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I built an elongated helix for my layout, using the method described by jdb22. I use 3/4" BC plywood for sub-roadbed, wityh Homabed for roadbed. I paint the Homabed on all sides with latex paint to seal it. I suggest that for the plywood, draw a donut for the sub-roadbed, with the inside radius 2 1/2" smaller than your minimum radius for your track, and the outside radius 2 1/2" larger. If you are going to double tack the helix, add the necessary spacing for between the tracks, depending on your equipment requisites. This will provide room for attaching the mounting hardware and a "safety net". Then cut through each donut from inner to outer radius, so you can separate the elevation of the ends. It's easier to lay your roadbed at this time, before putting in the helix in, a lesson I learned the hard way. I used 1/4" threaded rod with fender washers and nuts to assemble the helix. I drilled 1/4" holes opposite each other every 45 degrees in all the donuts, put a fender washer and nut on the rod under the piece of sub-roadbed and another fender washer and nut on top in each of the holes. Attach the end of your first piece to the existing sub-roadbed (I used two flat joiner plates with three screws in each to join the pieces of sub-roadbed), and then support the first donut with risers around to the other end, according to your grade. You should have threaded rod sticking up in the air from this first piece. Put a nut and then a fender washer on each rod, put next donut over the rods, and use the nuts to adjust the grade. When you have it set, put a fender washer and nut on top of the 2nd piece of subroadbed, and climb to the ceiling by repeating the process. I used a ruler and measured from the top surface of the first donut to the top of the next donut to make sure my grade was consistant and accurate. Don't forget to use a joinder plate where the ends of the donuts meet, so there's no flex. After my helix was installed, I cut 4" wide strips of thin styrene from some bulk stuff I bought at a surplus store, and screwed it to the outside and inside edge of the helix all the way around. I serves as a safety net to prevent any locomotives or cars from taking the plunge to the floor. It's flexible enough that I can bend it to cure any derail or other problems. It occurred to me after I built it, that I might have been better off using code 100, and putting in a re-railer piece of sectional track ever few feet to insure trouble free operation. As it turns out, it wasn't, and hasn't been necessary, and that portion of my layout has been in operation over 9 years. Those are my thoughts. Good luck and enjoy.
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