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Two-year Forum Reader - My layout ideas for your comments.
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<p>Here is the bottom of the grade.</p><p> </p><p>________/ That is not much of a diagram with keyboard... been way too long since ASCII...</p><p>Anyhow...</p><p>A pullman Heavyweight is about 1 foot long. If I ran that pullman into the bottom of the grade as presented in my rough diagram in the previous sentance, the wheels will lift off the ground and derail when it runs into the grade itself.</p><p>That pullman should start to GENTLY very GENTLY climb about 1.5 feet PRIOR to the start of the grade. This Grade will increase from Horizonal to the actual grade.</p><p> </p><p>WHen that pullman reaches the TOP of the grade it needs about 1.5 feet to DECREASE the grade before actually passing the summit itself onto Level track.</p><p>So, whatever grade I have I add about 3 feet to the total length to allow that pullman to behave nicely.</p><p> </p><p>Now that coal car? The little widdle 6 inch car? You hit the trestle grade about 4 inches prior and end it 4 inches after.</p><p>I have tested the PRR Duplex from BLI against my KATO track and a woodland scenics gradeient foam at 3% I find that I need to start the grade 2 feet from the bottom of the incline and end it 2 feet after the top of the incline.</p><p>The word I use is transitions and they exist at the bottom and the top of all grades.</p><p> </p><p>Regarding the smaller layouts with less room for transitions, That is why I keep a 4 axle set of ABBA F units with a 2-10-2 pusher. I can handle any train up any grade as long as the flanges can hold the rolling stock down on the rails at the transitions.</p><p>With that attitude, I consider 3% the maximum grade. If it still isnt enough room then I add curves to it to try and cross over the track at a different location and stay within the 3%. Yes I know I will introduce additional gradiant because of curvature but we are in mountain country anyhow.</p>
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