With the advent of warmer weather I haven't been spending as much time working on the layout. However I have managed to finish the final two helices I needed which are stacked above the two helices I built earlier.

As construction of helix #3 continues, waiting for glue joints to dry gave me a chance to work on other aspects of the layout. So, with the main deck bench work and cork road bed complete, I decided to lay some of the mainline track and get some experience super-elevating curves. I've never done this before, but after a few trials, here's what I've come up with.

On my last layout post I showed the helices leading up to the main deck and some initial main deck frame work going in. I just completed the main deck and am now ready to start laying some track, so I thought I'd post a few more pictures for the benefit of those who have been interested in following the construction progress.

Having completed the staging deck on my new layout it was time to tackle the two lower helices that raise trains up to the main deck level. Here's a photo account, along with a few comments...

The base of the helix is made up of 5/8" plywood to provide a sturdy foundation for everything above. The board across the middle with old cork roadbed on it is a temporary brace to keep the L-girder bench work square and will be removed once the helix is completed.

As many of you know I've recently started construction on my new layout. Occasionally in the middle of construction though, ideas come to you that you didn't have before, necessitating a pause to consider whether you want to continue as planned, or go with the possible new revision. I find myself at such a point and am looking for the opinions of my fellow MRH to help me decide which way to go.

First the good news. Right now I'm in the process of building helices at both ends of the staging yard for my N&W Pokey District layout. (I'll update you on the helix construction in a later post.) Since building a helix takes some time to do, while waiting for glue joints to dry, I managed to get the staging yard on the new layout completely wired.

Time for a construction update on the new layout I'm building. Here are some pictures and thoughts along the way of what's gone on this past month. I'll post them in the initial entries to this blog. Hope you enjoy the tour! I look forward to reading your replies! 

Paul Krentz

Free-lancing a fictitious portion of the N&W Pocahontas "Pokey" District

As I'm waiting for my cordless drill battery to recharge, I thought it would be a great time to take a break, snap some pictures, and bring you up to date on what's new around here. 

I've recently begun dismantling my present layout and am at the same time designing a new layout plan I hope to begin construction on soon. Before doing that, one of the MRH readers (thanks Rob from Texas!) suggested that I try running some trains on my new track plan using the virtual train capabilities built into XtrackCad. What great advice that has turned out to be! You think all the bugs are ironed out in a plan, and then you start running trains on it and realize there are issues here and there you never thought about.

In one of my recent posts ( http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/18971 ) I shared a track plan I was working on for a new layout I'm hoping to build after I finish tearing my current layout down. Many readers gave helpful suggestions that made the track plan much better than I had originally designed. Since then I've made a few minor tweaks, but nothing real significant.