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Track grade
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[quote user="woodlandtoots"] <p>I need to gain height as quickly as possible. I'm using HO scale, and I will be using Steam Locomotives from the 1880-1900 era. I intend on having very short trains, only 4 or 5 cars. I want to do logging and mining. Gentle grades will not work for this layout. What is the greatest grade that I should attempt? What issues will I be facing, like traction, accidental uncoupling, etc. What locomotives are bad, good, or best for this layout?</p><p>[/quote]</p><p>I went through the same "problem" when I was building my layout. I found that anything over 2.5% was a "problem" with some of my engines. I ended up testing each section as I went with trains as I expected to actually use them. I picked my worst pulling engine and coupled it to my expected train consist and tested each section to make sure that the complete train could make the grade (I also made sure that a stopped train could restart on the grade) before I glued everything down.</p><p>There is no way to predict what will really work with your equipment or to say exactly what your equipment will really pull up a grade. "Most" geared loco's will pull a short train up a 3% grade (my Roundhouse Shay will) and "most" small engines will pull a 4-5 car train up a 2.5% grade. Actual engines and cars used will be the real limiting factor though; you need to test with <strong>your equipment</strong>.</p><p>Here is a photo of my layout under construction and the testing that I did.</p><p>[IMG]http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n123/Alan_B/082806-008_r.jpg[/IMG]</p><p> </p>
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