Well, the staging yard is coming along great. But, I think I may have made the lid a little too high. Lid may actually be a bad word for it, so let’s say top. I’m not going to hinge it and it will be permanent, so “top” works better.
My thoughts were to leave a six inch space under the top to prevent my clumsy hands from knocking things over trying to get deep in the yard. There are five tracks total.
Now, I look at the height and see how little space I have for the railroad to climb up six inches in just 14 feet or less. I had planned to build a town over the staging yard. Ideally, the line leaves the hidden staging yard, makes one loop to gain elevation and ends that loop at the top of the hidden yard.
The railroad is a mountain short line, so steep climbs are no biggie in short hops. But, did I over do it? Will this exceed 4%?
the incline is 3.5% grade if you take the hight and divide the length into it it will give you the percent of incline or grade 6 inch rise divided by 14 feet 168 inches is .035 or a 3.5 percent grade hope this helps phil
If my cipherin’ is correct that would be a constant 3.5% climb. Probably a bit steeper when you figure in easements. If you are pulling only short trains and have helper locos, it shouldn’t be a problem. If you want to pull long strings of cars with an old 2-6-0 mogul, you won’t be going up those grades. [;)]
(pbuck beat me I see, but at least our figuring is the same.)
Six inches isn’t enough. No way you could clear the tops of a line of cars and still re-rail others on the far side. For that reason, you might consider not even trying.
Drop the overhead down to three and a quarter or three and a half inches, use a more manageable grade, and make the base for your town removable, so you can lift it off when need be. Much easier to fix a problem when the top is open anyway.
I do have the advantage of small hands, even for a guy. I’m just a bit clumsy at times. (this coming from someone who starts I.V. lines. [;)] ) Plus, I put two rerailers on each track, used code 100 track with Peco turnouts, and soldered the rails after fine tuning every joint. The cars are actually assembled on a separate track with easy access.
Only 3.5%? Wow, thanks guys! I can live with that! I tend to run short trains, usually eight cars or less. Longer trains get two powered engines, anyway. I wasn’t sure I was figuring my grade correctly.
If you are going out 14 ft then around a loop and coming back 14ft that would be 28 feet total. If that’s the case your grade could be less than 3.5%. If your going out 7ft and coming back 7 (14ft total) then 3.5% is right. I think I could live with that grade for a short line train.
To clear up the confusion, there is a total footage of 14 feet available to climb to the top of the lid. I think you’re right, a 3.5% grade will be fine.
Please listen to one who went before you 6 INCHS IS NOT ENOUGH!!! Been there done that, never again less that a foot! Even if this means no staging, you are better off to have a fiddle yard.
