Hi I have been lurking around here for a few months reading trying to learn all I can by reading every ones posts. I did a few searches on the topic of grade but could not seem to find the answer for my exact question.
The question of what grade to use is a frequently asked question it seems and the most common answer seems to be 2%. So I went out and bought the 2% grade set from woodland, when I got it home I realized that it was never going to work for my lay out. I am building a small n gauge layout 30" x 60". I need to get high enough to cross over the track. My first plan was to have tunnel portal but I need to get up over 2.5 inches. what it means is that ether my station has to be in a curved part of the oval, or one of the tracks that goes closest to the station will be on a grade while the 2nd one will be flat.
before I get to the question of grade a bit about the trains I want to run on it.
My main locomotive is a kato ALCo PA I also have a kato F3, as for cars I have 2 sets of the Corrugated Budd Passenger Cars.
so most likely I will have one Loco and up to 8 passenger cars
so here is the question
taking in mind I don't care about being prototypical. is there any reason I can not use a 4% grade. will my trains make it over this grade? do I need to add a locomotive? I could try a 3% grade but a 4% would fit my space better. I could do a 2% or 3% if I ran everything the other direction with 4 % as the decline.
any ideas?
The question of what grade to use is a frequently asked question it seems and the most common answer seems to be 2%. So I went out and bought the 2% grade set from woodland, when I got it home I realized that it was never going to work for my lay out. I am building a small n gauge layout 30" x 60". I need to get high enough to cross over the track. My first plan was to have tunnel portal but I need to get up over 2.5 inches. what it means is that ether my station has to be in a curved part of the oval, or one of the tracks that goes closest to the station will be on a grade while the 2nd one will be flat.
before I get to the question of grade a bit about the trains I want to run on it.
My main locomotive is a kato ALCo PA I also have a kato F3, as for cars I have 2 sets of the Corrugated Budd Passenger Cars.
so most likely I will have one Loco and up to 8 passenger cars
so here is the question
taking in mind I don't care about being prototypical. is there any reason I can not use a 4% grade. will my trains make it over this grade? do I need to add a locomotive? I could try a 3% grade but a 4% would fit my space better. I could do a 2% or 3% if I ran everything the other direction with 4 % as the decline.
any ideas?