A New Model Train Helix – Proof of Concept

There have been many different designs utilized to construct an O-Gauge track helix. Usually, a lot of space is needed. I saw one design where laminated plywood was cut into circular strips and held in place with multiple vertical wood bracing pieces. Other techniques use thin plywood and foamboard that is held in place with multiple treaded rods. Nuts and flat washers are used to support the spiral roadbed. This helix was suspended from the ceiling.

My design utilizes a 12-inch diameter cardboard concrete form as the main structural hub to attach common shelving hardware around the circumference to support O-36 circular train track.

List of Materials

All materials and parts needed to construct this helix prototype were found at my local Menards hardware store.

1. (1) 12-inch x feet Round Cardboard Cement Form

Sonotube 12" x 4' Removable Concrete Forming Tube at Menards®

1. Misc. wood (mainly 5mm thick plywood)

Local hardware store

1. (35) O-36 Curved Track Pieces

O-36 Curve O Gauge Tubular Track at Menards®

1. Multiple ¼ - 20 machine screws, washers and lock nuts (various lengths)

Local hardware store

1. Misc. small wood screws (#8)

Local hardware store

1. (1) Anod Aluminum Flat Bar 1/8” x 1” – 3 ft.

Local hardware store

1. (8) Dual Trak Wall Standards

John Sterling™ Dual-Trak™ 48" Black Heavy-Duty Standard at Menards®

1. (35) 9” Shelf Brackets

John Sterling™ Dual-Trak™ 9" Bronze Shelf Bracket at Menards®

1. I purchased a 12” diameter cardboard tube from my local Menards big-box hardware store. The tube came in a 4-foot length. I soon realized this would be too high of a spiral, so I cut the tube in half on my table saw by slowly rotating it against the saw fence that was set 2 feet from the blade. This gave me a better height to work with.
2. The wall standards were then cut to a 2-foot length with my metal bandsaw.
3. My initial idea was to attach four wall standards at an equal distance apart around the circumference of the tube.  I first had to measure the diameter of the tube. I then divided that number by 4. I placed a vertical line on the length of the tube at each 90-degree mark.
4. The wall standards were then attached to the tube with ¼”-20 machine screws. On the inside of the cardboard tube, I used a flat washer under the screw nut to spread the pressure of the tightened screw over a border area. This was to prevent the screw nut from pulling through the cardboard wall.
5. Depending on where the 2-foot cut was made on the wall standard, I could end up with only one precut screw hole on the two-foot length. If this happened, I would drill a second ¼” diameter hole in the wall standard as far away from the pre-drilled hole as possible. This ensured I would have at least two machine screws holding each wall standard to the tube.

1. I had to do a little addition to determine the size bracket I needed. When the O-36 track is connected in a circle you have a 36” diameter to the middle rail. I added another 3” to accommodate the rest of the width of the track and some ballast room. So, if you take the 39” total diameter and subtract the 12 to 12 ½ inches for the diameter of the tube, that leaves about 27 inches or so that must be made up with the width of the brackets. Divide this number by 2, and you need a bracket that is 13 or 14 inches wide. This particular shelving company makes 7”, 9”, 11”,14” and 17” brackets.
2. If you use the 14’ bracket that is long enough to support the width of the O-36 curved track, the angled shape of the bottom of the bracket would not allow clearance for the model train running below it.
3. Therefore, a smaller bracket had to be modified to support the train track. I used the 9” bracket and attached a flat wood or aluminum slate to extend the bracket another 5 inches to support the train track. These slates were kept purposely thin (5 to 6 mm) to allow the model train enough clearance to climb and descend the spiral unimpeded by the track above. The slats were about 1” wide and cut long enough to attach to the 9” bracket.
4. I went through an evolution in designing the bracket extension. My first design used a hard wood insert, cut to the triangular shape of the bracket, to be a conduit between attaching the wood slat and screwing the insert to the bracket from below. I only needed short wood screws to do this. See the photos.
5. I eventually skipped making the hardwood insert and just attached the wood slat to the shelf bracket with longer machine screws.
6. Finally, I used an aluminum slat that was sturdier and screwed this directly to the shelf bracket. With the Menards tubular metal track, I had to insulate this aluminum slat from the middle track rail with duct tape.

1. Once I had enough 9” brackets modified, I started placing the brackets on the wall standards. Starting at any wall standard, I placed the first bracket in the second lowest notch from the bottom. This would position the first bracket just off the tabletop.
2. Continuing counterclockwise, a bracket was placed on the next wall standard, once notch higher. This continued until the top of the tube was reached.

1. I am using basic 3-rail O-Guage track from Menards because they are very inexpensive when purchased in bulk quantities. I would need a lot of O-36 circular track to complete the spiral.
2. It just so happens that the tubular circular sections can be connected with the metal crossmembers locking the track underneath the 1” wide wood or aluminum slat of the bracket. A plastic zip tie can then be used to secure this connection.
3. I found the average grade of the helix was approximately 2.3 degrees. See photo.
4. Once all the track was laid and secured, a transformer was hooked up to the track and a text run was completed.

See the first video. You can see a lot of movement in the track as the weight of the model train passes over it. Granted, there is no wooden support below the tracks, but I concluded the spacing between the brackets was too large. I decided to add 4 more wall standards to the tube hub. My hope was to give more support to the tubular track forming the helix.

1. Four additional wall standards were mounted to the tube, equal distance between the 4 that were already there. I used the same ¼” – 20 machine screws, washers and lock nuts. Now I had 8 wall standards vertically mounted to the tube at the 45-degree points around the circumference of the tube.
2. It is very important to note that I had to mount these wall standards at a slightly different height from the first four wall standards that I mounted. The reason is that I had already placed brackets at each succeeding notch on the next wall standard as we went around the circumference of the tube.
3. The notches on the wall standards are at set distance apart at 1.25 inches. If you mounted the 4 new wall standards at the bottom of the tube this would not provide a halfway point to place a bracket between the two brackets at the 90-degree points that were already there.  To solve this problem, the 4 new wall standards were cut slightly shorter and mounted above the bottom of the tube at a position half the distance between each notch (5/8”). This would place the top of the new brackets supporting the track exactly halfway between the two brackets that were already in place at the 90-degree points. See photos.
4. The modified brackets and tubular track were again attached to the 8 wall standards going up one notch every two wall standards.

See the attached video. With the additional support there was a lot less movement in the tubular track as the model train passed over it climbing and descending the helix.

A new concept was tested to fabricate a model train helix. A concrete cardboard tub form was used as the main structural hub to attach shelve brackets around the circumference to support an O-gauge model train track helix. The average grade of the helix was 2.3 degrees.

I think I have shown that the concept can work. In the future I plan to use the helix design in a real model train layout. I will improve the design with a sturdy wood track support secured to the brackets. I will also see how the design works with Lionel Fastrack and I may use extra threaded rod bracing at the terminal ends of the brackets to lend added support to the helix.

I am making an O-Gauge layout for my grandson to place in my daughter's basement. Since space if of a premium, I am limited to a 4 ft. x 8 ft. layout. I was able to incorporate two of these newly designed helixes in the layout. They are setup as a clockwise and counterclockwise helix to ascend and descend within the 8-foot width limit of the tabletop. I used Lionel Fastrack on one helix and regular tubular track from Menards on the other. Both have been supported with a hardboard track bed and seem to work fine. I have to follow-up with balsa wood railroad ties and ballast to make the tubular track look more realistic.

My basic layout includes another outside loop that can be used to bypass the two-helix route. The outside loop has a turnout so one train can be parked while another train is run.

I have not begun to add scenery yet but may be able to camouflage the two tube forms and brackets as a mountain complex.

I have also added a small slot-car track on top of the tube forms to maximize space and add another fun activity for my grandson.

See the attached video of a trail run on this new layout.