Ogden & Cache Valley RR

[Zephyrus52246]

I think I'd change the turnout to a RH one as well.  But since all the track is basically there you could certainly test it out to see which way works best.  Get the Big Boys out and some passenger cars and let 'er rip.     You may want to put up some temporary guard rails on the sides of the roadbed first.   


Jeff

[jimmillho]

I think I'd change the turnout to a RH one as well.  But since all the track is basically there you could certainly test it out to see which way works best.  Get the Big Boys out and some passenger cars and let 'er rip.     You may want to put up some temporary guard rails on the sides of the roadbed first.   


Jeff

That sounds like a plan to me.  I would try it and see how it looks.

Jim

[Onewolf]

I think I'd change the turnout to a RH one as well.  But since all the track is basically there you could certainly test it out to see which way works best.  Get the Big Boys out and some passenger cars and let 'er rip.     You may want to put up some temporary guard rails on the sides of the roadbed first.   


Jeff

That sounds like a plan to me.  I would try it and see how it looks.

Jim

Actually the track has only been 'dry placed', not installed so all I would have to redo to change to a RH turnout is the cork roadbed where it transitions from the 3/16" mainline roadbed down to the bare plywood.  I think that will be worth the effort.

[Onewolf]

Here's what that track section looks like with a RH turnout instead of the LH turnout.  I think it looks much better (functionally).  I rebuilt the transition cork roadbed this morning, caulked, and painted so I am ready to actually start installing track this evening.

Doug

[GPdemayo]

Looks better Doug.....that should work a bit better. 

[jimmillho]

Looks better Doug.....that should work a bit better. 

I will second that.

Jim

[Erieman]

Doug,

Your layout build is just plain awesome. I noticed on the daily post page that you were going hunting for granite.  If you don't mind, I would like to make a couple of suggestions. Whatever color or material you buy, buy enough to do the entire railroad. I found that out the hard way. Back when I started my layout, I bought a few bags at a time. Then I noticed the color difference only to find that the manufacturer was getting his material from different places or that the manufacturer had sold his business to someone else. I mentioned this to Tom Langford ACL 1504 and also mentioned the supplier  - Arizona Rock and Mineral here in Pauldin, Arizona. We went and got Tom a big box then John Siekirk delivered it to Tom at one of the prior Fine Scale Expo's.  There is another person out here building a 4,000 sq. ft. layout of his version of the UP from Ogden to Cheyenne. If you would like, I could you the name of the rock color. I know that he is or has purchased his rock from Arizona Rock. Just asking. Always to glad to be of help. Keep up the great work and love your story. Very nice indeed.

Frank / Erieman

[Onewolf]

Doug,

Your layout build is just plain awesome. I noticed on the daily post page that you were going hunting for granite.  If you don't mind, I would like to make a couple of suggestions. Whatever color or material you buy, buy enough to do the entire railroad. I found that out the hard way. Back when I started my layout, I bought a few bags at a time. Then I noticed the color difference only to find that the manufacturer was getting his material from different places or that the manufacturer had sold his business to someone else. I mentioned this to Tom Langford ACL 1504 and also mentioned the supplier  - Arizona Rock and Mineral here in Pauldin, Arizona. We went and got Tom a big box then John Siekirk delivered it to Tom at one of the prior Fine Scale Expo's.  There is another person out here building a 4,000 sq. ft. layout of his version of the UP from Ogden to Cheyenne. If you would like, I could you the name of the rock color. I know that he is or has purchased his rock from Arizona Rock. Just asking. Always to glad to be of help. Keep up the great work and love your story. Very nice indeed.

Frank / Erieman

What we've got here is... failure to communicate.

We were quite successful in our 'granite shopping' and it would make expensive ballast but should look great in our kitchen   

"Quid Pro Quo"

[ACL1504]

I see the wifey took her cabinet door to get the proper match! Looks great!

Tom

[Onewolf]

Back from a week in Portugal (business trip) and getting back to work on the layout.

Photos of the mainline track as it leaves the yard/loco service area and heads around the center platform. I have turnouts for a siding that will help service spurs for a large number of industries around the center platform area.







I'm using FastTracks 40" radius Sweepsticks while gluing down the outside track of the helix. 



The inside track has been soldered and dry placed.



I altered the turnout where the mainline splits into the inner and outer helix tracks from being a left hand to a right hand turnout to resolve two 'S' curves.



I temporarily installed a scrap piece of 1/8" masonite as a proof of concept/test for enclosing the helix (eventually). It seemed to be fairly sturdy but I may try a piece of 3/16" masonite to see how that does.



I test fit a couple more 1/2" plywood roadbed arcs to see how the spacing when the helix makes a complete circle and starts covering the lower levels.



A good use for cheap Publix root beer: Gluing down the inner helix track.



I installed a plywood panel where booster station #3 is located. Booster #3 will power a DCC Specialties PSX3 and PSX-AR. The PSX3 has three power districts: helix, upper level left, and upper level right. The PSX-AR will power the upper level return loop and staging tracks.



I have started working on the helix track power bus infrastructure.



Each half of each track (inner/outer) of each level in the helix will be an occupancy zone. There are 4 1/2 laps/levels for the helix so there will be 18 occupancy zones within the helix (and 3 occupancy zones for each the helix entrances (lower/upper)) for a total of 24 occupancy zones. Each occupancy zone requires a track power bus. For the helix I plan to use 9 different 12GA wire colors (brown, gray, yellow, orange, red, green, blue, purple, pink) paired with white on the left half and paired with black on the right half for the track bus (18 total color combinations).

[ak-milw]

Wow, sure glad I have only two wires in the whole layout. other than drops.

[Onewolf]

Wow, sure glad I have only two wires in the whole layout. other than drops.

Occupancy zones are killing me in that respect....

[Onewolf]

I made progress on the helix over the 3 day Memorial Day weekend.  I found the DAP Alex Plus was not a strong enough adhesive between the painted plywood and the track where the track is double gapped for occupancy zones so I switched to DAP Dynaflex 230 for most of the Helix track and DAP 3.0 in the 12" sections of track adjacent to the double gaps.  The DAP 3.0 is very thick, tacky, and not as user friendly (not water soluble, etc), but it provides an extremely strong bond.

These photos show the completion of the third lap/level and the start of the fourth lap/level.

I also have a photo showing the vertical clearance inside the helix.  I am running the track power feeder wires along the bottom of the plywood roadbed to the inside of the helix where they will connect to the track power bus wires.  I am modelling the mid/late 1950s period and I won't have double stacks so hopefully there should be plenty of vertical clearance in the helix.

As anyone who has designed/built a helix knows, it's all about the trade-off of size (radius), vertical clearance and grade %.  I want to keep the grade as low as possible in order to allow long trains, and to minimize to size of the giant blob in the center of the room, so minimizing the vertical clearance became a necessity.

[tom.boyd.125]

Doug,
Very impressive looking layout build !  Thanks for sharing your progress photos and story will follow along too ...
Tommy

[rpdylan]

What an amazing job on this! I am going to use these photos as reference for my plan of dropping the track below the bench for a turn around.  thank-you for posting!