Gradients and Track Height

[llebrez]

The incline tram at Hong Kong is a cable operated... tram (two cars going up and the other down). As I understand still in operation today.

 

[Tokkyu40]

The steepest adhesion branch line I know about is the Hakone-Tozen in Japan, which has several stretches of 80/1000 (8%).
Here in America, there are a few trolley lines that use 10% grades on bridge approaches or when moving between surface and elevated sections.

Claude

 

[jdrtrumpet1]

Though it isn't a mainline railroad, the Cass Scenic Railroad in West Virginia has some sections that go up to 11%, from what I remember.

 

[steamboateng]

That was indeed, a cog railway in Hong Kong. It went up a mountain and led to a tower with a quite scenic overlook of Hong Kong Island to East and mainland China to the West. Had an exellent restaurant there too, if my failing memory serves me right! Don't know if that's still there, it's all Peoples Republic now.
Regards.....
steamboat

 

[HiBaller]

All those adhesion lines are pikers compared to the Darjeeling Himalayan Railroad. Gradients there approach 18% in places.

When our route is done, you will get to experience them.

Bill

 

[RPearson]

Bill, I think the 18% quoted for that switchback is an error. I wrote the web site posting the data and questioned that but never got a reply back. I couldn't negotiate that section with an engine spec designed to the rated power of the little 0-4-0 class b locos. I had to increase it substanally. In any case I think it is physically impossible for a normal train pulled by a class b to restart on that kind of grade if it stalled so it could only be topped using a lot of momentum which is diffcult to gain with a required full stop at the bottom of the grade. The max grades on the upper portion of the line at over 5% are impressive enough.

Bob Pearson

 

[HiBaller]

It could very well be Bob. I 'eyeballed' it using a good picture and a protractor and couldn't come up with more than an 8 or 9 percent grade. As you say, the Northern portion with 3 and 4 percent grades is impressive enough.

Bill

 

[narrowgauge]

I think that the original figures were expressed as 18:1 for the grades and somehow became 18% in the literature.

From memory, 18:1 was the steepest section with 22:1 - 24:1 being common. An example of a 7% grade is the main 2ft gauge trestle just before the lower mine on the Northbay route and the DHR does not approach that.

Cheers

Peter

 

[pdwood]

Gradients - what format in Surveyor

Hi

Sorry to be totally ignorant, but use ing the calculator for gradients as follows:

Results (for Flåmsbana in Norway)

1 in
%
°

Which of these figures does one enter into the "gradient" box to get the correct gradient in Trainz Surveyor??

Please enlighten me!
Thanks

pdw

 

[Dermmy]

http://forums.auran.com/trainz/showthread.php?t=83325