Hello everyone,The railroad I model used 1.75% grades. Could anyone tell me how grades are figured in HO scale? thank you.
The basic formula is the number of units of rise per 100 units of run.
The “unit” the easiest one for us to use is in inches.
For example, a two percent grade climbs 2" for every 100" of travel.
A track that climbs 1" in 50" of travel is a two percent grade.
Courtesy of MR, April 01
The basic formula is the number of units of rise per 100 units of run.
The “unit” the easiest one for us to use is in inches.
For example, a two percent grade climbs 2" for every 100" of travel.
A track that climbs 1" in 50" of travel is a two percent grade.
Courtesy of MR, April 01
A quick approximation to 100" is 8 feet (96 inches) which you can get from one side of a plywood sheet or a standard length of lumber.
The British describe their grades as i in 100 (for a 1% grade) and they mark changes at the side of the track.
–David
The cheap and dirty way to do it is with a 4 foot level. 1 inch rise in 4 foot is approx. a 2 percent grade. My grades are 1 1/2 percent, thus I use a piece of 1x4 thats 3/4 inch thick under one end of level and raise subgrade until the bubble levels out. Then add risers and fasten down. Good luck. Dan
Yes, go to the NMRA website and search their archives, they have formula’s for gradiants for all the scales. You can also find that information on the internet with a little time and lots of coffee.
I use the Grade Gauge made by K-Tool Products and sold by Walthers. It has an adjustable scale that clamps onto the end of a 2-foot or 4-foot level – I find the 2-foot level handiest. You set the scale to the desired grade, then place the level on your roadbed with the extended foot of the Grade Gauge downhill. Then adjust your roadbed to center the bubble and that’s the grade.
So long,
Andy
Andy Sperandeo
MODEL RAILROADER Magazine