For those who have been following the blog, you’ll know that the layout is in two parts and most focus at the moment has been on the Waukesha Sub however thats just because I am focussing on completeing my scenery AP and I was waiting to order a helix from https://www.gleiswendelshop.de/ .

This post will just cover how I constructed my helix which is number 2 on the layout and there will be 4 in total. If you want the short story on this and prefer videos I suggest looking at this video by my friend Peter Borcherds building exactly the same helix.

For my helix i went for a 3.5 turn helix and each turn climbs 7cm (2.75″) which is steep it is a climb of 3.1% but this part of the layout has short trains with 4 axle units that should handle this no problem.

So how to get it done. well in the box you get threaded bar a ton of nuts & washers and the cut half circles of cut ply for the Helix. With any helix the most important part is the first level becase once you have that level nailed its just the same seperation between each deck.

So the measurements for mine were rod 2 (2.25cm), rod 3/4 (3.4cm), rod 5 (5.75cm and the back to rod 1 (7cm). All these measurements are from the the end of the rod except the second set of nuts on rod 1 which is from the top of the helix deck. You measure to the underside of the helix deck.

ok and to save time use a dremel with a brush bit to move the nuts down the rod and tighten them with a spanner.

and then we get another deck on

An awesome little project, i would always suggest grabbing a kit for a helix unless you have the skills, time and the tools to be as precise as the CNC machine that made this kit.

A lovely project for a sunday morning, this is just sitting on the benchwork it’ll be fitted in its final resting place when the next deck goes on. I always plan my helices so that the base is wider than the connection to the upper deck.

Well this will be it on the WSOR until the Ackerville scenery is completed. I don’t know what is coming tomorrow yet but stick with me I have lots of projects to do with materials on hand so we should be ok for a few more weeks.