Creating a grade?

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

I am building my layout and I have read on this forum a while ago that when creating a grade in HO you should start with 1/8 inch for the first foot and 1/4 inch for each foot after and when leveling out you should make the last foot 1/8 inch. My layout is being built whit a 3/4 plywood base, so how do I achive a 1/8 inch rise for the first foot?

2

This is sound advice because starting with a 1/8 inch rise will give you an easement to start the grade which will avoid unwanted uncoupling and other problems. You want to do the same thing at the top of the grade so you don’t level out abruptly. The simplest way to do it is make the riser 1/8 inch higher than the one where the grade begins. For the rest, just make each riser 1/4 inch higher(This assumes your risers are one foot apart). The quarter inch per foot will give you a grade slightly more than 2%. This is steep for a prototype but typical for a model railroad. You can go steeper with a model railroad but I wouldn’t advise it.

3

Thanks for the info, I still don’t know what to use to begin the 1/8 inch rise from plywood. Do you think I should use foam and if so how would I get a 1/8 inch rise? Sanding I guess. Any ideas?

4

The easiest way to start the grade is to cut the plywood as a subroadbed 2 1/2-3" single or 4 1/2 -5"double and bend it up or down as needed. The flex in ply, especially 3/4" will automatically provide you with an upeasing or overeasing. If you have a full ply deck, draw the track plan for the rise, cut the ply(can be done even in place) and set the amount of grade by the riser height. Just don’t have a break in the ply near the bottom or top of the grade. This is why open grid w/ ply subroadbed or spline works so well for me. The open grid can give you landform for scenery at almost any elevation , especially for below track gullies, canyons, valleys etc.

5

Thanks Bob,

You mean that I should cut into the plywood subboard and gently raise that the 1/8 inch, if that is what I gather you mean, it’s a great idea and is an excellent answer to my delema. THANKS!!!

6

It’s called the cookie cutter method.

Ken.

7

That’s exactly what I mean.
Hey is the “Zodiac Killer” going to bash me for answering like Spacemouse,
sorry Chip, only making a point.
Bob K.

8

Thanks Bob
Always a pleasure to read your advice.
Jerry