Anybody know the very max. grade percent allowed/ever practiced for a single (or double headed ) steam engine is/was ? I have a route from a curved LH T.O. no longer connected, flex hanging over the grid in middle of trackage which could go up and over other route and form a reversing section by installing a RH switch in main up above ... I would only ascend with solo loco(s) and possibly descend with 2 or 3 cars if any. The length of track from lower to higher T.O. is only about 5.25 feet rising about 4-4.50 inches. I have room to make it an S to gain a little more track length...I know what's needed electronically. It would be quite a steep looking trackage. Go/no go ?
The best way to get this to work I think would be to use a switch back or if you have the space,a helix. A straight shot is around 8.5% grade I think....math is hard. Class1 mainline; ~2%. Mountain division; ~4%. Logging line; ~6% maybe 8% with double headed shays? Rack rail train up to 25% (not recommended) 12 to 15% nominal. Model railroad line; what ever percentage you can get to work. If you run 1 inch of elevation every 2 feet you should be OK That's over 4% but hey It's your railroad. If you have the space drop it to 3/4" or 1/2" per 2 feet. So ...to get an elevated crossover in N scale you need ~4 feet of track... 8 if you want to come back down. These parameters are depends on many variables. double that for HO. Another option would be a switchback or a helix
This would be easy to mock-up with the desired engines to find out for sure. Transitions would be important, especially with the steepest grades. What you are describing sounds like a lot of work that will result in something that might look unnatural at best and operate poorly at worst. How is it that engines will go up by themselves, but bring cars down? How will the cars get up there in the first place? Also note that when grades become very steep, it can be a challenge for trains coming down as well because of the way model steamer drive-trains work. But without seeing your plan it is hard to understand what you are trying to accomplish.
Each engine will give you the answer. Meaning, you should ask each engine. Let each engine show you. Mock it up as best you can, reasonably carefully so you don't get a false negative result, or a positive one that is not going to be an eventuality when you get it all set up for real. Then, subject each engine to a typical load in both directions. What you learn is as good as gold. And it's the truth.
Byron (above), I wasn't clear..The flex track begins off LH route of this curved LH Shino in main line an goes into mid of 5.5 ft deep layout bench grid, just hangin right now in mid air on grid, having been put out of use by a prior logistics mistake. It would begin its ascent here, climbing enough (using a S to give it more length) to go up and and over RH track route (same main line thru shino). It would connect up top with another part of main line, not track it just crossed over. It thus forms an unexpected reversing section in this small switchback RR branch to turn engines around if need be. As it will be quite steep I'd only ascend/descend with a lone loco (+maybe 1 car/caboose ) V E R Y SLOW..It'd also make a nice justification for a wood tressle here..Probably no room for even a transition section..And I do savvy the behavior of our steam models downward (back and forth slack at shaft/gears..) After all the "iffy" replies I'll probably wind up not doing it...But Thanks still..
Yep just test it If you want it, try it, if it doesn't do what you want it to do tear it out. both installation and deconstruction can be fun.
Uintah Ry #50 The narrow gauge Uintah Ry in CO/UT ran up & down 7.5 % grades AND thru 85 degree curves (about 10"R in HO). And they also did it w/ their two 2-6-6-2Ts!
I keep thinking of Saluda grade, 4.7- 5.1 % on the NS in Polk county N.C....It amazes me that until recently it was in use in a main line common carrier route ( I think downward only though)..But I realize our models are more finicky in this situ...Yet, stories of the real one are quite amazing, too ! Perhaps my desire to install it is way greater than the actual necessity on such a small MRR...I could cut track short, install subroadbed (ply) and park one of RR's 2 steam on it for assistance on the beginning grade of the switchback..But this may be redundant as SB tail only holds 7-8 cars anyhoo...(HO)
Hakone Tozan runs ~8% on adhesion, but that's all EMU. Usui Pass was 6.67% until obsolesced by the Nagano Shinkansen... the EF63s used in helper service had giant side louvers for dynamic brake resistor banks.
I know there is a section of track on the Cass Scenic Railroad that is 11%, not a long stretch, though. A single 3-truck Shay will shove 5 or 6 cars loaded with people without trouble. Don't know how many cars with a "true" load (Logs, timber equipment, etc..)
A few months ago when I was planning my (HO- now On30) layout I had a temporary 4x8 oval layout that I was experimenting with. I found that my Bachmann 0-6-0 would falter at about 6" of incline in 8'. My best puller is a really heavy Bachmann F9 and it would pull several cars up and down a 1' in 8' incline no problem. The biggest issue was that some of the crappy lightweight cars wanted to derail while on the top and bottom arc of the oval when the gravity was pulling them sideways.
Yule Tram in CO serving the marble quarries boasted 14% grades for its little electric trams. They quarried the 120T block for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier near Marble and the 4 mile journey to the finishing mill took 4 days.
