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No Good Helix is---Hummmm?
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Chip, <br /> <br />The debate rages!!! The problem is the if you want to keep the grade at a reasonable percentage saay 2%, it takes many horizontal feet of run to climb enough distance to get decent deck separation (say, 18"). For example, to climb one foot at 2% will take fifty feet of run. Most of us don't have rooms that are that big. So you can stuff the climb into a helix in the corner or you can use a continous grade around the room (nolix). The disadvantages of the helix are: long run time that is hidden and big amount of space eaten up running between levels (5.5' square for 30" radius). The nolix has a couple of drawbacks as well. One is that unlesss the room is large, every scene will have track running through it at a grade and most rooms will require a double back throught the scene because once around will not have enough run to climb high enough. <br /> <br />There are lots of ways to soften the effects of each of these compomises. <br /> <br />Helix: One is to use a single or maybe double turn helix in combination with a grade. Another is to pop a track out of the helix so that it is visible for a second to the operator. A step can be put next to the helix and a scene can be put on top. <br /> <br />Nolix: The nolix can be helped by hiding some of the track in tunnels (that are accessible) and by having less separation between decks, thus making the need for steep grades and multiple passes through a scene less urgent. <br /> <br />In either case, the larger the room , the less pronounced the drawbacks to each option will be. The helix will take up less of hte total space and the nolix will be gentler. <br /> <br />Another solution is the mushroom design. See Joe Fugates web site for a description of that option. <br /> <br />While double deck layouts can be a compromise scenically, they offer much longer runs in the same space. If you like to get the feeling that your train has been somewhere, double deck is the way to go. <br /> <br />My new layout is double deck with a lower straging area so it is actually triple decked.!!!
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