Some time ago, I posted a track plan based on one from Linn Westcott's book 101 Track Plans. Since there are some steep grades, a couple of the members here suggested I build a test grade to see if my motive power will handle them. I started by buying an old Tyco bridge and trestle set from a seller on Ebay. I wanted to replicate the planned layout conditions closely, so worked the grades around an 18" radius. I used CAD to develop the chordal distances between the trestle bents for both 3 and 4% grades (each of the bents is 1/4" higher than the previous one). Three locomotives were tested- an IHC 4-4-0, which I felt was my weakest steam power, an IHC 2-8-0, and a "typical" Atlas diesel, a GP38-2. I set up the 4% grade first: The American was able to handle 4 old time MDC boxcars and a 4 wheel "bobber" caboose. The consolidation handled 6 cars and the caboose. The diesel handled 5 large modern freight cars typical of cars to be used in modern era operating sessions without breaking a sweat. I'm sure it would pull considerably more. These cars also negotiated the 18" radius curve well, although they didn't look particularly good doing it. That's OK, though, as this track will be hidden (access will be provided for) Next, I set up a 3% grade: I didn't bother testing the diesel again, but redid the tests with the steam power. This time, the 4-4-0 pulled 6 cars and the caboose up the 3% grade. The consolidation was a surprise, only pulling 5 cars and the caboose up the 3% grade. I suspect this may be due to the spacing of the bents, which was allowing the track to sag under the consolidation's weight and perhaps messing with the engine's tractive effort. The results were in line with my expectations for train length on this part of the layout. Looks like it's a go! BTW, if you like the weathering on those old time car roofs, it's a very simple technique that anyone can duplicate. Just let your cars sit and collect dust for several years and you've got it.
Grades can be interesting. When I built my home layout, I used grades to limit how many cars a locomotive could pull up the grade. I ended up with a two and a half percent grade. My main locomotives are the original Atlas Alco RS units with the Kato drive. I had a few Athearn locomotives that I ended up remotoring with can motors which greatly improved them, but I took a chance on the Atlas units when they first came out in to 80's I believe and was so impressed with them I ended up with over a dozen. Here are a few. Painted them all for my freelance railroad. A single locomotive could easily handle 14 car plus a caboose so this ended up being the length of my passing sidings also. I do have a few steam locomotives, smaller ones. The can't pull as many cars as the diesels, which is the norm but modeling the transition era was what I wanted and they worked well. This brass steamer for instance is maxed out at around 10 cars which is decent. I do operate DC only at home but at my club, we run DCC. Quite a difference in the pulling power. DCC locomotives suffer with having some of the weight removed to make room for the decoder and speaker. the rulin grade at the club is also two and a half percent. I picked up an Atlas gold RS-1 with DCC and sound to run at the club and unfortunately it turned out to be a wimp maxing out at only 10 cars including a caboose. A bit disappointing. Unofficial club rules have a shorter train to take a siding and let longer trains have the right of way. I wanted to run with the big dogs. What to do without spending a lot of $$$. I ended up custom painting an old Stewart F-9 I had and installing DCC and sound. It was a lot heavier but it was quite the job to get the decoder and speaker into it. It did work better and was able to pull a 20 car train on the grades. I was getting there. Some members do run longer trains up to as many as 60 cars so I was getting close. On my home layout, I do connect to the Northern Pacific and have a number of DC NP locomotives. Our club is in the old Northern Pacific depot in Livingston, MT so Northern Pacific equipment fits fight in. I did come across the Walthers Mainline F-7 A and B units with DCC and sound, but they were a bit pricey listing at $359. Through a good friend on another forum, he put me intouch with a hobby shop in the Milwaukee, Wi area. ( I have no hobby shops at all where I live in Montana ) I bit the bullet and ordered the Walthers units for a good price of $259. I think I have finally found what I need with these locomotives. These locomotives can pull testing them on my home layout, I had them pulling 32 freight cars with no problems. They are fairly well detailed withhand rails, although there are a few details to be added to match the prototype, but these are easy additions. I also like how they are close coupled which is difficult with F units. I am a complete DCC dummy by the way, but I am going to see if someone at the club can speed match the F-9 to the F-7's. Then I can really do some pulling up the grades. Another thing I like about the F-7's is that they do operate very well on DC, unlike some other DCC locomotives that I have. I am looking forward to our train show at the end of the monthat the depot where that layout will have an open house for the public. Grades can really be interesting to deal with on a layout and can require a bit of work to get things operating the way you want them.
I find your approach to using grades to limit train length interesting and very practical. Since this is going to be a fairly small layout at 8'X9', short trains are going to be the norm. Limitations in yard space, length of mainline and length of the cassette staging area mandate train length, and the grades will provide a control as yours have, although perhaps not so much in the diesel era.
I don't usually run very long trains on my layout. It was built mainly as a switching layout, with less track and more rail customers. Although a single locomotive can pull 16 cars up the grades, the norm for me is from 4 to around 8. In one town I have a little 70 ton switcher stationed ther to set out any outbound cars for a through freight to pick up and in turn to spot and cars that the through freight drops off. I really like smaller locomotives. Consolidations are the norm for steamers. Here's the little Bachamnn 70 ton switcher heading to one of the yards with a few cars. I never thought that I would ever complement Bachmann about one of their locomotives, but this little switcher is such a smooth runner and has outstanding slow speed control. Makes switch a pleasure.
