My layout will be two decks. The lower will be staging, the upper on display. Assuming perfectly straight grades, what's the steepest I can get away with into and out of the staging? I'm not worried about scale appearance b/c the ramps will be hidden. I will run DCC so there will be full voltage available regardless of throttle setting.
Max grade into and out of staging? (N)
- Thread starter Rigby
- Start date
SpaceMouse
Fun Lover
The determining factor is this: Can you pull your staging length train out with the loco pulling it easily. You have no option for helper service if it is hidden.
Buy a bunch of track and fix it to a board. Build your train and raise the board 1" at a time until it doesn't pull. Then drop it back until you are comfortable.
No you have your answer. There is no set rule of thumb. If you want a rule of thumb it's like the layout 2%.
Buy a bunch of track and fix it to a board. Build your train and raise the board 1" at a time until it doesn't pull. Then drop it back until you are comfortable.
No you have your answer. There is no set rule of thumb. If you want a rule of thumb it's like the layout 2%.
pcarrell
Just a guy
Chip's right......the train length, number of loco's on the point (or cut in the middle / pushing), the drag of the cars (weight of cars and friction of trucks), and whether your loco's are traction tire equipped will have lots to do with your answer.
2% is a good max, but you can go more by altering one or more of the above factors.
You could also assume that all trains from staging are coming from and going to helper zones. This way all trains going to or coming from staging have extra pulling power added to them. If your layout is large enough you could bring them up from staging, cut the extra power at a small yard, then work the layout. When it's time to go back to staging the trains either go to the same yard or even better, another yard to have more loco's added to the consist before the go to staging.
2% is a good max, but you can go more by altering one or more of the above factors.
You could also assume that all trains from staging are coming from and going to helper zones. This way all trains going to or coming from staging have extra pulling power added to them. If your layout is large enough you could bring them up from staging, cut the extra power at a small yard, then work the layout. When it's time to go back to staging the trains either go to the same yard or even better, another yard to have more loco's added to the consist before the go to staging.
Selector
Well-Known Member
I have little to add, but perhaps to add impetus to the idea of building a mock-up grade and doing trials. The whole thing may take you 30 minutes, so it would be a smart investment in time and in observation. Note that I had more success with my little 0-6-0 in pushing mode than in pulling mode in some circumstances. So, vary train configurations and directions to see how things work.
By the way, and if this is already clear to you please ignore the observation, a grade of a given difficulty is going to be as problematic in one gauge as in another. In other words, a grade is the same everywhere and in all scales, so your thread title offering the grade seems to suggest that you feel the grade matters. It doesn't.
By the way, and if this is already clear to you please ignore the observation, a grade of a given difficulty is going to be as problematic in one gauge as in another. In other words, a grade is the same everywhere and in all scales, so your thread title offering the grade seems to suggest that you feel the grade matters. It doesn't.
Thank you, I think I will build the grade tester. As far as the gauge designation, in an early thread a replying poster suggested I include the designation. Only costs a couple of keys; I figure I'll just include it.
In this instance it might matter though - do the loco's and cars scale in mass in a linear relationship? I would think that a n-scale loco that is nominally .55 the size of an HO loco might weigh considerable less and therefore generate less tractive effort before the wheels slip. OTOH, maybe motor strength is the definitive criterion in which case I would think that the n scale train may do better on a bigger grade b/c there will be relatively less mass.
In this instance it might matter though - do the loco's and cars scale in mass in a linear relationship? I would think that a n-scale loco that is nominally .55 the size of an HO loco might weigh considerable less and therefore generate less tractive effort before the wheels slip. OTOH, maybe motor strength is the definitive criterion in which case I would think that the n scale train may do better on a bigger grade b/c there will be relatively less mass.
pcarrell
Just a guy
You're right in that because N scale loco's weigh less they offer less pulling power. The grade is the same no matter the scale, but it's effect on the equipment run on it does differ. Conversely, they are pulling less weight too (the cars are smaller too, so they have less mass). In the end, N scale is at a disadvantage though. Thats why traction tires are so popular in N and less so in other scales, though you still se them.
SpaceMouse
Fun Lover
As if you don't have enough variable, each engine, even the same make and model, has different pulling power so you have to go by your weakest.
On top of that, the rolling quality of N scale freight cars varies tremendously depending on make, model, and when it was made. HO scale cars are generally very similar in rolling qualities except for some tht are very free rolling - I have a Trix reefer I use to test for unwanted grades because it will start rolling on abut a .01% grade. 
On friend's N scale layouts, I've seen everything from very free rolling cars to cars I thought must have had the wheels glued to sides of the trucks. This is all fixable, of course, but it may not be all fixable at once so your N scale engines may have a tougher time on a grade with the same number of cars than an HO engine.
On friend's N scale layouts, I've seen everything from very free rolling cars to cars I thought must have had the wheels glued to sides of the trucks. This is all fixable, of course, but it may not be all fixable at once so your N scale engines may have a tougher time on a grade with the same number of cars than an HO engine.