2019_08_01 Working on new helix (finally)

2019_08_01  Building new station.

The new station is a typical Victorian Country terminus with enough industry to make it busy.

It is supposed to be a dead end (end of line) station which was built after the branch was commissioned,  to serve a new population of WW1 veterans who were helped to settle the land after returning from Europe in 1918.
And so coal  (later briquettes) grain, fuel, animal and general goods facilities were provided.
As well a passenger service operated twice a day, morning and night. In later years a rail motor service was added during the day to allow shopping trips to the nearest large town. Really a very busy little terminus which survived the steam era unlike so many of its sister towns.

And so construction begins. I thought I could build a curved station on top of a round helix ??
However this is turning out more difficult than I could have ever imagined.

The Helix is designed to carry three tracks 46", 44" and 42" inch radii.

It seems that the branch will need a minimum radius of 36" (or less) I really do not want less. So here we are trying to fit it all in, not very well I am afraid to say.

The inside track will be the platform road with No 2 tk an arrival road, no 3 track storage and No 4 the goods shed.

No 2 track will connect back to the grain silo area which is a branch of the main along the western wall. This will form a reverse loop and will be hidden and only be used when insufficient operators are available to man the yard.

So some pictures...  (as usual)

Although not supposed to be running on BG it was the only train I had to test the new track :D

 Just need to power the points.

 Testing out ideas for the valence

I don't like the wide board to the right. I think it will look better to use the two boards?

and thus here lies the problem bringing both sides together without complicating the platform or going below 36" radius.

The silo area is branching of the main along the western wall.

Peco curved points are part of the problem. Although the sharp inner radius is actually helping here.

Outside radius 46" and that will not work.
Inside radius is roughly 36" and when fixed down should work?

Complicated join of each end..Today we will have to adjust it to make it work.

Cheers
Rod and Al.