Comments on: What’s the Maximum Climbing Gradient for Model Trains?

By: David Stokes

David Stokes — Thu, 07 Nov 2019 21:33:47 +0000

The Northwest Bend Railway, based on the Adelaide/Morgan line in South Australia runs 3 times around a 20′ x 16′ room. In order to get reasonable separation between levels I have built grades of up to 9 inches in 165 inches run although the station areas are flat (ish). I will be running trains of up to 16 x 4 wheelers or 8 bogie wagons. Thanks to Ron Solly’s help my steamers 2:8:4s and diesels all handle these trains up these horrific grades. The trick is to ensure the run is perfectly even through the ramp, no dips or humps, and smooth transitions at top and bottom. My job is now to make these ski ramps look realistic. Wish me luck!

By: David Broad

David Broad — Wed, 10 Sep 2014 07:40:56 +0000

I have used a grade of 1 in 36 on an indoor steam era UK layout for many years but while the old die cast Wrenn locos are happy with 7 passenger coaches or 17 4 wheel good wagons modern locos need more loco adhesion weight, removing bogie springs etc, and less drag like removing Tender weight and deleting tender pick ups. Outside my long ruling gradient, over 30 feet is 1 in 14 which Lima Co Co diesels haul 6 to 7 coaches up reliably.
A big mistake modelers make is in making the road bed too thick when when crossing tracks. I have used PCB with code 100 rail soldered direct to the PCB for a depth of something like 8mm from bottom of deck to top of rail, something like under 70mm raise to get one track over another in 00. Plenty of people use 2″ X 1″ framing under the upper track which adds another 25mm minimum even when the 2″X 1″ is used on its side, and even at 1 in 25 or 4% that is another 2ft needed to climb up and over. I just use the PCB as a road bed, where the tracks cross I cut away the sleepers/ ties, and solder the rails toihe PCBt, no sleepers, no ply base, no framing below tracks only plate girders above tracks. If hidden in a hill you dont even need cosmetic girders.
In UK OO no steam or Diesel trains should exceed 13 ”6″ which is 54mm so 60 mm clearance rail head to deck should be fine, though some old Gaiety Pannier Tanks do exceed this!

By: Kevin Ching

Kevin Ching — Thu, 28 Aug 2014 04:40:26 +0000

I use an adjustable builders level with one level able to be adjusted to the correct level when laying this along the track bed before laying the track so that you get the gradient at the same constant grade. the 1.5% is worked out over a meter length with scrap timber then the level is applied to the track bed.

By: SKIP

SKIP — Tue, 26 Aug 2014 02:44:33 +0000

Newman; I like what ur saying sounds good and keeps u out of trouble. Question, is there a tool to messure a grade besids messuring or using a protractor?

By: Newman Atkinson

Newman Atkinson — Thu, 14 Aug 2014 04:00:48 +0000

You have to remember that the % of pulling power in your model is in no comparison to the real prototypes. a good example is where I knew someone that tried to scale the weight of 2 fully loaded coal hoppers. Those 2 cars alone was almost impossible to pull up a 2 % grade with one engine. A model engine just does not have the pulling power or traction in scale with the big ones.
A good example of a bad grade is where they have beginners make a steep grade up and over a cross track and right back down. If the cheap model trains are light enough it can work if there is enough traction power but just where have you seen a train climb steep to get over a cross track and back down. A car bridge is a good example of a very steep grade( we have 3 in town here going over the railroad tracks). A train should stay nearly level and cross a gorge or valley to the other side.
I run 2% grades and pulling 20 foot HO trains can be done with 2 engines depending on the axles pulling. Remember what the real trains might take to pull a load might be 2 engines in a consist. but to do that in a model situation might take 4 engines or more. A 75 car train in real life might use 2 engines To do the same in a model that train would exceed 60 feet and 2 engines would not come close. Depending on the size of cars,75 cars can get up to a real mile long as does the real ones…..
Newman Atkinson

By: skip

skip — Thu, 14 Aug 2014 03:56:25 +0000

Im running n scale agree with the 2% grade I building a HELIX w/ a 2% grade three sections high

By: John Mc Cabe

John Mc Cabe — Thu, 14 Aug 2014 00:07:32 +0000

Grades look great on long model train layouts but not on short ones, which can look too much like a toy train. If you’re not going prototype, remember that trains need a grade to go over something, and that the height at the crossing over has to clear the object below it. To test it, make a grade carefully with something like extruded plastic, going from 0 inches to your maximum height. With track nails, which can be pulled out of the extruded plastic easily, set up your track with a power pack at one flat end, and run the locomotive over it, putting some cars behind it. If it don’t run smoothly over the grade, try another locomotive.

For clearances, leave enough space, especially over a tunnel. I work in N-Scale, but the 2 ” recommended clearance seems too short. I measure from the top of the bottom rail to the bottom of the overhead rail roadbed. It’s usually 2-3/4″ to 3″, which leaves enough room to clean the rails off, because it’s a sure thing that track will get dirty and have to be cleaned through a space that’s hard to get to. If your hand or hands get stuck, call the Model Railroad Police, though you might have to wait awhile.

By: Kevin Ching

Kevin Ching — Wed, 13 Aug 2014 01:39:46 +0000

On my layout I run point to point (Not a continuous loop) and it runs a max 1.5% gradient at steepest point, with out any mishaps or derailments however I only run short passenger trains 3-4 coaches and a single engine each, there is two one up one down at any one time and a double header freight with ten freight cars.all running DCC this seems to work very well. the steam engines are all 2-6-0’s with no diesels. I model the line as 1936 Virginia and Truckee and is landscaped accordingly. My room is 3.2 metres by 4.3 metres and the track circles this room three and a half times with a single main line and numerous passing tracks.