Maximum grade for HO Scale Hills

[Anonymous]

I am kind of new to Model Railroading. I had a basic plywood table as a kid but now want to build a layout that isn't just a flat piece of plywood with a hill or two and raised track. What I would like to know is if there is any recommended maximum grade on hills that I can use to insure that my current railroad equipment can climb the hills as well as future equipment I buy. I would hate to build hills and find that some or all of my current or future trains cannot climb the hills.

Thanks in Advance,

Marc

[Anonymous]

Marc - Since you want to allow for future equipment, you will probably need to be pretty conservative. I would say no more than 1% or 2%.

It's not hard to test the "climbing ability" of your current equipment - just put a length of straight track down on a board and see how your equipment does when one end of the board is elevated to various degrees.

Remember that a grade going around a curve will feel "steeper", by maybe 50% depending on the curve radius.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for your help Bill. I didn't realize that a grade can feel steeper when going around a curve so it's good you brought that up.

Marc

[BR60103]

Marc: There's also no guarantee that any equipment you buy will make it up a 2% grade, but any good stuff should. Of course, if you load 200 cars behind it...
--David

[RedLeader]

Hey Mark!

You should keep it under 2.5%. Now, this slope % is a standard for straight sections, curved sections require less grade. If you plan to have heavy trains in your layout as a regular basis, you should have a lower %. If you have really heavy trains, and in some moment it stalls, you can compensate adding MUs (multiple Units), in other words, more engines. Real trains use MUs for steep grades, or when the trains is to heavy, so is a normal procedure. By doing this, you're adding traction and power. Traction is very important when coming into slopes. If the slope is too high or long (e.g. a helix) you should add some 0% sections to give some extra momentum to your engine in the next slope. Helixes are used when you want some really dramatic landscape hights, and you don't have the space for slopes to develop.

[Anonymous]

It was a lesson that I had to learn the hard way, but a good rule of thumb is not much more rise than 1/4" of rise per lineal foot of track.

Tom
Lemont, IL

[Anonymous]

Marc,
Welcome to the world of "oh my word, it doesn't go up." Here is a tip for you that might give you some idea as to grade vise level track. Topology of your hills and mountain vise your lever to inclined track. Elevation is in feet, usually in 500 foot increments on a topolgraphical map, like the USGS prints. Now this is going to be confusing since most models build hills, canyons and moutains as they lay track. Since you have a scetch of your layout you need to figure out your elevations, sea level to how high your hill and mountains will be in scale. HO scale rule can be used to make a elevation card, this can be used to figure out how high your hills are. it can also help in laying out the grade used to getthe rolling stock up the incline without slipping or not getting to heaven on the first try. Check out the internet for Topographic Maps, this will give you advanced information on how you wi***o build your layout to scale and ahve the fun of running the hill with your motive power. Happy Climbing!