# Incline confusion



## Ml-toys (Dec 19, 2013)

I did a search for incline and saw that 2 and 3% are common for 100 feet. What i am not sure is exactly what it means.
I will be doing a second level of foam that is 1 1/2 inches higher than base level.

Is there a height to length chart that would give the best dimensions.
Such as if you go one inch high then your incline will be xx inches long.


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## waltr (Aug 15, 2011)

Yes 2 to 3% "Grade" is the maximum recommended (the 100 feet is meaningless in this context).
To use the 100 foot notation: a 2% grade is 2 foot rise in 100 foot run. The very simple math is:
'Rise' divided by 'run' times 100 to get the grade in percent (%grade = 100 * rise/run).
A chart really isn't needed since the math is simple. However, you could make your own chart easily with MS Excel or any other Spreadsheet software or even a calculator and pencil & paper.


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## sstlaure (Oct 12, 2010)

Ml-toys said:


> I did a search for incline and saw that 2 and 3% are common for 100 feet. What i am not sure is exactly what it means.
> I will be doing a second level of foam that is 1 1/2 inches higher than base level.
> 
> Is there a height to length chart that would give the best dimensions.
> Such as if you go one inch high then your incline will be xx inches long.


With a 2% grade:

If you climb 1" the length would be 50" (2"/100")

To climb your 1.5" desired height with a 2% grade would take 75" of run.


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## Ml-toys (Dec 19, 2013)

Thank you both, i know understand


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## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)

Don't let anyone tell you 2-3% is "Too Steep For Real Trains", this one pushes 7% on a levee near Lake Providence, LA...


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## Fifer (Apr 21, 2011)

shaygetz said:


> Don't let anyone tell you 2-3% is "Too Steep For Real Trains", this one pushes 7% on a levee near Lake Providence, LA...


Yea but thats not a REAL railroad !!!!
:smilie_auslachen:



Mike


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## ckblum (Nov 28, 2013)

I have 4% on mine, but I have a small layout, 2.5 x 3, so I needed a steep grade to be able to do a double loop of track. I only run short trains, 10-12 cars, GP 38-2 or F9 A and B units.


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## timlange3 (Jan 16, 2013)

Really depends on what you plan to run up (or down) the incline. The more cars the less the incline will need to be. You can put more engines (and mid train helpers) on the train, depends what you are after and trying to model. I did the Gum Stump and Snowshoe RR and had a 10% grade. But using a SW1200 and one 50' box car at most and the length of the incline was 5 car lengths, it worked okay.


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