Even with a little help from a friend, host Gerry Leone still struggles with benchwork construction. But after setting joists straight and level, he jumps right into raising the grade along the helix. Discover a few new track tips and tricks along the way.
Back on Track: Building benchwork and beginning stage of a helix, Episode 5
By Gerry Leone | May 6, 2021
One of the reasons you had to fiddle with those risers between the return loop and the first helix level is that your supports are all square on the top, but are connecting to the helix which has that 1.77 degree rise. The risers should have been bevel cut with that in mind or shimmed on the “uphill” side to adjust for the ever so slight grade difference in that 1.5 to 2″ width of the riser.
Thanks Gerry, I’m really enjoying the series.
Andrew — the helix entrance is indeed behind me, to the left of the screen. I’ll discuss it in a lot more detail in Episode 7. Good luck with your helix!
Great series. One thing I would like to have more detail on is – where does your entry loop attach into the helix? It’s kind of behind you somewhere but not clear as it covered by other benchwork.
Love the idea of the laser level to boxcar method – good thinking.
Funny, your layout heights are almost matching my two levels that are built, now I have to build in my helix – 17 inch climb.
It appears the first and most important thing is to get that first grade working…wish me luck!
I have been a little disappointed with the transition from MRV+ to Trains (mostly because of lack of information and the difficult navigation on Trains.com), but after having been through Gerry Leone´s 5 episodes I am again convinced that MR will perform as expected, also for a Norwegian model railroader making a H0 scale layout based on a Norwegian branch line in the late 50´s. Now, I am hoping for more Videos from “Olympia” and from the great modellers at the MR staff, and more (c: