Always good videos, but this one was truly brilliant. I am very interested in a helix for a future project in long term planning. This is easily the best video I have seen on the subject explaining the physics and geometry in easily understood terms as well as tips on construction. Especially liked the honesty on mistakes and things to improve on to help others. I think the idea of testing on various types of loco and rolling stock would be great especially for the steamers. Many videos I've seen quote, almost as a mantra, that you can't have a helix on a steam layout. Provided it's built correctly I'm not so sure and would love to see this tested on your helix. Please keep up the good work, it is much appreciated.

You did a great job with the helix.

7:44 'we're a nut missing - we are where we are' the best summing up of 2020 I've heard so far.

I’ve almost completed a 10 ring oval helix in N Scale using this method of threaded rod and nut/washer combination. I have 3 tracks running from ‘Ground Zero’ to the second level, and a point that gives train access to this level. The rest of the helix is two track to the top which is 90cm from bottom to top. I used Peco flexi track and soldered all joins, and added Jumper cables to inside and outside tracks. The gap between levels is 72mm which gave me a 2.0% grade, a challenge for the intended 100 car + trains I want to run. Thanks you for the tip on super elevating the tracks, this should ease the burden and minimise trains wanting to pull in towards the inner part of the curves causing the ‘All fall down’ problem. To get the nuts down the threaded rod I used a wire brush on a battery drill which was a real time saver, and following your tip, all jumper wires run down the threaded rod to terminal plugs with each set of jumpers clearly marked for fault finding. Thank you so much for the insight to helix construction, this helped me a lot on my third attempt to construct ‘The Beast’. May all your trains run on time - Bruce Ritchie

Currently reading Billy Connolly's Tall Tales and Wee Stories, you talking about 'popping it over your nuts...and driving your nuts down...' takes on a whole new perspective !!!! Especially after you forgot one of your nuts. Glad to see it home in one piece - I hadn't realised it was so easy to get it legless...😂

WHEEEEEEEE !!! 01:03 Doh ! 01:24 Jeez Charles, that must have been a long walk and carrying the helix too .... You definitely get a sense of the proportion of just how big it is. 04:17 No, I've never been one for that sort of thing. I don't even have a whip. 05:15 Aren't there "radius gauges" to make sure the curve is accurate? No doubt about it, a helix is a spectacular piece of model railway infrastructure. Yours is a great example, Charles, cheers.

When my wife saw my helix, she said it was so neat that it should be visible during operations. "But it's not prototypical!" I replied. Mine has only a single rail (except for a built-in reversing loop near the bottom). Yours is more spectacular.

The phrase "A glutton for punishment " sprang to mind. Not one but two Helix assemblies! I must say it is going to look really good Charlie. The operational flexibility should be superb. Proper job. I really enjoy following your adventures.

I must admit that I was horrified at all of the work ahead of you when you started on the helix project but now I realise that it is rather exciting. Good luck. I’m looking forward to watching the progress. Tony

Hi Charlie, I am not a railway modeller but I do enjoy your videos, keep them coming please. Just a thought, if you cut a nut in half and use a pair of mole grips to hold the nut together, half a nut each side of the threaded bar and screw the nut down to the washer and board and with the grips still on, use super glue to hold it in place and then use epoxy to give it final strength.

Im a retired engineer but must tell you about my experience when I was about 5. Uncle Walt drove engines between Victoria and Dover and one day when visiting he suggested we visit the engine shed. We climbed up onto the foot plate of this black smelly cold thing and I screamed my head off, much to the annoyance of my Dad. Give me a nice shinny aeroplane any day. From this you can see I am in no way qualified to comment, but have gone to the expense of having all those nice bits of wood laser cut, I would have cut some tube to length to act as spacers between each layer. Its just a thought, shoot me down, what do I know. Great set of videos you might almost re IPL my brain to like trains one day....lp

I didn't think I would be watching a video of you 'drilling your nuts down' on a Sunday!

It's official then Charlie... you are indeed one nut short of a Helix!!!

At 17.42 in Charlie throws his glasses to the ground. Please encourage all your viewers to do the same, it will help bring funds into us optometrists which we can then spend on our model railway projects. Just so appreciate your videos. Am in the early stages of a big build and keep going back and forth over previous videos to learn ‘how to’. Thanks so much.

What a beautiful thing. Very well done. (and with so many nuts it's not a tragedy to forget one)

Greetings Charlie. Great video as always. I bet you've been going round in circles with this for weeks. 🤔 Do keep up the good work in the community. 👍

Just seen on worlds most scenic railway journeys in Sicily, a helical tunnel all built by hand. What an achievement!

I appreciate your thorough explanations of pluses and pitfalls of your experiences.

Great video!!!! Thank you Charlie, keep up the great work, we all appreciate it.

Many thanks for your continued thorough, straightforward explanation of the storage/helix set up on your layout. What an amazing transformation this will make. Being systematic in all you touch Charlie, seems to be the way to go but your clear explanation and advice makes the thought of starting such a venture more feasible. Look fortward to your further episodes in this exciting development of your layout. Stay safe and well. Cheers

Hi Charlie, great video showing the ups and downs of building a helix and some useful tips. I'm sure this will be of great help to those planning on making one. Cheers John

Awesome Charlie can’t wait to see it all up and running again loving the videos please keep up all the good work stay safe hopefully with the second lockdown it won’t affect you getting your second helix

Hi Charlie, Thanks for yet another fantastic, fascinating and informative video. Great to see the helix in situation and am looking forward to see how the revised layout comes along. Keep up the great work! Cheers, Derek.

I have once again learned a lot from charlie this is the place I come to if I need to know a new part of train modelling to me as Charlie is a perfectionist and explains it awesomely if that's a word I always come away with great advice and knowledge just love his informative videos.

Lucky you, Charlie: your layout is on the ground floor, with wide French windows access... My H0 one in the family country house is running along the walls up in the 3rd floor attic, accessible through a narrow folding staircase in the middle while my N one is hiding under the bed on a set of casters in the master bedroom of our 6th floor flat... (But at least, as far as I can guess, that last one won't ever need any helix🤗😁)

My dose of Chadwick yes. The drill operated nut driver is wonderful nice piece of kit. I hope everything goes great in the fiddle yard construction I can’t wait.

Another great video Charlie. Have enjoyed following your new layout build and by the looks of things, it is going to look awesome. I look forward to your next video. All the best, Paul.

What great update, thanks Charlie - best wishes for your next challenge! Cheers, Brian

Wow Charlie, you have been very busy with that project. Plans are great and I just wish I could be as dedicated to it as you are. Love the channel, love you’re presentation, great content as always, thanks for sharing, cheers for now, stay safe and well, Chris

Very well explained that nut missing would bug me so bad, makes it look easy that’s hours of work right there, imagine weathering and ballasting the track

Looking fantastic! McKinley will be so proud! ;-). Really looking forward to seeing it progress, very enjoyable!

Hi Charlie, Helix looks great. I need to get me one of those nut drivers that connects to the drill. Trains do run very smooth! Congrats on getting the first one built!!! - Jason

Fantastic Charlie don’t realise how big it looks when finished wow

Very Nice Charlie! Can't wait to see the finished product!

Charlie, just to say how much I look forward to seeing your videos every time you put them out. You make them so informative and very interesting and i look forward to following your progress with the helix. Thank you for giving us such pleasure in this hobby.

Fantastic work as always Charlie 👍🏻 Really excited for you and can’t wait to see it progress

Morning Charlie, I love the way you leave/tell us the little problems (the nut) and the jokes “back on the rails” excellent video. I’ve just started laying track and keep changing it lol

Hey Charlie, the helix looks great. Glad you got it home and it runs for you. I am looking forward to seeing it in action on the layout. Thanks for sharing and stay safe. Ken

Charlie, you're always teaching me something! This time it's that there is always an unusual tool available to solve a problem. I've got to get one of those nut drivers! I'm really enjoying the helix progress; looking forward to the construction of your lower level. Thanks, always, for the inspiration!

Great to see the helix in your room, and being tested. Looking forward to seeing the fiddle yard coming together.

I like your way of presentation its really funny but not only funny its also areal clinic how to do! Thanks so much sir!

What an interesting Video, thank you Charlie, I can imagine the amount of Work involved in creating the Helix was considerable, let alone producing a Film of it, warts an all, as well. Keep safe.

Great video Charlie, as always. Looking forward to the Powerbase - I’ll be using those on my underneath storage on Beechwood Vale Railway - Have a super weekend 🚂👍

Hi Charlie, your making really good progress on the layout, making the helix look so simple when obviously there's a bit more to it, and it just takes a little time! Lovely work, I look forward to further videos!

Wonderful to see all your planning and hard work taking shape. You and DCC Concepts have removed the fear of the helix. can't wait for further instalments.

Stunning bit of kit Charlie....looking forward to the rest of the build👍

Great video Charlie. I have built a N scale Helix before. Dual tracked using Atlas set track. Fit perfectly. However, a multi-layered helix does consume a lot of track, no matter the scale. It would be interesting for your followers to learn how many feet or meters of track went into your helix. Some of the more interesting helix projects I have seen are the ones that are referred to as a herniated helix. One of the levels has two equal straight sections that forces a half turn out of the helix column that can be exposed coming out of a tunnel and back into a tunnel with shear cliff faces above and below. Some say they build it that way to keep track of their train so it is not hidden inside the helix for so long. From what I can tell in your video, you will not be able to come up through the center of your helix. Also, your helix table is very low for an adult to go under and come up through the center if there was an access hole. That being said, I want to see how you will treat the scenery to enclose your helix and the future one ,if you do. Certain lightweight cars can do what we Yanks call "string line" inside a helix. So, how do you plan to retrieve a derailed train inside the helix? One that has fallen into the center of the table I will be very interested in seeing your video on the Powerbase. I did a lot of research on what little I could find on the Powerbase in use by UK and US modelers and not one mentioned an issue with the decoders. The issue was the height of the magnet(s) in relationship to the top of the rails. From what I can tell from all the comments, if the magnet is attached to the loco the top of the rails and the bottom of the magnet(s) should be level. That sets up the correct magnetic field and has no impact on the DCC signals. If the magnet sits higher above the rails it weakens the magnetic field. Maybe you will cover that in your Powerbase video?

Fascinating to watch Charlie, I am really looking forward to your progress. I bought some of those plug in terminal blocks on your recommendation as my layout needs to be portable and they are really easy to connect two boards together with mains feeds and isolation switch feeds.

Excellent video Charlie. Although I am not going to build a helix I have participated in building one on a friend’s layout. I wish we had this video before we built it. One of the most tedious aspects is threading the nuts. One of the crew invented a similar system and built it again using a drill to speed up the movement of the nuts. Ps I have forwarded your helix videos to another crew member who is building a helix and he has included some of your ideas into his build. Thanks you for sharing your adventures.

Another great video on your Quest to build the layout. Seems like you made good progress on the PC software as well. Thank you for addressing the comments, well explained. And of course, "lesson learned" and "we are where we are" shows that every day is a school day... Keep it up, stay safe and good luck with your 2nd Helix!

Great video Charlie. 1 helix done and 1 to come. looking forward to the next instalment.

Thanks Charlie. Both the helix and the future plans for the layout are very impressive. Cheers Warren

Congratulations mr. Bishop, a great addition for your model railroad, dear Charlie.

Morning Charlie, as always very well explained really enjoyed following the progress, I'm a bit thick when it comes to seeing what the final outcome will look like but I think I've got it!! That 3D view of the main layout and the fiddle yard has finally turned on the light. I'll look forward to following your progress on this one as always. I hope this new lockdown doesn't slow you down to much. You and yours stay safe see you on the next one Eddy xx

Very much enjoying watching Charlie redesign and build his new layout. It will look wonderful when it is finished. Very much looking forward to seeing how you are going to automatically clean the rolling stocks wheels.

Fantastic video A Helix is some feat! However essential for what you’re doing As ever keep up the great work truly inspiring😎👍

Really like the All-Thread Idea, just use a HD plastic nut split 1/2 install on all thread glue b4 instalation set nut to desired position I'm sure ya figured something out just my Nuts worth lol great Teacher you are!

Although I have a railway in the garden and alot of things may not a ply to the out doors i realy I do enjoy watching your channel. Thanks.😍

It was watching such videos that I got inspiration from to build my own, LEGO spiral - or helix, as railroad modellers prefer to call it. Only, I went much higher - much, much higher.

¡Hola buenas tardes Charlie! An epic build so far and, thanks for showing that we are all human and, occasionally make a mistake or two. Your professionalism shows through as you highlight possible problems so others, keen to build their own helix, are aware of such pitfalls in advance. Can’t wait to see the first trains disappearing below the baseboard but, obviously there’s a few more hours work to put in before that’s possible. As ever, keep safe and well. Un saludo. Gary

Looking good Charlie. Looking forward to future videos on the progression of the layout

Evening Charlie. Home from work and a fantastic video on Chadwick model railway. That is an impressive looking helix. Your technique in explaining what's going on is second to none especially as you leave the mistakes in lol 😂 I'm not in the market for a helix on my layout but watching you build yours still gives me enthusiasm to continue with my layout. So a big thank you for that. I'm in the progress of removing my up and over metal garage door with new wooden ones. Hopefully it'll keep a little warmer now winter is coming brrrrrrrrrrrr ❄️ I do have heating. I'm furloughed again in a weeks time so instead of getting under my fiancée feet as she works from home it'll be model railway time 👍🏻 Lock down is here again so keep all of your family safe and take care of yourself Charlie. Cheers Stevie 😎

Hi Charlie, again another great entertaining and informative video. Looking forward to watch the progress.

A nice looking helix, it's off the rails, tracking is good, it's a train of events to move around, requires a train of thought, some training to use it...oh dear I'm going off the rails with my train of thought. Keep up the good work, always a pleasure to watch.

Although I don't plan on having a helix, I enjoyed the process of construction and all the considerations required for it's integration on to your layout. Very informative video, thanks!

I always enjoy watching your videos and of course your errors and corrections (soldering iron melting the underlay etc). Looking forward to when you join helix to main layout, stay safe...

Wow, you have been a busy lad, looks really good and a lot of work ahead aswell, keep well and safe

Yet another winner, Charlie! Beautiful job! You certainly have your work cut out for you with the fiddle yard and a second helix, not to mention finishing the upper level. All the best!

Fantastic Charlie ~ If only I had the room.. what a great idea. No doubt for interesting train ops you'll be running all tracks bi-directional. Looing forward to some Chadwick train ops..

I was a little skeptical at first when you made the hillside removable. But boy did it come in handy! 👍👍 See u in 2 weeks.

Looks great Charlie!

another entertaining but informative video Charlie. The retrospective analysis was good but its worth remembering the old adage that the man who never made a mistake never made anything.(Ive referred to the male of the species as we all know that our spouses dont make mistakes) Barnstable ? Well you could run a Small Packet with 4 malachite green coaches into that.

I must say I am finding this most interesting. Thanks for sharing.

Great update. I was going to have 2 helixes but just didn't have enough room in my loft for both as I have 3 main tracks so it made each one just over 4ft but had a lot of room for long inclines instead so went that way ..amazing job as always😀

That is a fantastic looking helix Charlie and it looks very professional. cheers and all the best. Nicholas.

Cripes they are bigger than I expected, well to be honest I didn't know what I was expecting except they are looking great Charlie.

I sincerely hope you never have any problems with that radiator. Otherwise, I really appreciate your ability to crack on even if things don't go well the first time. I find that inspirational.

Keep up the fantastic work

Bloody brill that is my friend, youre gonna have some fun with that beast.

Cracking job, and the more I see of it the more impressed I am and the more I realise farming it out (so to speak and not diminishing your contribution) was a good idea. Plus it gave us the second installment of the Chuckle bothers. And I did chuckle as you were coming in the door when he said "Mind your head Charlie" ;-) As for your wiring - it's about NASA standard compared to mine and, I now realise, part of the problem with my defunct helix was probably an insufficiency of dropper wires!

Wow Charlie who would have thought you were missing a few nuts hahahahaha. Well done mate looking awesome loved the chuckle brothers bit at the beginning. Keep up the great work, looking forward to seeing it up and running as I’m sure you will be. 🍻🍻👍🏻

Loved watching the two coaches zipping down the helix Charlie, thank you. A childish pleasure but it needed done, purely for scientific research. I hadn't expected them to build up quite so much momentum and was rather surprised the inner circuit was so much faster - with inevitable consequences. I'd be very interested to compare N scale versions, with much less weight to the carriages, and see how they performed. I think I was picturing N scale vehicles; more what I'm used to. Cheers for now, Dougie.

Hi Charlie Thanks for posting this, very interesting video!

Always looking forward for your new video. You are a big inspiration for me!

Really like the idea of laying the track BEFORE you fix the cross piece strengthening ! My track plan necessitated I fix two surface mounted point motors, as they would not fit underneath because of the joists. I agree that you have created yourself a lot of work. By using two helixes you have effectively nearly doubled your layout area. I admire your honesty in not attempting parts of the project that you will find too difficult or not that interesting. Really looking forward to following.your progress Charlie - brave man!

This is all starting to come together nicely Charlie. Look forward to the next video Nick Bishop

Hi Charlie great video i want helix now but I would need to plan it all out am really enjoying following you're progress on this new layout I'd want mine at the back of the shed out of the way so planning it next my boss hates me I go too him because my wood work skills are not the best but his are great lol keep up the great work looking forward to seeing the next move on this adventure Cheers Paul

Thanks for the tip on the SwiftNut device. Looks like a real time saver. I already purchased one, but not available in the States so going the long way around with UK Amazon. Also the tip on the runaways test - I'll be using that with mine, so thanks for that idea too. One addition I was planning to make was some thin rubber or foam padding on the threaded rods in case a train comes off and scrapes up against the side of them. Haven't even got to the point of testing out products for this yet. Cheers.

Great video Charlie!

That Helix is an absolute beast - it’s looks brilliant. I’m loving the look of the new plans. It’s gonna make the original concept you had seem so tiny in comparison. I just want to say thanks for all the brilliant ideas and knowledge your videos have given me ahead of starting my layout. It finally coming along - if you can be bothered I’ve got a few videos on my channel - even got a viaduct that I took inspiration from yours. Cheers Ian. 👍👍👍👍

Another excellent video Charlie. Thank you for it and also the learning points which are very useful. If you don't learn something in a day stay in bed is what I say! regards Gareth

Hi Charlie. Great video as always. Watching your videos from down here in NZ shows how well supported the hobby is in the UK but not so much here as we don’t really have access to a lot of the products, so by seeing how you put it all together I learn how to adapt and with a bit of ‘ kiwi’ ingenuity I can get close. Looking forward to the next instalment. An idea for the missing nut - using a dremel and cut off disc you could cut the top nut in half across the width to effectively make two nuts, and spin the bottom half down to the lower section.

Hi Charlie another great video mate the layout is coming on well I am looking forward to see your trains running on the new helixs keep up the good work mate stay safe and well Charlie goodbye for now clive

Reminds of the car park at John Lewis Cardiff the access to the multi storey is about 7 different floors which after driving is a bit like a helter skelter for adults, if your ever in Cardiff give it a try and pray you don’t get stuck behind some old dear - it can be frustrating !

Very impressive Charlie

Excellent as always

Superb achievement Charlie! Now you’re in business! Sad not have seen footage of it arriving at Chadwick HQ. You mentioned the brilliance of Luke Towan, you’re 👆 up there...stay safe and well 💫

Hi Charlie, thanks for the great video.

Hi Charlie. Well that's one piece of major engineering out of the way, one to go. Great to see that the logistics seemed to go OK. Hope the testing goes well and look forward to seeing it hooked up to the layout. Interested to see how the Power Base turns out. Like the plan of a branch station above helix. Keep well and catch you soon, regards Bobby 'T'.

Liked, for the double entendres and puns! The Helix is a workmof art