bickybtrains

More progress on the helix. Slowly it is coming together. 

Spent the day building this beauty.

So a very busy day, as previously mentioned  I ran my first test train on the helix. I pretty well finished laying all the points at the terminus station. Wired most of them  up to tortose point motors. Got my next level on the helix in.  Pretty chuffed on the progress so far.  I have enough track for one more level of the helix and then I'm out.  The carriage siding I'm using recycled track from my last layout.  Also the small goods siding will be recycled track.

Thought I should add some photos, Platform one is my longest and as you can see I can have a good sized passenger train of 9 coaches and loco.  The main line that runs under the terminus had to dodge a few point motors.  Above  the main line is Covid Jct.  

I'm slowly running out of track, I have an order in for a bunch more.  I dont know when I will get it, but I think I have enough projects to keep me busy.  

A friend of mine suggested it.  

Ran the first train, also did a test train to see what size train I can handle.  Good news a nine coach train can take the helix with ease.  

I was down at the river as well taking the dog for a walk.

I'm back at the helix, tommorow I'm hooking up the dcc unit onto the helix to test it before I go any further. Just want to see what the maximum train length will be, and of course to play.   I'm planning g on getting the next level done, and be at the halfway point of  the helix build.  

Boy what a frustrating couple of days, managed to wire up and install a bunch of motors and points.  Never thought that my double slips were going to be a problem.  Soldered all the wires to that piddly little wire supplied by peco, I proceed to install the point and I ended up holding a loose wire in my hand.  The darn wire had broken off at the frog.  Not desoldered but broken.  I rewired two slips, cursing and swearing as I soldered them back in. The last slip soldered when it was installed went better.  

Looking good, love the shed.

Spent the afternoon soldering up tortose motors.  Later points need to be looked at and modified.  Once done I'm going to be a busy guy installing point motors.  

14 minutes ago, Theakerr said:

Painting also minimises dust pick-up.

Never thought of that.  Thanks.

Some of you might have noticed that I have painted the baseboards.  There is a reason for this and that is to stop the boards from warping and expanding.  I also find it is easier to do wiring and work under the layout when I can actually see stuff.   

Covid jct. has been laid. And it looks like I can accommodate 8 coach trains in the terminus.  I will of course have to do all the electrics and install all the tortose motors a project in its selve. All the points are tacked in place for easy removal when I install the tortose point motors.  I will have five platform faces in the terminus station  from left to right 1,2,3,4,5 . Platform one being the longest to accommodate a HST.  A couple of coach sidings and then some goods sidings finish of the station area.  Covid junction is a large y junction   Most trains will go to the right and terminate in the lower fiddle yard under the terminus station.  I think the total run is about 120 feet including the helix.  If I don't terminate at the storage siding I can still go back  up the helix and terminate at the terminus station adding  another 60 plus feet of run.  Don't quote these figures until I'm done,they will change.  

It's been a busy few days on the Bickley Central.  I managed to lay some track on the lower storage/fiddle yard.  Also the lower loop was installed.  I managed to start the second level of the helix, but ran out of sheet cork.  I also started Covid Jct, the main junction into the Terminus Station. 

Dealing with derailments on my helix, and the gradient of the helix as I continue to build it has been a concern.  I managed to reduce the gradient to 1.7 percent with a height of 3 1/2 inches per level.  The outside radius is 34 inches.  The inside track will be for the coal mine, so it's a tighter radius.

12 hours ago, gordon s said:

That is certainly a quality build, Bill. Just two things.
 

Will you be running steam locos? If so at 1:50 you may find limitations on the length of trains a steam loco will pull up that level of gradient on a curve. Diesel loco’s are far less of an issue, but traction with steam locos drops considerably.

 

The second issue Is one of track cleaning and derailments. With five tracks across and what appears to be quite tight headroom, are you able to access all tracks to deal with those issues?

 

I probably sound like a party pooper, but having had problems with gradients and clearances before, I’d hate to see your good work pose problems for the future.

 

 

Not being  a party pooper, all diesel, layout is set in the 70's no steam.   Access to the helix will be on both sides, I have 3 1/2 inches, I have already tried cleaning the track from inside the helix, I can reach all the track. I  was hoping for 4" But that put the gradient a little steep.   My last layout had a 2 percent grade, all my Bachmann and newer Hornby could handle with 7 coach trains.   

1 minute ago, BR60103 said:

Bill:

I've always feared that if you get one spot of the helix level across, it will fight with the bit 90 degrees around the bend.

 

That has been a bit of a problem, spent all day getting it level.  Then another area goes out of level.  A bit of cursing and swearing but I finally got it.  I am using a digital level that also gives me my grade. I'm staying around 2 per cent.  The nice thing about the level is it beeps when i am square, level.  I ended up putting more legs under the helex, and cross braced the whole lot.  

More work on the helix today, trying to get it level and a constant grade has been a bit of fun.  Progress so far today.

A nice evening down in the railway room, I started laying track for the helix.  Pretty happy how it is turning  out.  I just didn't feel like building baseboards today, just wanted to get some track down.  

So today the very first piece of track was laid.  I am starting on the helix, since it most likely will cause me grief.  I'm gluing the track down this time, and I will reinforce the track in the helix with nails.  Making sure that they are ever so gently nailed into place through per drilled holes.  

7 hours ago, gordon s said:

A real work of art, William and that’s just the woodwork!

 

Sometimes the skill in producing such quality work is overlooked when compared to other aspects of our hobby.

 

Really looking forward to watching this develop.

 
 

I dont know if it's a work of art, but thanks for the compliment.  I was lucky to know a guy who has a CNC machine, made things alot easier.  Also painting the boards white will help the old eyes  when stuck under the layout with a wiring challenge.  The challenge is now getting my head around DCC.  

So I'm close to 90 percent finished the installation of the baseboards.  Now I start building the helix.

And so it begins, I spent the evening installing the baseboard modules.  My wife came down and just looked around and said I should make the layout smaller and have s nice guest room.  I looked at her with a face of disdain, the dog looked at us and ran upstairs.  

All of the lights are on a dimmer switch.