How step can gradients be made

rcaptain17

New member
Just wondering how step in % pecentage can a gradient of a hill be made so when in driver a train climbs it without struggling?:)

Regards
Rcaptain17
 
It depends on what train you are going to use depends on the gradient. If you use a loco that's not very powerful (like the Stephenson's Rocket for example), don't make the gradient too steep. For a more powerful loco (such as a SD40-2), you can use a steeper gradient. Experiment with different locos with different gradients and see what you get. And also remember that you got to take into account of what that loco is going to pull up the hill.

Hope that helps :) .
 
In real life it is rare for a track gradient to be more than 2.00 percent. Anything over 1.00 percent is considered a major grade for most railroad operations. An average grade would be somewhere around .40
 
Making a steeper grade in a route can offer interesting operating challenges. In the real world, steep grades usually cause the railroad to have operational and financial difficulties. The Colorado Midland had grades around 4% and it effectivly killed them in the long run (the weather didn't help either). The Uintah railroad (3ft gauge) had 7.5% grades and 66 degree curves (thats sharper then 18 inch radius in HO scale).

Ben
 
And remember going up might be ok but coming back down is harder as the weight and motion will make the consist harder to stop if it stops at all.
 
the scenic railroad at Cass West Va, formerly the Mower lumber co. has like curves that are near, or sharper than 66 degrees, and the highest grade on that line is 11%:eek:
Cheers,
Sean
 
Thanks Guys

Thanks for the information and thanks John259 for that interesting link about the spiral railway tunnells in Canada.

Rcaptain17
 
In short it vaires.

It depends on the railroad and the locos. For mainline track 3% grade is STEEP and won't be seen very often. Like Tehachapi pass this kind of grade will cuase some very serious struggling out of the locos. On a short line or logging line the grades can be much steeper. It was said of the shay locomotives that they could pull a train up a 15% grade; and they would, just not a very long train.:D

In Trainz I try to keep in mind the terrain I'm building through Mountains tend to have steeper grades than the gentle slopes of the parries and so on.
 
Hello-
In regaurds to track elevation, I live next to the B&A. (Boston and Albany) on CSX's Berkshire Subdivision. Through the villiage I live in the track graidiant is between .04-.70 in a 6 mile distant. Trains are always pulling hard Eastbound and Westbounds are in Dynamics the whole way. The roulling grade on the line is at in a town called Washington, and there the tracks on the east side is 1.2% for a few miles, the west side of the grade is much steeper. 1.8%, this dont seem like a lot but train tonnage is not to exeed 9000 tons, due to the sharp curves and steep grades.
 
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