Posts number 13 and 20 show a very easy way to achieve what you want. I have one that is very similar and was against a long wall. I traced out the grade with a pencil line against the backdrop and then did what I needed to do with the foam to make it even with the grade line. Putting in some craft sticks every 9"-1' really made it solid. The method is really cookie cutter (notice slit in foamboard where grade starts) and is simple and works. No Stanley scraper or anything else is needed to make the grade WITHIN the piece of foamboard.
70 percent of the mainline on my N scale layout carries a 2 percent grade. I ripped 8 foot long 2 percent wedges from 2 inch blue foam on the table saw - a really simple trick. (An 8 foot X 2 percent wedge is 0 inches high on one end and 1 7/8 inch high on the other end.)
Todd, Did you then cut out sections for the curves or do you not have any grades on curves? My grade is also on a curve. Eric
Like H8 did in the photo above, I segmented the straight wedge to fit the curve. Gaps are easily filled / adhered with latex painters caulk. About 1/2 of my grades are on curves. Beyond the initial transition from level grade, I covered the segments with a layer of 3/4 inch foam. Careful inspection of the right side of the photo below may reveal the segment cuts. My Railimages show more grade separations as well. Use flex track and solder your joints before bending the track to the desired curve. Glue your track in place with latex painters caulk and don't worry about too much roughness on the subgrade. Let your ballast fill any gaps below the ties (rumor has it the prototype folks have tried this successfully).
Todd- Have you found that with grades on curves that it really is like a much steeper grade? I.E. an engine might be able to pull X cars up a straightaway grade but X-Y cars on the curves with the traction wheels slipping? I only ask since I had that experience on my layout. Just to be safe, I have level track on my curves that are part of the general grade. This involved a lot more mathematics and a longer straightaway, but so far, no slipping.
Mark, there is slightly more load to the locomotive on a curved grade because of the increased friction from the flanges being pulled hard against the inside rail due to gravity increasing the drag of the following cars and the string-line effect. That effect was so noticeable on the grade I showed in my post that I had to remove one or two heavy-weight coaches and four or five freight cars from trains.
I got some foam core board and was about to use it. But then I remebered a project that my wife did with foam core once where the foam core got wet and curled up. So I don't think I'll be able to do that since I will need to balast the roadbed with the wet water technique. I don't have enough extruded foam to make any grades right now so I'll have to wait a little before proceeding. Eric
To decrease the amount of slippage you have on a 2% grade in curved areas, lengthen the number of feet that it takes toreach the 2% grade height. In effect you're decreasing the steepness of the grade. For example, if a 2% grade rises two inches in eight feet, increase that length to 12 feet which will reduce the grade percentage to 1.5%. This is more tolerable and will cause less slippage on curved radii.
Hank- That was the point I was trying to be subtle about raising. I can imagine someone testing out the pull on an eight foot straigtaway, plan and build the grade with curves and then curse like heck after the track is laid (just like I did). Another Lesson Learned.
Certainly, there is a difference. But for me, it's insignificant. Only when I run a new engine do I see slipping and only until the wheel treads lose some of their glaze. I run 10 car trains behind single locos. When I want more traction, I add engines.
