NTS & B Helix first attempt

May 2005 - Kathy had seen a helix on a HO layout a few years back, and made it a requirement that we had one on ours. I decided to build one and test it out, while waiting on the heat and air to be installed. The rest of the layout was designed with the helix included. This was the first attempt. It has 2 loops. An inner loop of 0-42 diameter track, and an outer layer of 0-54. I tried 8 inches between layers, which resulted in 6.1% grade on inner loop, and 4.7% grade on the outer loop. The Williams dual motor F3 is really struggling with the F3B unit and 5 cars. This grade was entirely too steep, so another attempt was required. Putting it together was like putting legs on a six foot diameter Slinky.

Overall dimensions app 6 ft in diameter by 32 inches tall

Pre NTS & B Layout drawing

This was one of the first attempts for a track plan for the NTS & B. The general shape of the layout is a J, with an isle down the middle, and all the away around except on the wall on the bottom of the diagram. The dual mainline was an over / under design, with 0-72 minimum on the outside track. Every track was connected to another track, so a train could travel to any track. Underneath was a storage yard. I dropped this design because the number of trains that could be run at one time, or easily switched in and out was limited, due to all of the interconnecting tracks. The track plan was drawn using Atlas Right Track Freeware, which is limited to only using Atlas track.

TS & B Design

My first attempt for the layout was a flat layout with dual main lines, then a couple of elevated tracks. I had planned a back drop down the middle so you could not see both sides at once. Kathy did not like it because it was too simple and boring. She wanted a helix, and places where trains disappeared. Time for plan B