The Helix

[Keith Hayes]

More slow progress on the return loop/ staging track.

Twelve cars or 10 cars, a locomotive and way car fill up the inner track, which has a 30" radius.

[Jim Courtney]

I'm looking forward to the time your helix develops a hernia and Kokomo suddenly appears!

[Keith Hayes]

That is a ways off, Jim. I have to get the staging built and tested. In the good news department,  I think I will need one less circuit of helix than I originally thought.

[John McCutcheon]

Keith
Have you though about putting some scenes inside the helix be a great use of the space rather than just looking at it climb on plywood

[Chris Walker]

This creative use was on the Tours at Seattle 2012 NNGC, maybe the Gilpin Tramway layout.

[Keith Hayes]

John, only at Kokomo. I hope to herniate the middle circuit and have the train appear as it descends the north (east) side of Fremont  Pass. See earlier posts in this thread.

[Keith Hayes]

I know this looks rather the same, but now the risers are on, everything is square and level and it is all screwed down. Now time to commit to the track plan /turnout locations.




Here is Mr. Don Meeker's recipe for Trapezoidal Circle Components. I think I will use 5 mm Baltic Birch plywood.


But that is a few months off.

[South Park]

  I am glad to see you guys aren't following Mr. Meeker's suggestion of using OSB.

[Keith Hayes]

Years ago I put in a big order to California Roadbed for some homesote roadbed.  This is good as he is no longer in business, but there's a fellow in Washington State who manufactures a similar product.

Anyhow,  Brother d taught me to get 1/4" x 1" strips and use a single strip and let the ties hang over the edge. Also the ballast will nicely fall away from the tie ends. This is the method I have used for all my track.

For the switches,  I ordered a bunch of 1/4" material cut in a 12" x 36" sheet. I just cut several of these to 4" x 12" pieces and went ahead and beveled the long edges. While I was at it, I also cut a slot for the throw bar.



Now to wait for my order of tie strips from Fast Tracks and track laying may commence in earnest.

[Jeff Young]

In case there are any others on this side of the pond, you won't find Homosote over here, but Sundeala is pretty much the same thing.  Wonderfull stuff for hand-laying track.

[Todd A Ferguson]

The question is do spikes really need to go clear through the ties and into the sub roadbed.  I think not.  But there are many species of wood that can be used for sub roadbed besides homosote.  I don’t believe that spikes really need to go into the sub roadbed at all.  Certainly less than a millimeter.

Sent from my iPhone

On Oct 26, 2019, at 6:20 PM, Jeff Young [via C&Sng Discussion Forum] <[hidden email]> wrote:

In case there are any others on this side of the pond, you won't find Homosote over here, but Sundeala is pretty much the same thing.  Wonderfull stuff for hand-laying track.

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NAML

[Jeff Young]

Hi Todd,

In HOn3 ME micro spikes go about 2mm into the roadbed.  But I bend about 1 out of 3, so I only use them on trestles, bridges, etc. (where I pre-drill).

I use ME small spikes elsewhere.  I only bend about 1 out of 20 of them.  But in HOn3 they go a full 6mm into the roadbed.

Cheers,
Jeff.

[Todd A Ferguson]

Jeff consider the HO or even 150% HO spikes from Proto87Stores.  These are my favorite spikes for HO to O scale.  They are etched stainless steel and attached to frets.  They are easy to use and have nice sharp points.  They are reasonably priced for what they deliver.  They have many details for track including bolt strip details and slide plates.  I also like the Mole switch machines they offer.

Sent from my iPhone

On Oct 27, 2019, at 8:45 AM, Jeff Young [via C&Sng Discussion Forum] <[hidden email]> wrote:

Hi Todd,

In HOn3 ME micro spikes go about 2mm into the roadbed.  But I bend about 1 out of 3, so I only use them on trestles, bridges, etc. (where I pre-drill).

I use ME small spikes elsewhere.  I only bend about 1 out of 20 of them.  But in HOn3 they go a full 6mm into the roadbed.

Cheers,
Jeff.

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[Jeff Young]

Yeah, I have some of their fishplates and rail braces,  but I've never tried their spikes.

Cheers,
Jeff.

[Keith Hayes]

Switch construction.

[Keith Hayes]

It's kind of quiet out there. What is everyone else doing? Any interesting models?

Me, I am filing nickle silver and heating solder. Two turnouts are completed.

[Todd A Ferguson]

Wait, you are not using the beautiful number 9 that I had FastTracks develop...

Well if you ever want any let me know and I’ll hook you up.

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On Nov 10, 2019, at 7:19 PM, Keith Hayes [via C&Sng Discussion Forum] <[hidden email]> wrote:

It's kind of quiet out there. What is everyone else doing? Any interesting models?

Me, I am filing nickle silver and heating solder. Two turnouts are completed.

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[Chris Walker]

Keith,

I'm wondering why you haven't put in curved switches there in that location?  The geometry certainly suggests the use.

[Jeff Young]

I do trackwork on a curve by printing out the FastTracks PDF templates, cutting them ever 2nd or 3rd tie, and then taping them back together with one side slightly overlapped.





Cheers,
Jeff.

[Chris Walker]

Just for fun about 30 years ago in On3 I built a 3-way curved stub just to see if it would work, nowadays I build full-size.  Fortunately I have no need for a 3-way here nor on a curve except for this one. Frog area Ties still need screwspiking, wasn't done in case needed adjustment after loco put into service. Note: Diverging track doesn't have nor need a Checkrail.