut semi circles of 60 degrees and then splice 6 of them together for each full turn. Again, I am on revision two of the helix sub road bed. Thinner is better to give you more clearance. The splice is a deal killer. I am working hard on perfecting this design to squeeze a 2% grade in on just 49". It is not easy with 1/2" plywood and a 1/2 splice underneath. As far as determining what level to put the notches in to support the helix... 1. start at the beginning level...that is where you start 2. determine your maximum rise per one full turn or 360 degree. 3. divide the rise per turn by 4 since you have 4 supports at 90 degree spacing For example my roadbed enters the helix at elevation 9 and I need to get to elevation 16. I want to maintain a 2% grade or less, so my max rise per 360 degrees is 3 inches. You calculate this as follows: radius*2*3.14=circumference rise per turn/circumference=grade of helix Now I can tell how many turns I need to get to level 16 based on the rise per turn and my entry and exit angle. I hope this all helps. Thank you for your kind comments. I appreciate you following along. [ February 05, 2006, 05:21 AM: Message edited by: Hutch ]
Hutch, you wrote: "I am working hard on perfecting this design to squeeze a 2% grade in on just 49". It is not easy with 1/2" plywood and a 1/2 splice underneath." Dump that splice board and rig up a router jig to cut about 3" of a half lap joint on each end of the 60° segments. You also may want to consider cutting the segments about 6" longer to acomodate the half lap joint. If you use this method of constructing the helix, the finished job will be without splices, you can easily widen the roadbed and run double track on the heilex (one track up, one trak down) The woodwork will look like a professional did it! Hope this helps GM
Good idea GM! I had thought of that, but my approach used a dado blade. I have a router table that will work perfectly. I will work on that tonight. Thanks. I will put 3 inches of extra length on each end for the lap joint. I will post photos when I am done. Check back in a couple of days.
The helix has now been reworked with a 2.0% grade with 2.5 of clearance. I think this is as small as I can go. The helix is constructed now with lap joints which worked very well, but was very time consuming since there are 35 60 degree helix sections...ahh, but they look so nice I have also reworked the closest outer section of road bed. I tried the camera without the flash tonight...The pictures look much better. I also replaced the light in the room today with a flourescent fixture. You guys wanted to see a messy work area; now you see it. I am just like everybody else There is only one turn left on the helix before it comes back out to Ellensburg on the layout then makes a 180 degree 20 inch turn back to the helix for 2.5 turns back up to the top level. What do you guys think? Take care.
Hutch: You did a masterful job in redesigning the helix to keep the grade at 2%. That is going to be one tremendous layout. It will keep you occupied for quite some time. What is the diameter of the helix? Stay cool and run steam....
