There has been a lot of talk about inclines, (“SpaceMouse ,4% is just too much, you yahoo.”), I figured a way to get 2-3% on my incline on a 4x8 layout, but my decline is still going to be at 4%.
I’m not going to blow my jake brakes or something coming down am I?
just beware of curves at the bottom. That Hogwarts won’t be pretty flying across the room. Dave
I already learned to put in embankments. [:D]
Seriously though, a loco can biuld up a head of steam comming down a steep grade. Especially
pulling (or being pushed by, I should say) a string of cars. Dave
No such critter as a decline in RR speak. They are called grades and given in ratios of rise per 100 feet. A 4% grade down (4 feet gain/loss in elevation per 100 feet of length) isn’t a big worry. However, won’t the train ever have to come back? If a continuious loop, won’t you tire of running trains in one direction? 4% up is steep, but not uncommon on some narrow gauge lines.
"If a continuious loop, won’t you tire of running trains in one direction? "
Probably, but this is a 4x8 track and I want my son to have something to keep him busy while we work on getting the big track up and going. But I should say that there will be 3 full loops with two 1/2 loops and 13 turnouts. There will be mountains and tunnels and stations and bridges and landscaping. There will be a bunch to do on the little layout.
It will give my son and daughter and me a chance to learn a little about working the controls, directing the train (and wiring it.) It will also have three trains on the track with branch wired as a block so the trains never have to leave the track.
Spacemouse, are all of your lines going to have grades?
I have a 4x8 with triple oval and the only line with a grade is my outer 22". Both curves are 4% grades and level off on the back side of the layout. My double and triple powered diesels can pull quite a few NMRA weighted cars up the hill, but you have to really watch the speed. I run DCC, but without BEMF they will really get going downhill.
My Steam engines, even my Trix Big Boy do not like the curving 4% grade, only pull 5 or 6 cars & caboose. My Rivarossi Challenger has traction tires, so it pulls the hills better, but it sure does fly down hill. (I caught it in mid-air once when it launched at the bottom of the hill and since then I run it alot slower!)
My next layout is going to be around 6x10 and my smallest radius will be 22" and 2% maximum grades. Demolition of the current layout is scheduled to begin this spring.
Good luck with your layout and keep asking questions!
I just posted my layout. I managed to keep both grades between 2-3%.
http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=28318
locomotives don’t have “jake brakes”…you might want to call them in the future “dynamic brakes” (if equipped) and / or “air brakes” instead …LOL…Chuck[:D]
LOL…I was wondering if someone was going to bring that up. One thing about new is that you can act really dumb and you are not expected to know what you are talking about. I’m dreading the day when I’ve been here long enough that you actually expect me to know something.
Not to worry. When that time comes you can make the same jake brake statement and everyone will just assume you’re kidding around because you obviously know enough to know about dynamic brakes!
Regards
Ed