There is a club here in NJ "The Model Railroad Club of Union NJ" who does not have a helix as far as I know but has sort of a unique set up as the bench work is actually high enough to stand under. So for all the layout is actually a floor above . If you have the room to do something like they did it's actually a very good way to build a railroad. No kneeling down or squatting under your bench work. Sure configuring a helix to go from one floor to the next is possible if you have the room but be advised that you will need to be able to reach every level of that helix in the even of a derailment. It might be difficult going between the floors etc. I personally wouldn't bother it's going to take an awful lot of engineering to get it done correctly and safely. You can't just cut a hole in the floor.
cv_acrOur club layout is multiple decks spread over two floors, with an intermediate level in between. It combines the concepts of a regular double deck layout with that of the mushroom design, and has up to 6 decks in total. www.wrmrc.ca There's no 50 turn helices required as the line only goes up (or down) one deck at a time (18-20" max), not all the way from the first floor to the second.
Our club layout is multiple decks spread over two floors, with an intermediate level in between. It combines the concepts of a regular double deck layout with that of the mushroom design, and has up to 6 decks in total.
www.wrmrc.ca
There's no 50 turn helices required as the line only goes up (or down) one deck at a time (18-20" max), not all the way from the first floor to the second.
I have seen your club layout in person a number of times and must say that it is truly awesome. Learned a lot while you people had your open houses. Highly recommend anyone to go and see this masterful piece of wonderful construction and model railroad. It pushes the envelope of what can be done.
Frank
"If you need a helping hand, you'll find one at the end of your arm."
Chris van der Heide
My Algoma Central Railway Modeling Blog
Hi,
sounds like that gentleman is not the only one that has had such a great idea. Check this out: http://www.modellbau-menninghaus.de/gleiswendel/wolkenkratzer.php#0 . I apologize that it is in German.
I remember reading in a when-Custer-was-a-cadet MR -- if it was not MR it was in another small format magazine from the '30s or '40s era -- about a rail who purchased a house with an elevator connecting the first and second floor; at one time this probably provided conveyance for a wheelchair. It no longer worked and this rail didn't want it so he had removed it and extended his first floor layout to the second floor using this elevator space for his helix. The dimensions of the elevator shaft required about a 3% grade and it took about 30 loops to get from one floor to the other; he had constructed a ladder inside the helix to grant access to the loops for maintenance or in the event of a derailment -- although, if I remember correctly, he had built his trackwork with a guard rail.
More recently there was a blurb in one of the hobby magazines about a modeler who used a stairwell for a helix connecting his basement layout to the garage.
From the far, far reaches of the wild, wild west I am: rtpoteet
I wonder what material the guy will use to build the helix - concrete? Can you imagine a helix with a 60" radius and a height of 10 - 15´ ? Oh boy, I´d hate to solve this problem - I´d be happy with the cash you need to build this layout...
Marc.
In this instance, I think that it would be correct to call it a "TWO FLOOR LAYOUT". Some people are just born lucky but most of us were lucky to be born and find our way into model railroading. On the other hand, that's going to be one HECK of a helix and boy oh boy will that extend his mainline runs.
Blue Flamer.
Hi from belgium,
This morning I was going to my hobbyshop for some little things I need to work on the railroad.
A customer was speaking with a salesman and was asking him to get some informations about building a helix.
At this time, nothing very special in fact, I was convinced about a double deck layout but......
This men is modeling in O scale, he had the chance to live in a old farmhouse which had an old barn next to.
Because this old barn had a basement, he was asking in fact, if it could be possible to build an helix which can connect the basement and the ground floor........
His layout is now in the basement and he want to make it bigger and use the ground floor, both rooms are an around 8 meters by 18 meters as he say. His layout feature the old north part of the old french railroad companies.
Marc