Nolix

Stan,

A nolix usually is composed of flat sections and sections that are on a grade.  Towns and/or industries usually sit on flat areas (so cars parked on spurs/sidings) don't roll away.  In between where the track is on a grade, the benchwork is also on a grade.

You could, in theory build all the benchwork as a series of flat sections with track rising above a section until it's high enough to reach the next section. But, most double-deck designs try to minimize the thickness of the upper deck(s) to maximize the visibility/access to the deck beneath them.  Having a flat segement with the track gradually rising 4" to get to the next segment means you've just increased the deck thickness by 4" over what it could have been.

If you're trying for some 'non-flat' terrain, ie a track cut into a hillside or track on a tall fill, that sort of thing may be just what you're looking for. But remember if there's 8" below the track before you reach the benchwork then you the benchwork thickness there will likely be 12" instead of the 4" it could have been. If you have enough vertical separation to handle this then great!  (otherwise you might want to restrict this sort of benchwork to the lower deck).

Just keep in mind that with a double (or more) deck layout, what the track/terrain/benchwork does on one level can make problems on decks above or below (a 12" river canyon/ravine/valley on an upper deck will definitely impinge on the scenery of the deck below.

Cheers,

Charlie

Nolix

A friend ran his grade around the back of the lower layout up to the upper level. The track ostensibly climbed along the side of a mountain range. If I recall correctly, he did lessen the ruling grade in certain areas, or even have a flat section with a passing siding about half way up. I think his grade was less that 2%. If you needed more length, you could always loop the track back over iself to double the distance for the climb.

On my small layout I basically looped the track three times to get to my upper shelf and used a bridge to span the final little bit to blend the two layers together. About two thirds of these loops are hidden, but I didn't really have much choice. Even swithchbacks wouldn't have worked in the area I have to put my layout. My grade is 6%, but seeing as I only run geared locomotives and short trains up the grade and on the upper level, things aren't too bad.

Hope this helps.

Roy

Hey Stan, I'm in the process

Hey Stan,

I'm in the process of starting our 3 deck layout as well, original I also considered a "nolix" after a "helix" was considered to be not an option.  I have actually gone with graded branches, one from the staging deck to middle, and one from the middle to top.  The staging/middle deck graded branch runs at a constant 2.9% grade and terminates at a wye on the middle deck peninsula.  This allows me to simulate connections via an interchange with other RR's from the staging deck and allows for trains to be delivered to fictional off layout industries.

The middle to top deck graded branch runs around the outside of the middle deck at 2.5% and is actually going to be visible from the southern return loop to the north west side of the layout and then hidden behind a removable back drop where the centre support wall for the top deck starts.  Here is the link to our blog  model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/2628 and our trackplans if you want to see how I will be linking all three decks.

Good luck with your designs and ensure you take full advantage of the wealth of knowledge on these forums.

Cheers,

Jason...

You need access to rerail rolling stock.

Unless I'm misunderstanding what you are saying, if the lower bench is on a grade, and the upper one is more flat, you may run out of clearance for your hand to rerail if there is a problem.  If both benches are on a parrallel grade, you will need an excessive grade to get your nolix to get from lower level to the higher level.  I like the idea of "hiding" the lower level of the nolix on a hill in the back ground.  If a hill doesn't fit with the layout locale, I would use removeable back drops on front of the nolix.  To keep track of trains hidden behind the back drop, closed circuit surveillance systems with up to 4 cameras are priced reasonably.  That way you could monitor your train as it traverses the nolix withut actually seeing the train in the back ground of the lower level.  If you had more than one operator working the layout, whoever had a train in the nolix would monitor his train via video feed until it emerged at the other end of the nolix.  The removeable back drop doesn't even need to be completely removeable.  The back drop in front of the bottom part of the nolix could be mounted on a hinge at the top and swing up out of the way for access, and the upper end of the nolix would be hinged in the middle to swing down for access.

Thanks for all the replies gents! You've given me a lot of useful information to chew on, and I think I may have a solution.

If I go with the two "level" decks,  and start the climb to the upper deck from Ambleside on the lower deck (see attached PDF), I'll have about 60' of mountains to run from Ambleside, around the blob and through to Squamish. At a 3% grade, that'll be enough rise to get to the top of the upper deck 22" above. It's a bit steep, but the upper deck is all logging anyway and I'm sure those geared locomotives will have no problems gettin' to the city. The lower deck can run it's passenger trains at sea level at the base of the cliffs around the 36" radius turns, and the log trains can snake uphill through the mountains towards the forests on the upper deck. All trains accessible. I like it! Anybody have any other suggestions?

As soon as I've completed my track plan, I'll post it here for you guys to critique. I'm realizing that a few dozen pairs of eyes are better than one...  thanks again everybody. 

Stan 

Hmmm.... the attachment didn't take.  Anybody know what happened to the "attach" button?

Layout Room Attachment

I've attached a slightly revised drawing of my layout room lower deck (it now includes town names), it's titledlayout room 1-towns.pdf. It's located under the first post of this thread. Hope my last post makes a bit more sense now. 

Question: Is there anyway to attach that document to my reply rather than the first post? I must be missing something....


Stan

Stan, look to what Tony

Stan, look to what Tony koester did with the NKP.......His layout is a "nolix", too.

RAH