Hi Ron. Just heard your comment from ~16:06 about not being able to get the second helix to connect to the starting point just off your turnout. I see that you have the entire helix selected. I believe this is why it's not working. Try just having the first piece of flex track in your helix selected and try to connect to your turnout. I've built sections of track in AnyRail and tried to connect it to the rest of my track plan and run into similar issues. If you click on only the first piece of track that you want to connect to the rest of your track plan you'll notice that the rest of the "floating" section will follow when you drag the first piece and then you'll get the blue dots to indicate a connection is possible.
You can automatically connect the bottom of the inside helix pretty easily. If you click on the "Show" option on the main tool bar at the top (beside "Home"), and then go the far right, you can choose to just show the track from elevation 0 to elevation 1. That will hide most of the helix and only display the bottom loop. Then you can drag the end of the helix to the end of your existing track and get the blue circle to automatically connect them. Then just change the "Show" options back to 0 and 24 to see the whole thing. It is a great way to change your display and only work on one level at a time.
Hi Ron. Another suggestion for accurate rotation is to simply place the amount in the box above. 90 for 90 degrees. I found that much easier than manually rotating. Great video 🙂
Great video Ron. May I suggest that when you create curves with flex track you can specify the degrees in a - number. If you had put -90 for the turn instead of 90 it would have curved it counter clockwise for you from the get go.
Hey Ron, You basically did exactly what I did but I did a couple of minor things different. Before I setup the first helix, I had my 90Deg curve already connected to my existing track then I made a parallel track just inside my outer track and then proceeded to make the helix for both curves. Nice thing with this software, there is more than one way to skin the cat....lol. Thanks for sharing the object portion as well! - Jason
Greg Hale did an amazing design on his Clinchfield helix. He added a third track, so now his helix is a vertical staging yard. One track NB, one SB, and the middle track for trains that need to bypass the others.
@@stevenleon if you are on FB you can see it on the Clinchfield Modelers page. Greg has a YT channel, he just hasn’t uploaded any videos in a long time.
Hi, the reason it won't connect is you are not highlighting / touching the first / connecting rail, you did for the outer joint, but when you tried the inner one you were dragging the wrong section. Alternatively drag the straight to the iner helix and it will connect then drag it all back into postiotion. When you want to join any two peices you are dragging / touching one of the rails you want to connect but if you are dragging more than one peice you must be touching the one you want to link. Hope that helps, dave.
It's not auto connecting because you havent clicked on the piece of track to connect to the bottom spur. You're trying to get it to connect to a piece of track (the last piece of the bottom elevation) that is in reality 2 and a bit inched above the straight from your turn out.
Looks like interesting software. Because your outer helix loop is 22.5" and your inner helix loop is 21", you might try adding 1-1/2" of track to your inner track coming off your inner switch branch, that should make up the difference of the gap you have at that connection point. Take care.
Thanks Ron, I have the same problem wit them connecting to, but I may may have not had the whole helix highlighted, thanks again for the help....Jack 👍
You can automatically connect the bottom of the inside helix pretty easily. If you click on the "Show" option on the main tool bar at the top (beside "Home"), and then go the far right, you can choose to just show the track from elevation 0 to elevation 1. That will hide most of the helix and only display the bottom loop. Then you can drag the end of the helix to the end of your existing track and get the blue circle to automatically connect them. Then just change the "Show" options back to 0 and 24 to see the whole thing. It is a great way to change your display and only work on one level at a time.
To get you inner helix to connect, you have to grab at the 5 o'clock position. You have to be holding the active section for auto connect to work. Also , these are button on the rotate function, that you can increment rotational change.
I just bought AnyRail 6 on Thursday. I played around with the free version a week ago and I got frustrated that I could only use up to 50 pieces of track. But I also needed to upgrade to a better more up to date CAD program than what I had been using, 3rd Plan It I think? Made by Abracadata? I have 3 plans to design. See if I can help Vinny out with his 3rd level scenic run to Williams. Then I have 2, 1 in HO and 1 in N scale. I'll need to go back over your tutorials on AnyRail 6.
Hey Roy. Good to hear from you. I think.you'll be pleased with AnyRail as you get used to it. There are more sophisticated programs out there, but this does all I need and the price is reasonable. Indon't need to pay $300 for features I'll never use.
Good tutorial. I found it particularly interesting that the helix top departure tracks were not really tangent to the helix itself. I'm expecting that you did not have "snap-to-grid" or equivalent name turned on. Could you have built and connected a 90 degree curve to each of the helix entry tracks and then built the helices from those curve segments ensuring everything was attached? As you said a minor point but one that should not have happened. Keep up the good and informative videos, they are appreciated regardless of my modelling in Ho.
@@RonsTrainsNThings As I look at the screen they didn't look tangent to me, but rather have an angular misalignments (kink) where they join the helix. Maybe it is just that they are not parallel to the helix approach tracks that is throwing me off. It certainly would be odd if the connection wasn't automatically made tangent by the program..
Very helpful! Thank you. Please keep the Anyrail tutorials coming! Several questions. I am planning to design/build a double-track helix in N-scale with a 22.5 radius for the outer loop, just like this tutorial. I may be able to go to a 24-inch radius (still working out dimensions in the train room). If I construct the radius using sandwiches comprised of two layers of 1/4-inch plywood, creating a half-inch thick deck, cutting the plywood into trapezoids, glued and screwed with offsets to create what might resemble a pinwheel if you look at it from the top down -- what spacing outside the outer loop do I need? Does this replicate the 1.5 inch spacing between the centers of the two tracks? Do I need a similar spacing on the inside of the inner loop? Which would compute to 1.5 outer spacing plus 2.5 inches for the double-tracks plus 1.5 inches for the inner spacing? That would total to 5.5-inch-wide strips cut from the plywood -- or do I need something wider? Next ... is there a way to use Anyrail to display this plywood base -- or some other software tool or calculator that would compute the cuts to the plywood, and the heights of the initial spacers that trigger the angle of the rise at the base layer of the helix, before you get to the point you can insert 3-inch spacers between each layer of the wedding-cake helix? Next question comes out of left field -- has anyone built a four-track helix, and, if so, is there a web site that shows how this is designed and built?
Hi Steven. First, I have seen helices build as you describe, but I'm no expert at it, What I do know is that building the helix from straight pieces as you describe will require extra width to account for the curved track traveling across a straight piece. There are videos on CZcams about such construction. Search for octagonal helix or octogon helix. Second, AnyRail can be set to automatically include the roadbed for track. There is probably a way to draw the helix subroadbed, but I've never looked for it because I never found it personally necessary. I am sure that I have seen a four track helix--it would have to be huge--but I cannot tell you exactly where. Google it or do a CZcams search.
Thanks Ron for such a helpful tutorial. May I suggest a visit to the ‘Nock’ web site. More well known for scenic materials in the UK, this German firm have included details of how to construct an octagonal sub base for a double helix on their web site. In essence you make the sandwich you describe, to build each segment, at a width of 172mm (for 00/H0). The sandwiched segments are each offset by 176mm to create a surface for connecting the next adjacent segment at a angle of 60degrees. When constructed the sharp corners of the outer sub base can be trimmed to form a smoother edge. The Nock site includes a worked example using Marklin R2 and R3 curves and illustrates a spread sheet for calculation. I could not find out how to down load this as yet. However as all the text is all in German little educated guess work completed my translation and it worked! With the help of this video I drew it up in Anyrail 6. Just now need to build it! Happy modelling. T 🚂
@@tonyhill6296 Here's the link to Noch's helix kits. www.noch.com/en/product-categories/terrain-structuring/helix.html Tony -- can you point us at the construction inspections you reference?
As other have hinted at, when you joined your lower start point of the helix to your existing track, the whole helix realigned to the existing track; as the existing track wasn't pointing in a 90 degree direction, the whole helix become skewed, only by a fraction of a degree but enough such that when the inner helix was added, the two helices weren't aligned. Better to have positioned the outer helix without the linking original track and then to have joined the bottom of the helix to the turnout. Also, it is almost impossible to accurately align the 2 helices using the method you used. You would have been better, at the point where you created and correctly rotated the original piece of 90 degree track, to right click the piece and select 'Add parallel flex'. Adding the start of the second helix at this point at the required distance inside the first, would have created a perfectly aligned pair of tracks. At this point each track can be turned into a helix in turn, but will guarantee that the two helices remain with the same circular origin.
When you tried to connect your second helix you need to click on the piece of track green hi lighted you are going to connect. You should have clicked on the piece of track on the right of the bottom connection. Exactly the same way as if it was a multiple pieces of flat track.
Thank you. I'm planning a layout with a polar express type mountain on two levels (table and wall shelf) . I think a basic helix is what I want, but something more conical with a larger radius at the bottom level and smaller radius on the second or top level. It’s only in the design stages because I have to decide at what heights to put the shelve, then how to design my mountain so my train can make it to the second shelf. I believe your software will help me accomplish this. Am I correct? So basically on table : balloon on left, track to base of mountain, “helix” mountain on right. Shelf: top of helix mountain on right, track from helix mountain to balloon, balloon on left.
I'm beginning the design of a small double layer n scale layout to be located within limited space. I watching you tutorial about designing a helix with Anyrail6, a tried what you suggested and found that virtually none of the commands you showed appear in the version of Anyrail6 I have. I'm wondering if the version you're using is an earlier version of Anyrail6 than what I have installed on my computer. I'm currently using version 12.07.003.4049 (64 bit) which is supposedly the most recent version. If the version you used in your tutorial is earlier than what I have, I suspect others may have encountered the same problem. Would it be possible to do an updated tutorial on designing a helix. I really enjoyed what you came up with since it closely resembles what I have in mind for a 15 to 18 inch raise but using smaller 12 inch radii.
Nice tutorial Ron! Now to figure out the way to have the different levels of my layout on the same AnyRail file (have my top level on one file and my bottom level on another). Also, what did you use to figure out your numbers for the helix?
I use layers to seperate each level and I also use seperate layers for scenery, fiddle yards, clockwise and anticlockwise lines. If you follow Ron's instructions to create the helix the pop-up box allows you to pick the rise and the number of rotations it then automatically calculates the slope %, so you can tweak the rotations to get the slope to 2% and it will also tell you the rise of each rotation. Dave
Well, math. I knew I needed to travel 24" vertically. I knew I wanted not more that a 2% grade on the main (outer) track, I knew I wanted to cut turns out of a single piece of plywood, thus max outer diameter of subrodbed was 48". Allowing room outside the outer track, that made my outer radius 22.5" (45" diameter, allowing 1.5" from track center to the outer edge of the subroadbed). Circumfrence of the outer track for each turn is (pi x d) 3.14159 x 45" = 141.4" of track per turn. At a 2% grade this gave me a total rise/turn of 2.8". Taking my total rise of 24" and dividing by my rise/turn of 2.8" tells me I need 8.5 turns to get the total rise needed.
I thought from your opening picture, why are you playing with a Slinky. Does that software tell you the height between each coil to know your rail cars plus the thickness of any plywood will work out? How do you figure out the helix support height per run of track?
Yes, if you watch that portion of the video again you will see that all of this information is calculated as you enter the parameters of the helix. Thus you and tweek it until you get the height you need before finalizing the design.
Ron, just curious about your modeling the Saginaw area. Did you use to live out here? I'm in Haslet, about a mile away from the BNSF intermodal facility.
Hi Brian. Yes, I lived in the Fort Worth area for 6 years. The last 3 years I was there I lived in Watauga and drove through Saginaw every day. The whole time I though the area just begged to be modeled. That was nearly 20 years ago.
Bluntly Ron, more informative would be how to calculate the circumference needed to accomplish the required rise (including the thickness of roadbed and support) using an acceptable grade. That would benefit all modelers building a helix, not just those using AnyRail who want a 3d view. The key is really that first lap that needs to adequately clear the level below.
Well bluntly, that's not Anyrail's purpose. You tell Anyrail the radius, angle of the curve and how many rising levels and it draws the plan for you. To determine the circumference of any circle, multiply the required diameter by Pi.
Well, this was an AnyRail tutorial, so what you state is not within the toic of this video. That said, here is the answer to your statement. I knew I needed to travel 24" vertically. I knew I wanted not more that a 2% grade on the main (outer) track, I knew I wanted to cut turns our of a single piece of plywood, thus max outer diameter of subrodbed was 48". Allowing room outside the outer track, that made my outer radius 22.5" (45" diameter, allowing 1.5" from track center to the outer edge of the subroadbed). Circumfrence of the outer track for each turn is (pi x d) 3.14159 x 45" = 141.4" of track per turn. At a 2% grade this gave me a total rise/turn of 2.8". Taking my total rise of 24" and dividing by my rise/turn of 2.8" tells me I need 8.5 turns to get the total rise needed.
You can automatically connect the bottom of the inside helix pretty easily. If you click on the "Show" option on the main tool bar at the top (beside "Home"), and then go the far right, you can choose to just show the track from elevation 0 to elevation 1. That will hide most of the helix and only display the bottom loop. Then you can drag the end of the helix to the end of your existing track and get the blue circle to automatically connect them. Then just change the "Show" options back to 0 and 24 to see the whole thing. It is a great way to change your display and only work on one level at a time.
@@RonsTrainsNThings what is prototypical radius for modern day railroads converted to n scale ? I’m trying to be as authentic as possible with my layout.
Hi Ron, I watched ur video and have been working with AnyRail for a couple of months. I have a layout I'm designing and it has a helix for a 2 decks. I have 3 drawings 1 shows the hidden reverse loop with a turnout designed to head into the helix going to the 2nd deck. Can I combine all 3 drawings into 1 drawing. Please let me know. Thanks Bob
Hi Robert, I found the following worked for me - 1 Create new layers in the file plan you want to act as ‘Master’ for the combined drawing. 2 Name a new Layer ready to accept say ‘hidden reverse loop’ for example. 3. Save this master drawing file and close it. 4 Open the file plan you want to copy from and select the track to be copied to the master plan Left click and select ‘copy’. Save the close this file. 5.Reopen the master plan file. Select the destination layer and then right click and choose ‘past’. Your copied material will now be in the master plan on its own layer. One key point - Make sure both the target and destination files are set to the same scale (eg 1:20) before copying and pasting. Hope you can follow my description. Happy Modelling, T🚂
When you said "double helix," I thought you were wanting to replicate a model of DNA using track. Interesting way of doing a double-track helix, though.
Ron, you lose me in all the talk and not actually doing what you said you would get "right to"...less monologue and more direction to the actual thing you wish to illustrate,
Are you new to AnyRail? Learn all the basic functions of designing your track plan in this video: czcams.com/video/iltu3OWqTzA/video.html
Hi Ron. Just heard your comment from ~16:06 about not being able to get the second helix to connect to the starting point just off your turnout. I see that you have the entire helix selected. I believe this is why it's not working. Try just having the first piece of flex track in your helix selected and try to connect to your turnout. I've built sections of track in AnyRail and tried to connect it to the rest of my track plan and run into similar issues. If you click on only the first piece of track that you want to connect to the rest of your track plan you'll notice that the rest of the "floating" section will follow when you drag the first piece and then you'll get the blue dots to indicate a connection is possible.
Ron, you have solved my problems trying to create a Helix in AnyRail! Much appreciated, great job!!
You can automatically connect the bottom of the inside helix pretty easily. If you click on the "Show" option on the main tool bar at the top (beside "Home"), and then go the far right, you can choose to just show the track from elevation 0 to elevation 1. That will hide most of the helix and only display the bottom loop. Then you can drag the end of the helix to the end of your existing track and get the blue circle to automatically connect them. Then just change the "Show" options back to 0 and 24 to see the whole thing. It is a great way to change your display and only work on one level at a time.
Hi Ron. Another suggestion for accurate rotation is to simply place the amount in the box above. 90 for 90 degrees. I found that much easier than manually rotating. Great video 🙂
Useful tutorial. Thanks for the tip on User Objects library and downloading new items
Nice Job Ron !!!
Great video Ron. May I suggest that when you create curves with flex track you can specify the degrees in a - number. If you had put -90 for the turn instead of 90 it would have curved it counter clockwise for you from the get go.
Hey Ron, You basically did exactly what I did but I did a couple of minor things different. Before I setup the first helix, I had my 90Deg curve already connected to my existing track then I made a parallel track just inside my outer track and then proceeded to make the helix for both curves. Nice thing with this software, there is more than one way to skin the cat....lol. Thanks for sharing the object portion as well! - Jason
Thanks for posting this. Going be building a helix soon in HO. Planning to try an oval helix in a 4x6 foot hidden area.
Yah Jeff I too am planning to build 1 in HO (Dbbl trk)
Thinking of using all thread
Greg Hale did an amazing design on his Clinchfield helix. He added a third track, so now his helix is a vertical staging yard. One track NB, one SB, and the middle track for trains that need to bypass the others.
can we get a link to see this?
@@stevenleon if you are on FB you can see it on the Clinchfield Modelers page. Greg has a YT channel, he just hasn’t uploaded any videos in a long time.
Very nice, informative video Ron. Thank you so very much for sharing your knowledge !
Excellent video Ron! I plan on a double helix as well for my N scale layout. Thanks for sharing.
Awesome man. Glad to see you sharing this experience and knowledge!
thank you for detail video as great watching
from Australia
Hi, the reason it won't connect is you are not highlighting / touching the first / connecting rail, you did for the outer joint, but when you tried the inner one you were dragging the wrong section. Alternatively drag the straight to the iner helix and it will connect then drag it all back into postiotion. When you want to join any two peices you are dragging / touching one of the rails you want to connect but if you are dragging more than one peice you must be touching the one you want to link. Hope that helps, dave.
Great tool for any scale.
Thank you Ron. Time to redo my single and double helix.
It's not auto connecting because you havent clicked on the piece of track to connect to the bottom spur. You're trying to get it to connect to a piece of track (the last piece of the bottom elevation) that is in reality 2 and a bit inched above the straight from your turn out.
Looks like interesting software. Because your outer helix loop is 22.5" and your inner helix loop is 21", you might try adding 1-1/2" of track to your inner track coming off your inner switch branch, that should make up the difference of the gap you have at that connection point. Take care.
Thanks Ron, I have the same problem wit them connecting to, but I may may have not had the whole helix highlighted, thanks again for the help....Jack 👍
You can automatically connect the bottom of the inside helix pretty easily. If you click on the "Show" option on the main tool bar at the top (beside "Home"), and then go the far right, you can choose to just show the track from elevation 0 to elevation 1. That will hide most of the helix and only display the bottom loop. Then you can drag the end of the helix to the end of your existing track and get the blue circle to automatically connect them. Then just change the "Show" options back to 0 and 24 to see the whole thing. It is a great way to change your display and only work on one level at a time.
Grab the track you like to conect to the start point - the bottom entry piece..that way it will conect
To get you inner helix to connect, you have to grab at the 5 o'clock position. You have to be holding the active section for auto connect to work.
Also , these are button on the rotate function, that you can increment rotational change.
I just bought AnyRail 6 on Thursday. I played around with the free version a week ago and I got frustrated that I could only use up to 50 pieces of track. But I also needed to upgrade to a better more up to date CAD program than what I had been using, 3rd Plan It I think? Made by Abracadata? I have 3 plans to design. See if I can help Vinny out with his 3rd level scenic run to Williams. Then I have 2, 1 in HO and 1 in N scale. I'll need to go back over your tutorials on AnyRail 6.
Hey Roy. Good to hear from you. I think.you'll be pleased with AnyRail as you get used to it. There are more sophisticated programs out there, but this does all I need and the price is reasonable. Indon't need to pay $300 for features I'll never use.
Good tutorial. I found it particularly interesting that the helix top departure tracks were not really tangent to the helix itself. I'm expecting that you did not have "snap-to-grid" or equivalent name turned on. Could you have built and connected a 90 degree curve to each of the helix entry tracks and then built the helices from those curve segments ensuring everything was attached? As you said a minor point but one that should not have happened. Keep up the good and informative videos, they are appreciated regardless of my modelling in Ho.
I do not understand why you say thet are not tangent to the curves. They are tanget to the curves at the conection point.
@@RonsTrainsNThings As I look at the screen they didn't look tangent to me, but rather have an angular misalignments (kink) where they join the helix. Maybe it is just that they are not parallel to the helix approach tracks that is throwing me off. It certainly would be odd if the connection wasn't automatically made tangent by the program..
Ron, if you are planning to more of these tutorials how about including transition curves in one of them?
Very helpful! Thank you. Please keep the Anyrail tutorials coming!
Several questions. I am planning to design/build a double-track helix in N-scale with a 22.5 radius for the outer loop, just like this tutorial. I may be able to go to a 24-inch radius (still working out dimensions in the train room). If I construct the radius using sandwiches comprised of two layers of 1/4-inch plywood, creating a half-inch thick deck, cutting the plywood into trapezoids, glued and screwed with offsets to create what might resemble a pinwheel if you look at it from the top down -- what spacing outside the outer loop do I need? Does this replicate the 1.5 inch spacing between the centers of the two tracks? Do I need a similar spacing on the inside of the inner loop? Which would compute to 1.5 outer spacing plus 2.5 inches for the double-tracks plus 1.5 inches for the inner spacing? That would total to 5.5-inch-wide strips cut from the plywood -- or do I need something wider? Next ... is there a way to use Anyrail to display this plywood base -- or some other software tool or calculator that would compute the cuts to the plywood, and the heights of the initial spacers that trigger the angle of the rise at the base layer of the helix, before you get to the point you can insert 3-inch spacers between each layer of the wedding-cake helix? Next question comes out of left field -- has anyone built a four-track helix, and, if so, is there a web site that shows how this is designed and built?
Hi Steven. First, I have seen helices build as you describe, but I'm no expert at it, What I do know is that building the helix from straight pieces as you describe will require extra width to account for the curved track traveling across a straight piece. There are videos on CZcams about such construction. Search for octagonal helix or octogon helix. Second, AnyRail can be set to automatically include the roadbed for track. There is probably a way to draw the helix subroadbed, but I've never looked for it because I never found it personally necessary. I am sure that I have seen a four track helix--it would have to be huge--but I cannot tell you exactly where. Google it or do a CZcams search.
Thanks Ron for such a helpful tutorial. May I suggest a visit to the ‘Nock’ web site. More well known for scenic materials in the UK, this German firm have included details of how to construct an octagonal sub base for a double helix on their web site. In essence you make the sandwich you describe, to build each segment, at a width of 172mm (for 00/H0). The sandwiched segments are each offset by 176mm to create a surface for connecting the next adjacent segment at a angle of 60degrees. When constructed the sharp corners of the outer sub base can be trimmed to form a smoother edge.
The Nock site includes a worked example using Marklin R2 and R3 curves and illustrates a spread sheet for calculation. I could not find out how to down load this as yet. However as all the text is all in German little educated guess work completed my translation and it worked! With the help of this video I drew it up in Anyrail 6. Just now need to build it!
Happy modelling. T 🚂
@@tonyhill6296 Here's the link to Noch's helix kits. www.noch.com/en/product-categories/terrain-structuring/helix.html
Tony -- can you point us at the construction inspections you reference?
Never knew that feature was in Anyrail6
As other have hinted at, when you joined your lower start point of the helix to your existing track, the whole helix realigned to the existing track; as the existing track wasn't pointing in a 90 degree direction, the whole helix become skewed, only by a fraction of a degree but enough such that when the inner helix was added, the two helices weren't aligned. Better to have positioned the outer helix without the linking original track and then to have joined the bottom of the helix to the turnout.
Also, it is almost impossible to accurately align the 2 helices using the method you used. You would have been better, at the point where you created and correctly rotated the original piece of 90 degree track, to right click the piece and select 'Add parallel flex'. Adding the start of the second helix at this point at the required distance inside the first, would have created a perfectly aligned pair of tracks. At this point each track can be turned into a helix in turn, but will guarantee that the two helices remain with the same circular origin.
When you tried to connect your second helix you need to click on the piece of track green hi lighted you are going to connect. You should have clicked on the piece of track on the right of the bottom connection. Exactly the same way as if it was a multiple pieces of flat track.
Thank you. I'm planning a layout with a polar express type mountain on two levels (table and wall shelf) . I think a basic helix is what I want, but something more conical with a larger radius at the bottom level and smaller radius on the second or top level. It’s only in the design stages because I have to decide at what heights to put the shelve, then how to design my mountain so my train can make it to the second shelf. I believe your software will help me accomplish this. Am I correct? So basically on table : balloon on left, track to base of mountain, “helix” mountain on right. Shelf: top of helix mountain on right, track from helix mountain to balloon, balloon on left.
I'm beginning the design of a small double layer n scale layout to be located within limited space. I watching you tutorial about designing a helix with Anyrail6, a tried what you suggested and found that virtually none of the commands you showed appear in the version of Anyrail6 I have. I'm wondering if the version you're using is an earlier version of Anyrail6 than what I have installed on my computer. I'm currently using version 12.07.003.4049 (64 bit) which is supposedly the most recent version. If the version you used in your tutorial is earlier than what I have, I suspect others may have encountered the same problem. Would it be possible to do an updated tutorial on designing a helix. I really enjoyed what you came up with since it closely resembles what I have in mind for a 15 to 18 inch raise but using smaller 12 inch radii.
Nice tutorial Ron! Now to figure out the way to have the different levels of my layout on the same AnyRail file (have my top level on one file and my bottom level on another).
Also, what did you use to figure out your numbers for the helix?
I use layers to seperate each level and I also use seperate layers for scenery, fiddle yards, clockwise and anticlockwise lines. If you follow Ron's instructions to create the helix the pop-up box allows you to pick the rise and the number of rotations it then automatically calculates the slope %, so you can tweak the rotations to get the slope to 2% and it will also tell you the rise of each rotation. Dave
Well, math. I knew I needed to travel 24" vertically. I knew I wanted not more that a 2% grade on the main (outer) track, I knew I wanted to cut turns out of a single piece of plywood, thus max outer diameter of subrodbed was 48". Allowing room outside the outer track, that made my outer radius 22.5" (45" diameter, allowing 1.5" from track center to the outer edge of the subroadbed). Circumfrence of the outer track for each turn is (pi x d) 3.14159 x 45" = 141.4" of track per turn. At a 2% grade this gave me a total rise/turn of 2.8". Taking my total rise of 24" and dividing by my rise/turn of 2.8" tells me I need 8.5 turns to get the total rise needed.
I thought from your opening picture, why are you playing with a Slinky. Does that software tell you the height between each coil to know your rail cars plus the thickness of any plywood will work out? How do you figure out the helix support height per run of track?
Yes, if you watch that portion of the video again you will see that all of this information is calculated as you enter the parameters of the helix. Thus you and tweek it until you get the height you need before finalizing the design.
nice video
Ron, just curious about your modeling the Saginaw area. Did you use to live out here? I'm in Haslet, about a mile away from the BNSF intermodal facility.
Hi Brian. Yes, I lived in the Fort Worth area for 6 years. The last 3 years I was there I lived in Watauga and drove through Saginaw every day. The whole time I though the area just begged to be modeled. That was nearly 20 years ago.
@@RonsTrainsNThings There have been a few changes, but I'd say the Saginaw area is still pretty much the same as you left it.
Bluntly Ron, more informative would be how to calculate the circumference needed to accomplish the required rise (including the thickness of roadbed and support) using an acceptable grade.
That would benefit all modelers building a helix, not just those using AnyRail who want a 3d view. The key is really that first lap that needs to adequately clear the level below.
Well bluntly, that's not Anyrail's purpose. You tell Anyrail the radius, angle of the curve and how many rising levels and it draws the plan for you. To determine the circumference of any circle, multiply the required diameter by Pi.
Well, this was an AnyRail tutorial, so what you state is not within the toic of this video. That said, here is the answer to your statement. I knew I needed to travel 24" vertically. I knew I wanted not more that a 2% grade on the main (outer) track, I knew I wanted to cut turns our of a single piece of plywood, thus max outer diameter of subrodbed was 48". Allowing room outside the outer track, that made my outer radius 22.5" (45" diameter, allowing 1.5" from track center to the outer edge of the subroadbed). Circumfrence of the outer track for each turn is (pi x d) 3.14159 x 45" = 141.4" of track per turn. At a 2% grade this gave me a total rise/turn of 2.8". Taking my total rise of 24" and dividing by my rise/turn of 2.8" tells me I need 8.5 turns to get the total rise needed.
@@RonsTrainsNThings There you go.
Hi all. Can you view buildings in 3D on anyrail
You need to grab the curve that will connect to the turnout to get it to connect
As a though you may have to connect the inside helix first then do the outside helix. Not sure if you have tried this yet.
You can automatically connect the bottom of the inside helix pretty easily. If you click on the "Show" option on the main tool bar at the top (beside "Home"), and then go the far right, you can choose to just show the track from elevation 0 to elevation 1. That will hide most of the helix and only display the bottom loop. Then you can drag the end of the helix to the end of your existing track and get the blue circle to automatically connect them. Then just change the "Show" options back to 0 and 24 to see the whole thing. It is a great way to change your display and only work on one level at a time.
For those of us who don't have enough room for a 22.5" radius helix, what is the minimum radius on your mainline?
My mainline radius is 18".
@@RonsTrainsNThings what is prototypical radius for modern day railroads converted to n scale ? I’m trying to be as authentic as possible with my layout.
@@RonsTrainsNThings Why not stick to mainline radius in the helix?
@@steamfan007 ... because of the excessively high grade that would have resulted
@@goongarage7914 I looked this up before: it’s something like 20 feet radii in N scale for mainline runs.
Hi Ron, I watched ur video and have been working with AnyRail for a couple of months. I have a layout I'm designing and it has a helix for a 2 decks. I have 3 drawings 1 shows the hidden reverse loop with a turnout designed to head into the helix going to the 2nd deck. Can I combine all 3 drawings into 1 drawing. Please let me know. Thanks Bob
Hi Robert, I found the following worked for me -
1 Create new layers in the file plan you want to act as ‘Master’ for the combined drawing.
2 Name a new Layer ready to accept say ‘hidden reverse loop’ for example.
3. Save this master drawing file and close it.
4 Open the file plan you want to copy from and select the track to be copied to the master plan Left click and select ‘copy’. Save the close this file.
5.Reopen the master plan file. Select the destination layer and then right click and choose ‘past’. Your copied material will now be in the master plan on its own layer.
One key point - Make sure both the target and destination files are set to the same scale (eg 1:20) before copying and pasting.
Hope you can follow my description. Happy Modelling, T🚂
When you said "double helix," I thought you were wanting to replicate a model of DNA using track. Interesting way of doing a double-track helix, though.
Yes, I kept saying that throughtout when I means double track helix.
It dose not connect because your inner circle is 1” smaller so there is going to be a 1”approx. gap in the drawing.
The question is still open: Why would I want a helix?
To connect multiple decks of a layout.
Asuming that I AM a millionaire, why would I want a helix anyway?
If you don't want a helix why did you watch a video all about designing a helix ?
@@Dave_at_Its_My_Model_Railway I didn't.
Ron, you lose me in all the talk and not actually doing what you said you would get "right to"...less monologue and more direction to the actual thing you wish to illustrate,