I'm about to begin an N scale shelf layout. I'm thinking 10" on the top and 12" on the bottom with an 8" separation. Does the separation sound about right? Also, should I complete all of the scenery on the bottom shelf before beginning the top shelf?
cdill1000I'm about to begin an N scale shelf layout. I'm thinking 10" on the top and 12" on the bottom with an 8" separation. Does the separation sound about right?
Welcome to the forum. From your description, it sounds as if these are two visible shelves, not a lower hidden staging shelf).
If both are to be visible and scenicked, most folks would prefer significantly more clearance: mainly for better visibility and easier lighting of the lower deck, and partly for easier access.
cdill1000Also, should I complete all of the scenery on the bottom shelf before beginning the top shelf?
Some experienced builders lay track on the lower deck, then build and lay track on the upper deck, then scenick the upper deck first to avoid drips and spills on finished lower deck scenery. Others build the lower deck scenery after completing the upper deck track and then protect it from drips with tarps and the like.
The very tight clearances you are contemplating will likely complicate the process.
Good luck with your layout.
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Partly this will depend on how you build your shelves. 1"x3" with 1/2" plywood on top would only give you 5 inches of clearance between shelves. This not very much room for either hands or scenery. Eight inches of clearance might be more acceptable, more is better, as long as you can connect the two.
Dave
I would work on the top and the bottom directly underneith at the same time starting on the top so any spills will fall to the lower level which you can correct as you work on the bottom.
Consider how you are going to light the lower deck. Even with the decks the same width, it is difficult to effective light buildings that are up against the front edge. Usually, the result is that the front of the building is in shadow. Making the lower deck wider than the upper deck makes this problem a lot worse.
Answering your last question first:
cdill1000Does it matter n or ho scale?
I’m not sure what you are asking – if you are asking about shelf-to-shelf spacing, yes, it matters a bit. N scalers could probably tolerate a little less spacing than HO scalers – but your original 8 inches will appear cramped to many in either scale.
If you are asking about a helix, it makes a big difference, since you need a bit more than double the clearance for HO scale than for N scale.
cdill1000Next question Is it reasonable to build a helix with a 1" rise in 5 feet?
The resulting grade (rise divided by run) is about 1.67%. But that will be a very broad helix. In HO scale with 4¼” railhead-to-railhead elevation gain per turn that’s about a 254” run (circumference) to maintain 1.67% nominal grade. That’s about a 40” radius (circumference divided by pi to get the diameter, divided by two to get the radius). With supports and clearances, that’s a helix over 7 feet across.
In N scale, choosing a 2 5/8” railhead-to-railhead elevation gain at a 1.67% nominal grade results in about a 25” radius. Using similar calculations to those above, the N scale helix would be a little over 4½ feet wide.*
Byron
*In my experience, the N scale helix scales down a little less than a pure scale ratio due to the fact that a relatively slightly thicker subroadbed in N scale is needed to avoid unwanted flexing.