PRR Northeastern Divison in N Scale

[CodyO]

Today progress on the pennsy continued,

The closet the final item staying in the way of the start of a grand helix was finally removed an destroyed and in its place a great railroad shall be built!

First the removing of most rolling stock to protect them during the construction



After the cases where sorted and packed away
we stared at the empty closet the only thing standing between us and a helix


we then found all the screws that had been hidden by using "Rapido Easy Peasy Lighting Wands" these screws where removed and the sheet rock cut off revealing the framing which was swiftly removed and had just been put up 18 years ago by my dad while remodeling





AND THEN THERE WAS NO MORE CLOSET!!


Sorry this wasn`t a sledgehammer and axe wall removing!

[chicken45]

Wooh! Looking sweet!

[CodyO]

The Helix was firmly installed along with the ply for the mainline to run around the helix on

Tracing it all out

All drawn out

First cut


Test fitting

Support brackets mounted to the side towers of the helix to hold up ply carrying the mains




All installed and screwed in




Also test fitted and began installing the new 1/2" ply for the mains


At about eye level across the yard


The Final Frontier


By next weekend march 15-17 we hope to have the mains plywood installed and benchwork for staging installed

[LKOrailroad]

Nice looking helix construction.

[CodyO]

Thanks LKO that's a good part of my dad being an ex furniture maker he carries that mentality onto the layout construction

[kelticsylk]

Only one word...WOW!

[Lemosteam]

Cody, I HOPE you detail a window somewhere on the outside of the helix where you can see your locos leaning in on that superelevated Kato track!  Nice elegant solution to the helix (said the fellow woodworking non-cabinet making hack).

[PRRATSF]

Cody, Awsome job on the layout. Have enjoyed the updates here on TRW, but always sensed there was more to your story. Caught a reference about your posts on NSN and went searching. Just spent 4 hours reading your layout thread there. The only thing I find more impressive than the amaizing photos, is that it's all been a family project. OUTSTANDING!!! One question though, how did you convince your Mom to give up her shoe closet?

Sam   

[chicken45]

Love the Unitrack helix!

[CodyO]

Thanks guys and yes we love the unitrack helix!!
It's just down to me and my dad now since my brother moved out to Arizona I sent him freight cars to weather though since he enjoyed that and asked for some!

Convincing my mom to give up the shoe closet was easy we cleaned out the extra bedroom for a work out room for my mom and let her get a puppy!
Oh and for all the amazing photos where taken by an iPhone4s

As for a window to view the helix an identical helix will be placed right on top of this helix to get to the upper level
Just need to drop another $205 on unitrack for the helix

And where actually moving the whole helix 6 inches towards the wall with the window we will have to recut pieces but will gain modeling space! It's funny how the layout didn't take the walls around the room to leave access for a closet that is now gone

[chicken45]

Just need to drop another $205 on unitrack for the helix

That's a lot of cizzash. I have that much invested for my entire HCD layout, but if I were going to do a helix, I can't say I wouldn't do the same. It's bulletproof!

[CodyO]

It ain't cheap but yes it is bulletproof unitrack and I don't think anyone can lay track as perfect as that unitrack will lay in there!

[CodyO]

Over the weekend both mainlines where restored to fully operational status

Feeders still have to be attached and track work double checked along with adding in a few switches where waiting on but its nice to just let the engines run and do laps and climb the grades all of it is soldered except the pieces we will remove to lay in switches for the upper helix










HELIX CONNECTED



PRR L1 110 passes over the Helix Diamond

 
PRR GG1 4929 Heads across the diamond towards the helix and staging



Bought a 36" Bi-fold door for use as the 18" staging deck

switches where laid out and it looks like there will be about 1100" of storage or about 92' worth plus reversing loop
we have the switches just waiting to get the track friday/payday from the LHS



also drilled a bunch of holes for feeders and dealt with a ringing ear for a bit , bought and installed a UR92 and am sending out the other throttle to be upgraded to duplex luckily sold the old UR91 for the cost of that!
Nice to be this close to being done and hope next weekend will lead to staging being done and just general train running!
also found that the fleet has grown to 382 Freight cars, 47 Passenger cars and 59 engines....plus some that aren`t in the database or just not running
 

[MichaelWinicki]

Terrific job Cody!

The new helix looks like it will add a lot to the operating potential of the pike.

Question about the color of the ballast though... Why not PRR gray instead of the brown?  I walked a lot of PRR lines (and some LV too) and the gray ballast was predominant.  Yeah yards and industrial tracks were brown– but more brown from dirt/soil than from brown ballast being used.

[CodyO]

The dual helix stack will add alot to operations!

It's meant to be a dirty section of ballast looking though books we saw some very bad sections of just dirty ballast

Flr the most part the rest of the lower level will be "cleaner" ballast with the dirty ballast just inbetween the rails