Hi everybody im about to start my first layout and i have a question. I would like to have an incline that goes throught a mountain and i would like the hight of the track to be about 6" and i would like to know whats the best way to go about doing this. Thanks for evrybodys help
Well, going up six inches at 2% grade will take 25 ft to make the climb. How much room do you have?
my layout will be 7x 14 so i guess that wont work so what would you suggest
Shorter mountain?
Woodland Scenics makes some foam risers that have a specific grade to them. Not the cheapest route, but they are a very easy route. So, if you wanted a 2% grade, you would just glue the 2% grade foam pieces end to end until you reached the height you were looking to get.
About your 6" rise. If you were wanting 6" of clearance between the track and some specific point, such as a bridge, you could start the incline where the track is already 2" above that elevation. Basically, that point on your layout would be 2 inches below the “ground level” for your track. Or, your track is just 2" above “ground level”. Which ever way you want to look at it. Tracks are normally raised above the surrounding landscape anyways. A combination of the track rising and a lowering ground (ditch, river, hill) would give you a lower grade but still have the 6" clearance (and illusion of a bigger climb).
I am working on my first layout too, so my 2 cents might not really be worth 2 cents…
Two seprate loops?
Cuda Ken
If you are looking to build a bridge, you might still have an option. Most people think of building a layout as a flat table and everything built on top. But the truth is you can build down and get your bridge. You can have a mountain railroad with no or few grades. Just build your canyons below your track level.
Another misconception is that more track equals more fun. If you are going to get bored with one loop you will get bored with two. What you need to do instead is to build something for the train to do into the layout.
You might want to take a look at my Beginner’s Guide clickable below. Take you about 5 minutes and might give you some ideas.