Fun with Helpers...

[wm3798]

The helix will be semi open, so following along with a visual won't be difficult.  The helix will also be equipped with guard rails of one sort or another, and protected with a safety net as is all of my hidden track, so in the event of a derailment, nothing should make it all the way to the floor...  With a little common sense and a soft touch, it's not too hard to figure out...

[sirenwerks]

With a little common sense and a soft touch, it's not too hard to figure out...

That rules me out. Put Ed on it - with the pace of his yard ops I assume he just likes to go slow.

[up1950s]

Wouldn't a safer way be , before a upgrade train enters the spiral of certain doom , a helper is added to the front . Once the train is on the level at least safely far enough out of gravity's grip , the helper is cut out to a siding . The dizzy train passes and waves goodbye . Then the helper is sent down hill to the lower level siding where it awaits for another assignment . What would be needed is 2 sidings , and one uncoupling magnet on the upper level just before the upper siding . This would be safer than pushing a rope and it is like pushing , also prototypical .

[wm3798]

Richie, that would work with >20 cars.  Longer trains end up being pretty heavy by the time they're in the twist.  Having the helper at the rear pushing in the slack keeps the knuckles from busting.

[Bob Bufkin]

Lee

You have got to run an all steam helper.  Two 2-8-0's on the front and one shoving.  Of course you have to use period gons for this.

[wm3798]

I happen to have three WM Consolidations in the stable...  I'm holding out on experimenting with steam though... As Pud said, 'nerves of jello'

Lee

[pnolan48]

I don't have a helix, just a steady climb around broad (18" and 24" radius) curves at about 2.5%. I have no problem with head end power--put a good ABBA consist at the head and it will potentially pull 80+ cars up the grade. I've made it to 65 cars before (1) knuckles break, about 70% of the time, or (2) the hoppers stringline.

I never had much luck with mid-train helpers or pushers--I just don't have the skill, I guess. I'm on DCC and can get engines running at the same speed or at least close to it. I'd say I can get them "synched" to about an inch over 100 feet on grades. I just haven't figured out how to control front and back power.

[Ken G Price]

 What could possibly go wrong? ;D :

Actually this sounds like some thing I need to try. I don't have a helix but just a very long grade that averages 2.5%.
Two big SD units on the front and around 25 cars and maybe a GP38-2 or SD40-2 helper on the rear would look cool.

[mark dance]

Our pusher crews find that watching the coupler slack in the middle of the train is a good approach to keeping things from going on the ground.  

With the slack gone on the back half of the train but present in the front half, the front of the train is being pulled by the lead units and the back is being pushed by the pushers.

Works for us.

md

[pnolan48]

Mark,

I'll try that when I get my layout reassembled. But then, the grades may be lesser, as I'm moving into a bigger space.