Inclines N gauge

[Butch]

Following on from a discussion on my newbie discussion.

On my new (first) baseboard (4 feet wide x 3 feet deep) I wanted a main line running across the back of the board. I was bringing the line round in a curve at each end. one side heading under a road bridge and the other side into a tunnel. Then dropping the track out of view to circle nearer the front of the board and underneath. Thus maintaining the illusion of this being a through service. Underneath at the front I then had points and a second track so I could run one train one way and then one the other etc.

Problem being on this area of board the incline to get the trains below deck is seemingly indefeasibly steep. At the moment I'm making a drop of 55mm over around 570mm track length. That's about 9.6% gradient. This is with a std 50mm batten between the top and bottom decks. To improve things I reckon I could reduce that to 45mm. That would give me just a little under 8% gradient. Next plan would be to prop the whole front of the board up by around half this so as to similarly halve the gradient giving me a bit under 4% which must be getting close to something that might work.

Both the climbs are also curved, between 9" and 12" radius. I guess with a little more binding on the wheels it might make it harder work on the locos but could improve traction.

Anyway, the board is mostly made up so I'll test at each of the proposed phases above and report back.

[Steve M]

Any gradient steeper than1:30 simply won’t work and yours, at 1:10 is way too much. Better still you need to be at 1:40 or less.

[IanS]

To improve things I reckon I could reduce that to 45mm. That would give me just a little under 8% gradient. Next plan would be to prop the whole front of the board up by around half this so as to similarly halve the gradient giving me a bit under 4% which must be getting close to something that might work.

It wouldn't work like that - the incline would still be 8%.

I know the lines in the diagram aren't at 4% and 8%, they're used for illustrative purposes only.

[Steve M]

To put it another way, to raise your track 55mm you would need a slope of 1.65m at 30:1 or 2.2m at 40:1, and even longer if any of the slope is on a curve as curves induce additional drag.

[Butch]

Understood. I've got this far before I started to explore problems in this area, so I'm going to pin down some track and run some experiments (fails to follow simple instruction). I'll report back, and with the results that you'll all be expecting I'm sure.

Plan B is that this line will now not be able to be circular, I'll still loop the line around at each end and bring it to the font each side on a lighter incline (so I can still keep it out of view with additional scenic elements) and just stop the track each side at the front.

[airfix27ra]

Ok, I have my incline all wrong apparently.
Mine goes up three and a half inches in
eight and a half feet with a curve.
My diesel loco's handle 5 coaches ok.
My two steam loco's, Jinty 2 coaches, 8 wagons, the
Strainer 8f four coaches just, better with three.
Mostly run with two/three coaches as that is all the
platform on my heritage bit will take.
Still it works.

[Steve M]

That’s about 35% so it should be ok - it gets tougher as you move above 40%.

[Walkingthedog]

1 in 30 is the recommended minimum, that's 105 inches to rise 3.5 inches and yours is 102, just about right.

[Butch]

Anyway, Mrs B bought me a new loco for Xmas. Apart from demonstrating to me that the rails still need more cleaning, and I probably need to go back through the power supply, it did manage to ascend my inclines OK, albeit unfettered by any carriages at this time.

[Ninemil]

I hope I'm not hijacking your thread but I am also planning a gradient in N gauge and it seemed sensible to post here rather than start a new thread.

I note the 1:30 recommended gradient, and the point about when curves are involved. I have a number of Fleischmann 9120 curves, the smallest radius (192mm at the centre of the track), and wonder if they are simply too tight to consider using on a gradient?

I'm happy to ditch them in favour of gentler curves if necessary, but if they are possible, any ideas on a realistically achievable gradient? 1:40 maybe? As I say, I am at the planning stage so it's not too late to be changing my ideas.