Loco Bill is back!

[Loco Bill Canelos]

Hi all, got back up on line today and if is good to be back with such a great bunch of guys and gals.

The move went well and unpacking continues!!

On the day of unpacking at my new home I looked out in the back yard and saw what looked like an outdoor train along the fence    I quickly learned my son found an old off brand G Scale train set and set it up on a short section of track just to pull my leg .

Now it is back to track planning and figuring out how to build a helix to get my trains up from benchwork in the basement up to the outside ground level and thru the side of the house via a vent that can be converted to a tunnel.  I will have to frame out the basement walls and get some sheetrock in along with some decent lighting, before I can start with the bench work.  the helix will be in a crawlspace that willlbe prefect for the purpose.  On my old layouts in Missouri they were too far different in height and distance to have them connected so I am looking forward to this new layout.   

Anyway if anyone has goood info on the geometry of building helixes, please let me know.

Thanks to all who gave me good wishes on my move!  I appreciated all your gracious comments, and it is good to be back with such great friends, especially those who help the newbies enjoy this great hobby!!.

Cheers & Beers

Bill

[Hunt]

. . .  

Anyway if anyone has goood info on the geometry of building helixes helices , please let me know.

. .  .

Bill,
Click Here see if it helps you.

[Joe Zullo]

Welcome back Bill! 

[Chuck N]

Welcome to Colorado!  I wish I was there to welcome you in person.  It's been 21 years since we moved to Virginia.  Where are you hanging your hat.  We lived in Lakewood for twenty years (Green Mountain).  I was able to run year round.  You may need a rotary.  Colorado snow worked nicely through mine, not so well with Virginia snow.  If you need to shovel out the track, use a plastic shovel, it's easier on the track.

Chuck

added:

Clearing the lower loop on the Grun Mountain und Western 20+ years ago.

[Bucksco]

Welcome back Bill!

[Joe Satnik]

Bill,

Consider an elevator if the helix is too big.    

Joe

Build a train elevator
An automatic device to transfer trains between levels
by Steve Harris  
from Model Railroader June 2009  p. 60
benchwork  elevator  train  

Going up!
An elevator instead of a helix
by Roberts, Dick
from Model Railroad Planning January 2001  p. 78
construction  design  elevator  layout 

Vertical staging yard works like an elevator
by Roberts, William C.
from Railroad Model Craftsman October 1979  p. 85
fiddle  staging  yard 

Edit:  Added a 2nd and 3rd article.

[Ray Dunakin]

Welcome back, Bill!

[Loco Bill Canelos]

Wow thanks for the great ideas.

Chuck, I am hanging my hat in Brighton, CO and really like it here.  Back in the goood old days I lived in Colorado Springs for about 9 years.  Really great to be back with family and lots of train activity.  My son has a layout nearby in commerce City.  Love your rotary!  My son uses the Aristo wedge plow.  Short vid :  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7Y5fJGrJ3k

Hunt, That is the best infor I have ever seen on calculating the helix,  With a rise of 3 and a half feet and desiring to keep the grade to no more than 2% it is going to be one huge helix.   Thanks a lot!!!

Joe, Elevator idea is interesting but with my plan of running long trains I want to have continuous operation.  I plan to have a staging areas in the crawl space part of the basement.  My basement is one half true basement and one half crawl space., so the helix and staging tracks are gong to go in the crawl space very nicely!!   I may have to take out a second mortgage to pay for all the track.

Happy holidays to all!!

Bill

[Hunt]

. . .
Hunt, That is the best infor I have ever seen on calculating the helix,  With a rise of 3 and a half feet and desiring to keep the grade to no more than 2% it is going to be one huge helix.   Thanks a lot!!!

. . .

Bill Click Here for a helix grade calculator that will complement what I gave you.