I am going to start building a layout for my son but I dont what grades the n scale locos can handle. Can anyone help me out thank you
Due to their relative sizes (in other words, their scales), all scales tend to manage the same range of grades, but the truth is that toy locos do much better than their real counterparts…almost by a factor of 2/1. However, you should work hard to figure a way to keep your grades below about 3%, maybe 3.5% tops, to keep it looking realistic. If you absolutely must, you can increase a grade temprorarily in the middle to get that extra clearance that you need, but don’t be surprised if your engine won’t cooperate, especially if you like running 8 or more cars behind your locos.
By the way, I hope you understand that a 2% grade anywhere, including on your layout, is still a 2% grade. Although you have a scale model, grades do not scale. They are what they are, no matter what you use them for, and no matter where they be.
Edit - Oops!.. I forgot to welcome you to the forum. I hope you spend some time here with us. We’ll help all we can.
I have upto 8% and quite frankly it creates a lot of restrictions. Selector’s 2% rule is probably a good rule of thumb, 3% maximum as anything above that restricts the number of cars you can haul without the introduction of major hook ups or Horse Power.
Fergie
Welcome,
Selector is 100% correct scale does not matter in this case size matters.
Safe way is to get and NMRA gauge from your LHS and anyplase you tracks cross check the height for the TOP OF RAIL to the BOTTOM of the object.
As far as the grade goes on ours we started at the projected overpass and then calculated back to the beginning of the grade.
It is A rise and run. Example:
For a 2% grade youe rise .32 inches for every 16" of travel.
The base is .24 " per foot of travel for 1% grade, that makes 3% at .36 inch pre foot of travel.
YOu want a clearence in “N” gauge (I think) of 2 1/2" at the crossover so to rise at 2% your length of track leading up to the crossover is 10Ft approx.
At 3% (2.5/.36)=6.944 segments of 12" each.
Hope I did not lose you.
PS AVOID a hump at the top of your grades and a SMOOTH start to your grade is a must.
Take Care
George P.
And also- make sure your entrance and exit from the grade are smooth or you might have uncoupling problems.
So, that means adding a bit of transition grading at the top and bottom of your grade, thus adding a bit of distance overall. This is critical…and we mean it! If you have a kink anywhere in your grade (they often happen at rail joins and at curves) of anything over 0.10% (that’s one tenth of one percent), you stand a good chance of having the leading truck on a steamer encounter the kink and begin to lift the drivers and frame off the tracks, thus breaking traction. You’ll stall dead.
This is not meant to make you blanche. It is merely us telling you what we have learned, usually the hard way…at least it was for me. Plan your transitions, your overall grade, and test your locos often (with a load) to see how it will work once you fasten it all down. Also, test once more immediately after you glue it all down to ensure you haven’t inadvertently changed something. It is easier to pry up when the latex caulk under the ties is still fresh.
Go get em!
I kinda disagree somewhat with what’s been said. It’s tough to lay down and hard and fast rules about grades and try to blanket the hobby with those rules. Here’s my advice. It all depends on what you are doing with your railroad. Period. My layout is a good example of that. I’m building an On30 logging railroad with Shays and the like for locomotive power. Shays can pull several times the “norm” for grades compared to most anything in their size group. The prototypes typically pulled loads up to 12%, and in some cases even greater. SInce all I will ever pull will be about six loaded log cars, my 8.4% grade is very prototypical. Steep grades, where they can be handled, enhance the operation of model railroads, and can be very prototypical. In the end, I think it does boil down to what you are going to do with your railroad.
True enough. A back woods mining or logging road, especially something that was laid and meant to be torn up and moved to another slope in a few weeks would have been rough and heavily sloped back in the early days, On30Shay. A case in point is the Comox Lumber Co. right in my home town. They used Shays and a Baldwin 2-6-2 Saddle Tanker that typically ran on grades up around Comox Lake @ 9%. If our friend is contemplating that type of layout, you are right on the money.
If he is doing any of the Fallen Flags, or a modern Class-1, his grades won’t exceed 2.5% as they will require triple horsepower for the tonnages typically hauled.
I have a small layout 2x4 in N Scale so I’m using about 5% without problems.
I did buy and atlas bridge set with and they recommend no more than 4%, but my layout didn’t support that size.
so what I recommend you is try before nail the tracks.
Right you are! I was was just making sure he didn’t limit himself had he not made a firm decision on his railroad. I’ll be the first to admit, grades over 3% sure as hell ain’t the norm.
I am looking to do a long, “NoLix” style grade, with woodland scenics inclines. It will probably be two or three of these inclines end to end, to create about a 12" rise, give or take a couple of inches. I figure the overall grade will be 32-48’ in length, at a 2% Grade. Is this feasable if I plan to run mostly Diesel Athearn, Atlas, P2K and Kato? I will run occasional Steam, some smaller IHC, a Mid 1990’s era Rivarossi Challenger, a couple of Spectrum Heavy Mountains and a Precision Craft 4-8-4. I am going to limit the trains, generally freight, to no more than 10-15 cars, maximum. Would I get away with this 2% grade without frying my engines? Also, I have DCC and plan on running 4 engines per train.
Thanks,
----> Mark
Mark:
I can only speak from an HO point of view, but a 2% grade is really not going to fry anything, depending on what radii you are using. The wider the radius of the track, the less ‘pulling’ your locos are going to have to contend with.
I don’t know if this helps, but on my HO MR (which is fairly large), I have 34-36" radius, and extended 2-2.1/4% grades that rise from 0" at my main yard to 24" at my highest level. I can haul relatively long (20-25 car) freight trains with my steam locos–I seldom run diesels–and not have to use helpers. When I use helpers, it’s generally only for ‘show’. Generally speaking, a good model locomotive will usually haul as much, if not more than the prototype up your mountains.
But whatever your grades, make sure that you have a smooth transition from level into the grade to keep the train from uncoupling. And use the widest radius curves you can possibly fit on the grades. It really makes a difference.
Hope this helps.
Tom [:)]
Yes, I am in HO Scale, and I plan on a minimum of 24" Radius curves. Thanks for the reply…
----> Mark
I have a 4% grade “Nolex” that connects my two N scale decks, and here’s what I’ve found as far a pulling capacity…
Atlas GP’s & SD’s will handle 5-6 cars.
Atlas 6-axle Alco’s will handle 8 cars.
Atlas Trainmaster will handle 10 cars.
Lifelike GP20’s will handle 3 cars.