Upper Staging

I have stub end staging on my upper level and my lower level, the upper is at about 5 feet. I needed the space under the layout for storage. I don't see any reason why you could not put it on the top level as long as you can access it for maintenance and derailments.

It will just depend on your

It will just depend on your operating scheme and if you were going to try and place a turntable in one of your helix blobs. With the track going down and none above it between levels you can do that.

"staging on the upper

I'd look at it from the viewpoint of what I'm trying to model. Is the modeled portion of the layout below the staging on the prototype or free lanced scenario?  for instance if the modeled portion was from the flat land to the foothills and the line continued higher then staging above would seem most appropriate but if the modeled portion was the summit of the route and all trains went lower as they proceeded off the modeled portion then staging at the bottom would make more sense. Since the UP bigboys had a well defined territory it would be easy to create a layout scenario with staging at the top (or at the bottom if that was desired) by just choosing the matching prototype locations....DaveB 

Mirror

If you do put the staging on the top, consider mounting some mirrors positioned to help you get cars railed or uncoupled.

pqe

70 inches

My north end staging is at 70 inches. It has worked well. I have a 2 step stool for operators to see and a panel on the fascia to throw turnouts. I use the 0-5-0 to stage and it has been fine standing on the stool. There is a wall at the end of staging so trains cannot continue their trip.

Thanks

for your advice.

So I will go this way.

It will be a freelanced line (UP flavor), I would like a yard with engine facilities on the lower level, and a town with a few industries ont the second level.

I don't think I will be able to make it work without an helix, given the size of the room, as I don't see how a track could 10" higher than the yard (or town) could look realistic.

For the helix now, I an thinking two tracks, the inner one from lower to staging, the outer from lower to upper to staging.

How about one track clockwise and the other one counter-clockwise ? Am I asking for trouble ?

Again thank you for your input.

Gerard.

Widdershins?

There's no benefit in making the two helix tracks run counter to each other, but it would be much harder to build. If they go the same way, they can share a ramp. It might also be better to make the taller helix the inner one.

pqe

Yes widdershins...

As I want a double ended staging, it would enable both tracks on the lower and upper levels to be along the walls, otherwise I would have to make a "return loop" on one of them and my room is quite narrow.

Does it make  sense ?

Gerard.