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Question on transitions to steep grades

2779 Views 13 Replies 7 Participants Last post by  Big John, 
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I am building my railroad using the Richard Smith system of elevated 2x4 platforms. The area in my back yard that is the sight of my railroad has a very steep drop in elevation. From the high end to the low end 50 feet away there is a 6 foot drop. I plan to make a large portion of the railroad level and my platforms will be elevated from a low of 6 inches off the ground to a high of 3 feet off the ground. I plan to have a logging operation in the lowest area with a Bachmann Shay and Heisler pulling log loads up to the highest portion where the saw mill will be located. What is the steepest grade I can use with these engines that can pull at least three log cars and a caboose up from the tree cutting area to the saw mill? Also, how do I make the transition into the steep grade from the low level platform and out of the top of the grade to the high level platform? I don't want the engine to look awkard entering and leaving the grade section. I don't want to hit the cow catcher going up the grade or push the nose in the air comming down off the grade. Any recommendations would be appreciated. I have pictures of my area but I haven't been able to post them yet. Still trying.

John
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Does a switchback have a switch track at each end of the track run. I am envisioning a straight track that drops at a 4% grade and passes a switch that has a lead as long as the train. Then I would throw the switch and run the train backward down a parallel track at the same 4% grade and pass another switch that has a lead as long as the train. Then I throw that switch and proceed down the last leg of the final parallel track running down at a 4% grade to my final destination. That would give me three times the length (about 100') to drop the required distance. Is my awkard description about what a switchback would look like and work correct?

John
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Yes Richard I have adopted your system completely and will be using a ladder roadbed. One thing I have done is nail the wire screen on the bottom of the 2x4 frames in some areas. That gives me a soil depth of 5" instead of the 1.5" in the standard areas. I have a friend who is a Master Gardener in Delaware and she is going to help me with the plants. Her suggestion to increase the soil depth in certain areas will make it possible to greatly increase the plants I can put on the railroad. She also gave me some two gallon plastic pots to use for trees such as Dwarf Alberta Spruces. I plan to install a pot permanently in the framework. A second pot with soil and the plant will just be dropped into the first one. When winter comes I will pull out the tree with its pot and "Heel it in" (her terminology) so it will survive the cold weather. I also plan to put in a drip irrigation system for the major plants. I just have to learn how to post pictures. I don't know if my descriptions are clear.

John
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When I made my frames I spaced the 2x4 cross pieces 16" on center. What I plan is to install a short 2x4 between the cross pieces and essentially form a small box. When I attach the screen on the bottom side of this box the area supported by it will not be larger than 14 1/2" long by 8" wide. I also plan to have two 1"x1" braces evenly spaced under the screen running across the 8" width. These braces will be screwed to the botton of the 2x4 frame members. I could even run the screen under the entire 1 1/2" thickness of the 2x4's and bring it up the sides of the boxed in area a few inches when I nail it in place. I think this will be strong enough to support that small size pocket of soil. The majority of the platform will only be 1 1/2" deep. I will let you know in about a year how well it holds up.

John
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After mulling it over I have decided to remove the ten platforms I already installed on posts and start over. I plan to remove about a foot of soil from the highest point and run my platforms down a 1% grade for the first 30 feet and then transition to a 4% grade for the last 50 feet. That should drop my last platform around 2 1/2 feet lower than the highest platform. This will bring it down to a managable 4 feet above the ground rather than almost 7 feet above the ground. I will have to raise and level the track in the areas on the platform where I need it to be level such as in my freight yard. I should have hired a better engineer at the start of this program. That's what I get for trying to save money using cheep help, an old retired engineer namely myself. I have pictures and someday I will post them when I learn how.

John
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