Grades

How do you determine a 2% - 6% etc grade? I do not know the formula used.

The easiest way is to have a grade between 2% and 4%. Any more of a grade and some of your trains will have difficulty with the grade and the angle.

Here are some rough numbers on the grades.
All are based on a 9" piece of track.

2% Rises 3/16th" and requires 16 to go over another track.
3% Rises 1/4" and requires 12 sections to go over another track.
4% Rises 3/8" and requires 8 sections to go over another track.

Hope it helps and good luck,

Dave

The formula is the rise divided by the run.

A 1% grade rises 1" in 100" of track. (100 inches is just over 8 feet to give a reference point.)

I’m not sure if you measure the flat distance or along the grade; it won’t matter unless you model Pikes Peak or Mt Washington Cog Rly where the grades are 37%.

David the Platelayer

Thank you for the info.

Bob

Thank you David.

Bob (the rookie)

Hi David, Your formula is correct. Measure the the distance on the centerline of the track/roadbed. This way you don’t have to make any adjustment for grades that are on curves…Vic

David,

The run is measured along the horizontal plane, not the grade. And you’re right, the difference in measurement would be negligible in our applications.

Rog