Being forced to down size to an one bedroom apartment resulting in my laying being in my bedroom, I had left provision to put a send deck on the layout and have a lift out bridge across the room to get there. The main part is L shaped on 1.5 walls, the goes to a shelf with a return loop. A switch off that loops was to be for the bridge. I just made the first trial runs and found a few problems. the start od the rise it to sudden hanging up my SD60. So I tried a few of the shorter ones and they could handle it... until I added cars.. even 4 passenger cars causes all my locos running single to spin out. the only pair of locos I have a LikeLike PA-1's. and they were the only way to get cars up the grade. I knew it was steep, but though I could pull it off.. Well at least I didn't complete the other end of the bridge or start laying track on the 2nd level... I could try to keep the bridge ramp.. but being about 6 inches or so in 7 feet.. well it probably would be more trouble then fun. What I think I'll do no it take out the track back to the switch and go straight forward to a parking siding behind the bedroom door.. So lets hear about you hopeful plans that didn't quite make it...?
By this you mean a six inch rise in that eighty four inches of travel? If so, you'd be just over a seven percent grade. That is quite stout. Four percent is usually considered to be a challenge.
I agree with Ken, you need about 12' to gain 6" at 4%. Keep in mind that N-Scale only needs 1-3/4" to 2" above the railhead for clearance. If you can reduce the thickness of the upper level roadbed, you might be able to reduce the rise requirement to 4", maybe 3-1/2", or even 3" with some creative materials. Consider 2"X1/4" (or X3/8") metal channel stock for upper level roadbed wherever the upper level is above lower level rails. Channel stock should be self-supporting for 2-3 feet, maybe more.
Can you include a helix in(side) the space occupied by the return loop? Depending upon the radius, three turns should achieve the increase in height you want with a gradient in the range of 2-3%.
The return loop is about 20 inches side to side, any bigger and it'd block the doorway. The return loops in a fair bit higher then the main track, the shelf tracks have a rise to them around the room. I had though of continuing to climb and just head back with more narrow shelf track to the top level, but that would make the track cross the window about a foot up, and there's the matter of the AC vent in the window and my cat goes in that window several times a day.. but maybe I should reconsider that option. Going from a 18' by 12' room in a basement to this small 2' side down a wall and a half have really dampened my interest in the hobby, just not having room for all my cars to be out and so on..
It's a little hard to work in "mental space", back in my N scale days 4% was a "gold standard", that was not easily doable. I copped out and went HO, physics wins every time, I set my grades at 4%,(less if possible), but again I wasn't willing to put up with the N scale problems back in the 80'S. That 2-8-0 just wouldn't pull a credible train up the hill. "Anybody with performance data is welcome to put in REALITY here". My suggestion is to rethink what the RR does or take on a smaller "chunk" of it. Full disclosure, I'm trying to work in HO but the grade question is relevant. 4% is optimistic in any scale, including 1:1 I'm just saying these are the lessons I've learned. Yes if you want to do it the vertical curves come into play. None of us has a big enough place to play, except maybe Traingeekboy. 4% N I have my doubts. But I've certainly been wrong before.
Having been the course of having and designing layouts in almost every scale until finally settling on N scale in its early years I can say I have been there done that in one scale or another. Probably time to put ideas of the empire on the back burner and settle for a much smaller designed layout by setting back and looking at what folks in Europe and Japan are doing. They have traditionally had much smaller spaces to work with and some of their available track and turnouts have had and still do have tighter radiuses than the stuff we use. They also operate quite a few smaller locos on that tighter radius. What you need to explore are some of their designs which I am sure are out there in the great WWW wasteland that are tucked into their smaller real estate. Then just Americanize the layout design, thin out some of the structures, and operate with smaller rolling stock including locos. You might want to give up the idea of a return loop type layout for now and settle for a point to point with some ample switching opportunities. Run shorter trains with smaller power and try to stay away from the grades. If a multiple level is what your heart is set on then consider that about the only industry that would be around that utilizes those types of grades would be logging or mining. Consider using switchbacks to gain elevation if you have the length for them. Switchbacks can eat up space because you have to have enough track at either end to accommodate the entire consist but can be fitted into a narrow shelf type layout. Grades would still call for multiple engine lash-ups to get the shorter consists up the grades such as two 70 tonners leading and one pushing. Engine service needs only to be a single stall engine house and a smaller Atlas turntable at one end. I would evaluate the space available and lay it out on paper and then see what area is realistically available. Also how much can be tucked under the layout areas like a worktable and a chest of drawers for example and more storage. A lot can be done in only 12 to 18 inches of space. Just might have to tuck away the SJD60-2X for awhile until space becomes available again.
I have decided trying to connect to the second level is going to be a pain even if i split the return loop in to another ramp to go up there. So the plan is to use the wood from the ramp to run a 2 track parking siding of the return loop going behind the door. the second level is just storage space and a way to keep my cat off the layout.. Then I got an idea from a tv show I've watched call "Tiny House Nation".. and how people make this small houses and have thing fold up and stuff for space.. The main part of the layout as it is now, is three 2' by 4' modules because I figured I'll move eventually. so the new idea is to make a couple more 2'x 4' (or maybe 18" by 4') and hinge them on the front of the existing layout. Fold them up when not in use.. lower them in place when I'm running. I actually think this might work ok, I've attached a few pic i took when the layout was being built..
IMHO.... In the space you have...I would have a return loop at each end. That would allow for continous operation and let you have industries...or what have you...in all the middle space that you could still service. Forget the upper level...for now...and enjoy running trains !! The idea of foldup...or folddown extensions...attached to what you have may sound good...but...think about reaching to the back of such a layout. 2 feet + 2 feet would be 48 inches deep. I am 6'6" tall with arms that are long like an apes...and I doubt even I could reach that far back. Just sayin. Someday you will move again and be able to expand the whole shebang. Like I said...JMHO...YMMV.
It is a loop main line, slightly modified.. The section the goes under the window and behind the dresser becomes a single shared track. I did that so I won't have to move the dresser further out in the room. The contacts on the switch machines match the single track to match the front or back half of the loop, and the switches at either end of the single track are teamed together so that both face the same half. In the future I hope to add some way of sensing when a train is approaching and having the switch throw automatically. As it is, if i forget to throw the switches, it shorts when it crosses the isolation joiners and stop the train before hitting the switch preventing derailing. ANd you're right, an extra 2 feet would be too much, I'm a lot shorter and it be too much a reach.. but an extra foot could work. Maybe I'll just build the top level as a separate layout some day.. or maybe another scale even. If only my eyes were good enough to do z-scale...
