Gil Finn said:i am trying to figure out how to doit without a helix
How about a switch back?
What are you modelling? If you are doing a mining or lumber railroad, a switch back would work fine. It will also work for a class one mainline, but it won't be prototypical. Also, if you are running long trains, switch backs will take a lot of space due to the need to have a long enough tail track to hold the entire train.