Ogden & Cache Valley RR

[donatode]

Doug my jaw and mouth are hanging wide open in utter amazement.  Keep it up and keep us posted.  GREAT WORK!!!

[Onewolf]

I've been working on laying the double track mainline as it passes through the main classification yard and loco service terminal areas.

The flex track has been glued down with clear caulk and track power feeders have been fed through to the DCC track power 10GA bus wires under the bench-work. Now I need to connect the track feeders to the track. I solder track feeders every other flex track connection (Approx every 6 feet).

You can see how 'not straight' the wall is along here....



Gluing down the track as it turns left near the loco service terminal area.





Continuing on towards the big loop back around where the turntable/roundhouse will be located.

[ak-milw]

WOW!!!

[Onewolf]

I completed installing the mainline track around the center platform to the hole through the backdrop where the mainline will enter the helix (I forgot to take pictures of the installed lower level mainline  ). I also connected 24 pairs of track feeders to the 10GA track power buses, connected the two track power buses to two different DCC Specialties PSX4 circuit breakers and connected the circuit breakers to two different Digitrax DB-150 Boosters. And then magically it all worked and I was able to run trains along 250 feet of the lower level mainline and lower level return loop with ZERO issues.

And then I started building the roadbed entrance to the helix and the helix itself.  This is where the mainline track comes through the backdrop to enter the helix. I am fairing down cork roadbed in order to drop from the mainline track 3/16" foam roadbed down to the bare plywood of the helix.



The helix roadbed will be made from overlapping 15/32" sanded plywood so the roadbed will be 15/16" thick. There railhead to railhead height is 4" so there will be only 3 1/16" clearance between the helix levels. The outside track (upward) has a 40" radius and a 1.595% grade and the inside track (downward) has a 37.5" radius and a 1.69% grade. There will be 4 1/2 revolutions to climb from 42" to 62". This is the pattern I used to cut 1/4 arcs from the 15/32" plywood. I get five 1/4 arcs per sheet of plywood and I need 36 arcs. I tried cutting 4 sheets of plywood at once and the radial saw had no trouble but the jigsaw could not cut that many sheets at once so I cut two sheets at once with the jigsaw (and that was really slow).



These are the 3/4" plywood risers I made to establish the grade for the first level of the helix. There are 16 of them and they have 1/4" rise between each step.  The remaining levels of the helix will use a constant height riser of 3 1/16" (3 1/16" + 15/16" = 4" rail to rail height).



Here I am gluing the helix entrance roadbed where it comes in from the lower level mainline. I have also (dry) placed all the risers overlapping 1/4 arcs that make most of the first level.





Gluing the first sections of the helix plywood roadbed. Once I finish gluing the first level roadbed I will install both the inner and outer helix tracks and then I will install track feeders (and double gaps). Then I will install the next level of helix roadbed.  Each 1/2 of each track of each helix level will be an occupancy zone (double gapped).  There will be 24 occupancy zones total (18 in the helix, 3 in the lower level entrance, and 3 in the middle level entrance). I will be using the RR-Cirkits BOD8 and FOB-A boards for occupancy detection and display.

[GPdemayo]

Great progress Doug. 

[ak-milw]

Very impressive!

[S&S RR]

Looking good Doug.

[ReadingBob]

That sure is some first class work!  Very impressive Doug.    

[Onewolf]

Btw, I use a simple rich text file to keep track of 'the plan'. It starts as high level tasks but as the time for the tasks get closer I start filling in details. As tasks are complete I change the text color from black to green.

Here's a sample of the current 'plan':



Lower Level backdrop painting Tasks

Cut/Install 1/8" Masonite in window cutouts
Prime Masonite
Paint blue sky color

Middle Level Backdrop

Install 1/8" Masonite around center platform
Install Formica for coved corners
Spackle/Fair/Sand seams
Primer
Paint
Wall with windows
Install 1/8" Masonite in window openings
Blue painters tape for top of Sky Blue along wall with windows
Paint

Build/Install 2x2 wall panel above city

Inventory 1x2 prime, 2x2, 20mm wall panel
Cove corner to ceiling
Spackle/Fair/Sand seams
Paint primer
Paint blue

Lower level Mainline

Mainline Track Decision
                Sell Micro Engineering Code 83 (180 @$4/each)
                                Buy Atlas code 83 (200) @ $4/each
Sell Micro Engineering Code 70 (36 @$4.25/each)

Install DCC Track Power bus wires (red/black 10GA)
                Drill holes in 1x4 benchwork Left, Right, North/East
                Booster #2 Lower Left
                Booster #2 Lower Right
                Booster #1 Lower North/East
  Drill holes in 1x4 benchwork Center Platform
                Pull red/black for Booster #1 Center Platform

Install Lower Level Turnout Bus wires (blue/black 12GA)
                Drill holes in 1x4 benchwork North/East/South/West
                Install bus wires North/East/South/West
                Drill holes in 1x4 benchwork Center
  Install bus wires benchwork Center

Install mainline foam roadbed up to homasote yard area
                Taper roadbed to flush with level of homasote

Install backdrops around center platform
Install 1/8" Masonite flat backdrops around center platform
Install 6 Laminate coved corners around center platform
Spackle/fair/sand joints

Level base/plywood/foam where transition from loco service homasote to foam occurs

Glue down ¾" foam around center platform

Install Mainline Track
                From lower return loop to yard
                                Hookup track feeders
                Yard area
                               Hookup track feeders
                Yard area to helix entrance
                               Hookup track feeders

Cut double gaps between booster power districts
mainline lower return loop and mainline yard
mainline yard and mainline center platform

Install PSX4 for Booster #1
Connect PSX4 input to Booster #1 track power output
Connect Center Platform Lower Level track bus to PSX4 #1
Connect Yard Area Mainline track bus to PSX4 #2

Install Status Panel LED lights for PSX4 Booster #1
Make 12 LED status light 18GA lead assemblies 6ft (8 green, 4 red)
Solder status LEDs leads to PSX4
Make display panel
   Print jpg
   Cut ¼" plywood panel
Mount panel

Build Entrance to helix from lower mainline
Cut/Install sub-roadbed.
Install cork roadbed
Sand/Fair cork down to bare plywood
Fair with gray caulk
Paint roadbed with Gray paint
Install 5" Atlas code 83 track extension through backdrop.
Double Gap Plastic rail joiners
Install Short segment of Peco code 100 track
Install Peco Code 100 Large turnout
Double gap both turnout outlet tracks with plastic rail joiners after clearance point
Install three track feeder pairs (each track off turnout)
Mark double track path into helix
Install double track into helix (Peco code 100)

Build helix
   Make ¼ arc pattern (35 ¼" inside radius, 42 ¼" outside radius)
Use ¼ arc pattern to draw template on plywood
Cut 2 pieces of plywood, 3 times, +1 sheet (7 total sheets) = 35 arcs + template = 36 total
Cut 16 variable risers (2" – 6" with ¼" increment)
Install variable risers
Cut constant height 1x4 risers (3 1/16" – 16 per level * 3.5 levels = 56 total)
Install roadbed arcs – Glue and clamp
Caulk seams
Paint roadbed gray
Mark track path (Inside radius 37.5", Outside Radius 40")
Install track feeders between every other track segment
Repeat until helix is complete

Wire Helix Occupancy Zones
Wiring – 18 occupancy zones (yellow, orange, red, blue, brown, gray, pink, purple, green)
9 + white, 9 + black
Entrance, Exit = 6 occupancy zones total

Install 3/16 Masonite fascia around center platform lower level benchwork

Install middle level LED Layout lighting under upper level 'wings'
Install additional 1x4 boards in upper level wing benchwork
Run 12v power bus (orange/yellow) out to wings

Lower Level return loop occupancy status LED display

Run 5v power bus to lower return loop occupancy detector boards
Install 82 ohm resistors in FOB-A boards
Build 14 occupancy RED LEDs
Install BOD-8 and FOB-A boards
Install detector coils
Install status LEDs
Test occupancy zones

Run 5v power bus to helix/upper level return loop occupancy detector boards

Run 120v extension cord to helix DB-150 booster station

Install LED Status lights for PSX3 Helix Booster
Make 9 LED status light assemblies (6 green, 3 red)
Solder status LEDs to PSX4
Make display panel
Mount panel

Build upper level return loop

Build lower city base (5/8" plywood, ¾" foam)

Build lower level city backdrops

Build upper level city base (5/8" plywood, ¾" foam)

Build upper level city backdrop wall panels

Finish Upper level backdrops

[Zephyrus52246]

I'm always impressed how many different construction techniques there are to build a helix.  Yours looks like it will be one of the most solidly built ever.    Looking through your guide, I'm interested in that you are selling your ME code 83 and replacing it with Atlas code 83, yet using Peco code 100 on the helix.  On the original part of my layout, I used ME code 83, but it's kind of a pain to work with when making curves.  I used Peco Code 83 on the newer portions (with ME code 83 turnouts).  Why didn't you use the Peco Code 83 instead of the Atlas?  IMHO the Peco looks better than the Atlas.


Jeff

[Zephyrus52246]

In the next to last picture, it looks like you're going to have an S curve at the start of the helix, or maybe it's just the angle the picture was taken.  I'd probably lay track here and make sure there are no S curve issues with your passenger cars/locos.   


Jeff

[Onewolf]

I'm always impressed how many different construction techniques there are to build a helix.  Yours looks like it will be one of the most solidly built ever.    Looking through your guide, I'm interested in that you are selling your ME code 83 and replacing it with Atlas code 83, yet using Peco code 100 on the helix.  On the original part of my layout, I used ME code 83, but it's kind of a pain to work with when making curves.  I used Peco Code 83 on the newer portions (with ME code 83 turnouts).  Why didn't you use the Peco Code 83 instead of the Atlas?  IMHO the Peco looks better than the Atlas.


Jeff

Like you, I found the ME code 83 flex to be PITA to work with. I opted for the Atlas code 83 over the Peco simply because the Atlas costs about 30% less than the Peco and I needed about 800 feet of it right now and another 500 feet when I start building the main classification yard/loco service terminal.  That price difference is not small (~$500) . 

I built the helix support structure to be 'solid' because in addition to the helix (42"-62" elevation) it also supports the upper return loop at 82" elevation.

[Onewolf]

In the next to last picture, it looks like you're going to have an S curve at the start of the helix, or maybe it's just the angle the picture was taken.  I'd probably lay track here and make sure there are no S curve issues with your passenger cars/locos.   


Jeff

There is an S curve, but it's actually very mild and will be spread out over about 3-4 feet. The helix entrance track will not be following exactly the center of the roadbed in order to smooth out the S curve.  I don't think it will be a problem but it will be tested thoroughly when I install that track. 

Here's a somewhat blurry photo of the area in question.  The 'S' curve was introduced because the end of center platform wall (with red squiggly line) ended up being built about 3" right of where it should have been.  I think I can lay the track such that the 'S' is long and smooth enough to not cause problems. Otherwise I will get out the 16" Poulan chain saw and cut a notch in that stud on the end of that wall. 

[Erieman]

Good Morning Doug,

Missed meeting you at the Expo in Danvers. Wonderful build you are doing. First rate. I would like to make a suggestion regarding track suppliers that I learned while building my neighbor's layout. Did you contact the manufacture regarding a quantity discount. We contacted ME for a quantity of 800 feet and received a sizable discount. Everything arrived quickly in a one big box. Before you buy a big quantity of track, consider contacting the supplier or a wholesaler. It could be a sizeable savings.
Track gauge is a subjective one. This is my third layout using code 70. Just looks good to me.

You are doing a wonderful job on your new layout.

Frank / Erieman

[Onewolf]

Last night I painted the plywood and cork roadbed for the helix entrance and the first 3/4 of the first level of the helix. This morning I 'placed' flex track to see how bad the 'S' curve heading into the helix really is.  Here is a photo of that area with 2 sections of flex track for each of the double helix tracks. For distance perspective there is about 20" between the mainline track that currently stops at the hole in the backdrop and the Peco code 100 large turnout where the track splits into the two helix tracks.  There is almost 3 feet from the track at the bottom of the photo to where the flex track sections join and then another 3 ft from the joint to the turnout.

There is also an 'S' curve when the left hand turnout is thrown and the 'inner' helix track is taken.
 
In order to remove BOTH of the S curves I am contemplating using a RIGHT hand turnout where the diverging path takes the outer helix track.  That should cleanup both S curves nicely however that would make the 'normal' upward path go through the diverging path of the turnout. 

What do you guys think about that modification?

Thanks.

Doug