N scale grades

[Train1725]

Happy New Year ! I am building the Atlantic Longhaul lines from Atlas 9 N Scale track plans. The grade is close to 3% and i was wondering what a reasonable grade for n scale would be. Keep in mind that on my budget the engines (i prefer steam) i buy are cheaper than most. Not really concerened about prototypical looks, as i sometimes run Amtrack mow cars behind steam !

[Anonymous]

That grade should be fine. It shouldn't really matter what scale you're in.
Reed

[IRONROOSTER]

An easy way to check is to get an 8 foot board, lay some track on it and see how much you can raise one end and still have the train operates. For an 8 foot board each inch you raise one end is close enough to 1% for our purposes. For 3% raise the end 3 inches. If your train goes up it, you're okay.
Enjoy
Paul

[Jacktal]

3% is a decent climb angle indeed but if you want to,the A-L-L trackplan is an easy one to modify somewhat.I suggest that you could elevate the left portion of the plan by let's say half the height required for clearances on the right two-level section.This would result in the tracks going to the lower level to be going down some thus allowing for much gentler climb for the other tracks to reach the upper level.This three level arrangement is easy to do and will give you less than 2% grades everywhere.Just my two cents......

[Train1725]

Thanks for your help. I was planning on modifing the A-L-L by raising the tracks to the left of turnout #1 in the plan, up to the crossing, and on up the climb. But the tracks in the middle, leaving thr crossing to thr right, i want the middle straight section to be a consistent 5-10 scale feet above the "yard" below that. So, i have to also raise the tracks to the right of this straight section, while watching clearence on the underpass ! I was planning on raising the tracks in the tunnel about 10 scale feet over 6 sections...this way the reversing section could also climb 6 sections to join it. I think that would correspond nicely with the six sections to the left of turnout #1. But, since the increase in grade would come before the underpass, it wouldn't help lessen the grade !
But there are still a few sections betwwen the underpass and the crossing to work something out, but i dont want to raise anything past the right of turnout #1 because thats my station/freight house area (i extended the plywood ; shortened the notch ;about 6 inches to have room for a station to the right of the tracks)
Thanks again for any help, and for those who don't have a copy of the plan. sporry...I'll try to get my copy online soon.