Here’s how you figure out the width of the benchwork required for a 36″ curve. A couple curve templates and some Ikea shelves and you have the track plan laid out on the floor!

Got a package today from Tony’s Train Exchange. I ordered a DCC Specialties PSX4, Tortoise Buddy Seniors, and a couple RR Ramp meters.

The PSX4 contains 4 circuit breakers on one board. I’ll need a total of 7 power districts on the layout, so in the future I’ll order one of their PSX2’s as well as a PSXAR (auto reverser)

The tortoise buddies are for controlling the switch machines, and the RR Ramp meters measure Volts and Amps on each power district. I plan on mounting the meters on the helix frame to provide short detection

And my good flunk- er I mean friend Dave came over the other night and we threw up some hardboard:

This is a full 4X8 foot sheet of 1/8″ hardboard in the corner, really doesn’t look that big!

And we started on the lower level bench work. You are looking at the site of the yard lead for Chetwynd

And the helix is still growing. A few more loops and it will be finished!

Today I finished framing part of the upper deck, as well as installing some 1/8″ Masonite back drops. The upper deck section shown in the photo will become the siding at Hulcross. I need a siding at this portion of the upper deck since it will take some time for trains to climb the helix, which creates the need for the siding on the upper level.

I did some more helix trsting today with a “heavy” freight of 25 cars plus a caboose. The 3 units on the head end pulled the train ok, however the locomotives were much happier with a 2 unit set of helpers cut in 16 cars from the head end! Everything went smooth, and nothing ended up on the floor, which is good.

Photo shows the freight near the current “end of track” with the helper set visable in the distance

And the head end with the tail end almost directly below the power. I ran the freight backwards down the helix several times, thinking that if everything could be pushed down the hill without ending up on the floor then going up hill should be easy!

Work is progressing on the helix. I got impatient, went to the hobby shop and cleaned them out of Peco Code 83 flextrack, which only amounted to 19 3 foot long pieces. In the past I had used Atlas Code 83, however Atlas has some serious problems with their Chinese factories and has been unable to provide the hooby market with enough track. I didn’t think much of the whole situation until I needed track. The unavailability of Code 83 track husrts many hobbyists. I had planned on using 100% Rapido Bendy track for the layout, but I didn’t want to sit around waiting for track. Mike at Rapido assures me the track will hit Canadian soil this week, so I should see some track in a couple weeks.

I think I’ll start ordering a case of track a month until I’m finished with track work, just to make sure I have enough!

Now, onto the test train. Pictured here is a 6 car Pinesul Local. This local will run out of Chetwuynd on the lower level, up the helix to Pinesul, the site of a sulphur loadout. The local will swap empties for loads, then return to Chetwynd. The local may also make a run farther :South”  to Tacheeda to lift any bad order/off spot/ MOW cars as needed. Since I had the cars on my work bench, I decided to test them up the 2 loops of the helix that I’ve built so far.

Test was successful, and the 2 RS-18’s ran well together considering the 615 is an Atlas model with a Tsunami decoder and the 611 is an Overland import with no decoder in it (yest). As you can see I’ve got some weathering to do on the 615 and the sulphur cars…….

I framed up and installed a couple sections of the upper deck today. The sections are a foot deep and roughly 7 1/2 feet and 5 feet respectively. I ran out of shelf brackets so that’s all I got done for today.

I also did some planning for the siding that will go on the upper deck at the location of the photo, as well as some planning around the Pinseul area.

I spent a good portion of the day cutting out the 36″ curves for the helix. Here they are sitting roughly in place:

And in the background, the lighting for the upper deck is in service!

I did have the first construction/planning snag, that being the upper level exit from the helix. I have to fit a reverse curve into the upper deck, which means increasing the height of the upper deck at the helix exit to avoid a duck under. Its hard to explain, but when I get the bench work built it should be easier to understand.

And since I’m starting to work on the helix, I need to send a message to someone:

Hey Shron! Where’s my bendy track????