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A problem with hills...
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No problem at all with switches on grades...PROVIDED the WHOLE switch is in the same plane (not the Boeing kind)... the flat but not level surface can even be angled sideways... don't know why it would be on a small layout but... <br />If you think about it what you are most trying to avoid is a change of angle anywhere that the wheels may try to go in a direction other than the one you want them to go in... so that's mostly the common crossing (frog) but also the curved switch blade... also the outside stock rail in a curved switch. The risk is for the wheel to ride up over any of these... so if the angle changes (either up or down) you are building in trouble... this applies to ALL switch laying anyway. Which means that if you have a switch where cars keep dropping in the dirt you would do well to put a straight edge along each route to see if you have any high or low spots... <br /> <br />As to grade... it depends on what locos you are using to shift how many of what cars... I recently tried to get some answers on the practical experience of this ...and failed dismally. I plan to shift 30 car ordinary weight H0 trains behind 2SDs or 3GPs up fairly long grades (they're long to me). If you're only shifting 6 to 10 cars behind one loco you have a different issue... less of a problem. <br />After my (largely) non-result I stumbled on something from NMRA which reckoned that a 2% grade (1:50) was about maximum and 4% (1:25) would stop most locos. <br /> <br />I was happy because I'd worked out for 1:60... cos I want to drop 1' in an available 60' run... I gues that the ruling grade after easements at each end will be about 1:55... <br /> <br />Remember this... if you have 10' /120" to fall 3" ONLY your AVERAGE grade will be !:40 (2.5%)... your ruling grade will be 1:35 (about 3%) or worse. <br /> <br />You have to have easements... the vertically diferent tangents of grades and level track must be brought together in just the same way that your tangents and offsets must meet correctly for sideways curves... otherwise your cars will be more likely to suceed in their efforts to go straight on. <br /> <br />Solution I'm planning to use for grades that could be used on a helix,,, having set a solid base level as something constant to build on... I'm planning to support the (off scene) grades between vertical pairs of threaded bars (we call them "studding"... not the same thing as used in interior house walls) The cross beams under the trackbed material will be capable of vertical adjustment on nuts located on the studding... with locking nuts paired to each supporting nut so that I don't spend my life re-setting everything. <br /> <br />I've seen this system suggested by (I think) Peco... I don't know if they make anything to do it. <br /> <br />What would be useful would be washers cut or mouded to the required grade to sit between the bearing nut and the trackbed... but they may not be essential only relatively slight grades. <br /> <br /> The essential thing is to start with a solid base. <br /> <br />An alternate to an elevator that I have seen suggested (in a Kalmbach layout design book) is a vertical "stub switch"... basically the same thing as an ordianry elevator but instead of the deck moving vertically you have a hinge at the dead end and the other end moves up or down. You wouldn't get so much vertical difference without a lot of stresses on your couplers and a risk of the train sliding... don't know if anyone has done it. <br /> <br />I don't think that putting a wiggle in the graded track would give sufficient extra length to be worthwhile. It would have a direct effect equivalent to increasing the grade... so whatever you gained in length you would offset by lateral pressures/added loaded/hauling resistance. <br /> <br />PLEASE let us know what solution you use and how you get on. <br />
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