Sounds exactly like my On30 layout

How much space are you dealing with?

I have  a L shaped room that is 22' x 11' with a 5' x 11' pop out where the bottom of the L would be.

The track plan is a double deck down the center of the 22' x 11' and a grade around the room that connects the upper and lower deck.  22" of deck separation about a 2.5% grade.  Not a big deal for Narrow gage with short trains, don't think I would want to try and pull 30 cars.  

Don't have a track plan drawn up, I am making it up as I go.

John

search for "nolix"

The term you are looking for is "nolix".  Essentially the plan elevates the track from one level to another spreading the grade across the plan vs all in a helix.

One layout that I found that utilizes the "nolix" approach is:  http://www.shendiv.com/index.html

This was also discussed sometime back on here:  https://forum.mrhmag.com/post/nolix-benchwork-12186341

No Helix

This depends among others of how large your room is.

ModelRailroadPlanning editor Tony Koster has a large double decked layout which uses the room as a helix, that is the decks climb along the walls. You might find a plan over at ModelRailroaders site, but might need to be a subscriber. You can find some photos here.

Although I might use a one and half lap helix on my much smaller layout, I have long planned to not use a helix.

You can find some screenshots from 3rdPlanIt over at my blog here at MRH. This uses a climb along one wall and out and back on a penisula.

A track plan is here at a norweigan forum. The room is ca 666 cm at the longest end and 325 cm on the side.

The drawback of this plan is the tough climbs. From 3 % to 3,5 %, but I did go down to 2,5 % on the 24" radius curve in the en of the penisula. And that the distance between decks is pretty tight. 13 ".

My layout right now has actually a test of this climb. I find that two enginees has no problem  hauling 25 40' cars up the hill. The problem is as I have read about, is that some enginees buckle downhill. I do need to finetune them.

I am sure there are other solutions to your question.

Grades in a Nolex

Thank you all for your replies. I am a visual person and having a hard time envisioning the area where the transition from the first deck to the second takes place

I have read Tony's book several times and studied other Nolex layouts. I have it all pretty well down with the exception of this transition phase. Anyone have any pictures or drawings of how the actual tranistion looks like...???

The plan right now rises about 1" every 10' or about a 1% grade

Thanks in advance.

Grade

Its less than 1%, about .9 or .8%.

Understanding a nolix?

I was under the impression that a nolix was basically a steady (gradual) grade from the lowest level to the highest.  Towns, yards, etc. would be level or close to it to avoid literally having to set brakes on any set out cars.  Think of it as a giant helix around the room with the operators in the middle of the "helix".  It would consist of a single deck that was canted upward, so to speak.  Toward the end of the run, the height between levels would be large enough so there would be at least two decks - one over the other.

I do remember seeing some pix of a nolix where the grades were at the back (against the walls) of the benchwork on each level, so you had level foreground tracks with a track on a grade in the background.  That set-up seemed more contrived to me and I'm not sure how you would hide the background grade (if you even did hide it).  But to each, his own...

Double deck or Upper deck without a Helix

I have a nolix. My pike mimics the SP's Cascade route from Eugene to Klamath Falls, OR. The room is L-shaped, 22' on the short leg, 32' on the long leg, about 12' wide on both legs. There is a 20' stud wall down the middle of the long leg. Anywhere there is switching, such as at Oakridge, the grade flattens out. Otherwise, it's 1.5% - 2%.

Photo 1: The mainline begins it's climb toward Oakridge from the lower deck to the upper deck at the left rear of the photo.

Oakridge is to the left. The mainline is in the background, where it pierces the peninsula wall and the curves back as it enters Oakrige.

This is an overview, showing the upper deck and the "big curve leading into Oakridge on the left.

The mainline continues to climb as it makes it way around the opposite side of the peninsula, 1/8" to 3/16" of elevation per foot of track, until it is 57" over the entrance to the layout, which is also the summit. After that, the mainline runs flat around the perimeter of the room, along one side of the peninsula to the yard at Klamath Falls on the opposite side, which is the end of the line.

A great deal of credit for the design goes to the crew at the NMRA Layout Design/OPs SIG, who helped me get rid of a poorly designed helix in favor of the no-lix. I am very satisfied with the current design.

Mike Coen

John H. Armstrong made a nolex

He called it the Oregon Pass Lines. It's an L shaped 8' X 12'  3? level nolex Cookey cutter. I've built one and call it the teal and raspberry RR. Complete plans and track and materials list is posted in the "Atlas HO King-Size Layout Book". The book was reprinted in an 8x10 format with fold out pages. The layout was designed using sectional track.I hand laid the track and used atlas switches. I eliminated the Wye and used the area for a village.

John Armstrong Nolex

I believe in the Atlas book this was called "The Granite Gorge and Northern".

Jeff in Indiana