Grade

[insfil]

I'm using Atlas 21st Century track and plan to increase the grade from level to
a 4" height, then back to level. Does anybody know how high the approx. height of each supporting pier has to be per track section?

[Big_Boy_4005]

The more important question is the distance in which you try to do this. If you make it too steep, the train won't make it up the hill.

A standard Lionel trestle set has 12 piers per side, for a total of 24 up and down. They require about 20 linear feet of track minimun to work properly. Each pier is not exactly the same difference in height as the next. When lined up in order, you can see that they form a curve up and a curve down, not just a simple incline.

What you want is to rise slowly, so that you don't kink the track. The best way may be to experiment with some blocks in the space that you have, and find the values that work for you.

Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Dear Insfil,
Welcome to the forums!!!!

In order to have a 2.2 percent grade up to the 4" top, you will need approximately 15' 2" of track. 2.2 percent is generally the steepest grade on a major railroad. The amount of track you will need for a grade is equal to your 4" divided by the decimal form of the percent (the decimal form is the percentage with the decimal point moved two spaces left, so 0.022 is the decimal form of 2.2%). Remember, grades and angles do not change from one scale to another. Also, your model trains can probably go up steeper grades, but don't exceed four percent unless you absolutely must. I hope I have helped.

Sincerely,
Daniel

[Big_Boy_4005]

Trainjunky, I totally agree, and I personally try to follow the 2% rule at all times.

In the case of the Lionel Trestle set, it is actually designed to give a steeper grade. At the rate of one bent per 10" section of track, and 12 bents to full height, it figures to 3.33% average if you use the minimun spacing between trestles. Actually, the way it is designed, the middle of the grade is even steeper, closer to 3.5%, but usually for layouts so small as to use the minimum spacing, the trains will be short enough to make it up without much trouble.