# How Much Grade ?



## wsboyette (Jan 25, 2014)

I am planning a layout that has a 6.25 % grade (that's 3" elevation in a 48" run). Is that too much for locomotives ?


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## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)

That's pretty steep for anything but a Shay or a cog railroad...


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## timlange3 (Jan 16, 2013)

I did the Gumstump & Snowshoe railroad from "101 Track Plans". I had a short 10% grade. But I only ran a SW1200 with one 50' boxcar, it had no trouble with the grade, but you really need a vertical easement (smooth transition from level to incline) so you are not lifting wheels off the track or uncoupling cars. To get the easement, I traded for a maximum steeper incline. If I had the transition from level to incline in a couple inches I would have had around 5% grade max, but stretching the vertical curve to 14" my maximum was 10%, but operated smoothly.


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## ChopperCharles (Jan 3, 2012)

If you use bullfrog snot on the drivers you'll not have any problems with the grade.

Charles.


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## D&J Railroad (Oct 4, 2013)

If that all you can do with available space, that's all you can do. If your trains bog down, ya need to add more power on the front or back. Add weight inside the shells for a little more tractive effort.

here is a video clip that I have posted elsewhere on this site. It shows two HO scale diesels pulling a long intermodal up a 1.5% grade folowed by a single steam loco pulling coaches.


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## Mixy (Dec 14, 2010)

wsboyette said:


> I am planning a layout that has a 6.25 % grade (that's 3" elevation in a 48" run). Is that too much for locomotives ?


For a single loco, it is OK.
For short train with several small carriages and loco with rubber rings on the wheels, might be also OK.
But anything else running there will probably cause problems, so consider making the grade more slope if the construction is not started yet.

Mixy


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## Fire21 (Mar 9, 2014)

I have a couple 4% grades on my N-scale 4x8 layout. I have a Kato PA-1 pulling 5 passenger cars, and it has no problem whatsoever. I'm still under construction, and haven't tried any longer trains yet. But I do have a second PA-1 for double-headed power if needed.


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## keitaro (May 1, 2013)

in my experience with jp model. Is that anything above 5 is asking for trouble. 

Like tim lange said if you can`t fit a longer slope to drop the grade then make sure the begging and end are very smooth then gets steeper.

Especially in N Gauge where the clearance for wheels is not as large.

U will see things like carriages coupled together lifting off the ground at the bottom of the incline. causing derails 

On an old layout i had the grade was 6.5, the tomix thomas could not go up it (just annie and clara but he had no rubbers on wheels) but most other locos could. I had some of my kato and Microace steamers pulling 12 - 14 passenger cars.

my issue was with some of my kiha`s (DMU`s) they were very tight scharfenberg (no idea on spelling) couplers. They would lift of the tracks between cars and derail on occasions.
Once even broke the coupler from stress over time i guess. 
This was simply because I made it too steep at bottom of the incline. 
same at the top. 

worst thing was that it was curved incline using c354-45 curves and it was in a mountain. and the top immediately went to a bridge and well i think you know what might happen in a tunnel right at a bridge when a train derails. 

A long time to fish the train out thats what, as it was 75 cm in from the portal i left.

I ended up de-ballasting everything making smoother and it was much better.

anyway enough ranting

Just make sure if you can`t do anything less then test test test before making it permanent.


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## Br 98.75 (Dec 26, 2013)

My kato Eh10 will pull 12 passenger cars up a 4-5% grade it has 8 axels 2 with traction tyres http://www.katomodels.com/product/nmi/eh10_e.shtml


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