Grade and height in layout design

[Srwill2]

I would also recommend adding the yard off the main line.  In fact, if you were to turn your 4x8 you could use the track in the current lower right hand corner for your yard lead and that would give you ample space to "work the yard" with out interfering with the main line.  More industries could be located in your center section.  

[selector]

Not that yet another voice is likely to help you to change your mind, but I agree with the other gentlemen.  We all like and prefer to have grades on our train layouts, and with good reason.  Unfortunately, the 4X8 space requires longer transitions because the grade between them is that much steeper.  At first glance, we see a doable grade, but the transitions at each end have to be longer to get clearances to the now-much-steeper grade...it's like the snake eating its own tail.  Some of us shrug and do it anyway only to regret it bitterly inside of a week's worth of pushing our train up the grade to help the inadequate locomotive.

If you were building the same track plan stretched out to a 4X11, you'd have a grade near 3% between transitions.  Although it would be steep, it would be quite reasonable for a layout.  On your 4X8 it will be closer to 3.8% between transitions.

[IRONROOSTER]

I would suggest you use crossings and avoid the grade issue altogether.

You might want to take a look at the Black River Junction layout (MR Jan 2007, 102 Realistic track plans, online trackplan database if you're a subscriber).  It's a smaller version (4x8) of what you're trying to do, but could give you some ideas for the yard addition.

Paul

[cuyama]

jbiss_ca

close to a 6% incline (4" in climb over 66" of lenght).

The grade will likely be even steeper than you have calculated after you allow for transitions from level-to-grade and back and for the fact that you don't want to change grade within a turnout.

Based on your earlier threads, I had hope that you might be on your way to a layout footprint that used the space better than rectangles. But if this is what you prefer, a good option would be to re-work your plan so the yard comes off the outside main line, then you won't need to bother with a grade at all.

Sometimes splitting the grade between the lines going over and under can help, but I don’t think that you have room here without very steep grades (again, allowing for transitions and avoiding grade changes within a turnout).

jbiss_ca

locomotives (Atlas Alco C424) will not be able to pull a few cars (10 to 20 max) from the yard to the main train.

[jbiss_ca]

I am basing my layout from the book 101 Track Plans from Linn Westcott, the layout in question is #39 Denver & Northwestern RR. I plan to add on a yard section in the lower left hand corner but I fear that the grade will be too steap based on the information provided in the book. I've attached a picture of my plan with a yellow box around the area in question.

The track heading to the yard goes under the double main line, but based on the information in the book, it would be close to a 6% incline (4" in climb over 66" of lenght). 

What options do I have to lessen the grade of the slop, if needed? I've read that the ideal would be 2% but I'm not looking to have real-world accuracy, I just don't want to run into issues where my locomotives (Atlas Alco C424) will not be able to pull a few cars (10 to 20 max) from the yard to the main train.