49 Building Inclines on your Model Railway

[@jedlahaye4765]

I have done somewhat similar to yourself but my layout is openframed, so the upstands are different, very well explained and cleared up a few gray areas for me, many thanks from down under in Wairoa New Zealand

[@DonegalDadRail]

Thank you, glad you found it helpful.

[@singningwongho]

Just about to start adding inclines to my railway. Thanks for the informative video. Well explained. Thank you.

[@DonegalDadRail]

Glad it was helpful!

[@Detsteve]

Good info Mark. Nice step by step presentation. Thanks!

[@DonegalDadRail]

Thanks Detsteve

[@kevinsharp6323]

well done, very clear, also from NZ.

[@DonegalDadRail]

Thank you and thanks for watching.

[@mikesimmons8762]

(June 2023) Regardless of the degree of incline always use at least two screws, one on each side of the riser or joint when screwing the roadbed from the top down. This will allow for future adjustment or removal with out tearing up the track. Well done.

[@DonegalDadRail]

Thanks Mike, good tip.

[@a.r.a.railroad]

Very useful video :) I've got an incline to put into my layout (not started yet, but VERY soon!) as I'm building a lower level so my young daughter can see the trains without having to stand on things (and also to double as a storage yard for my rolling stock). I've ordered a 3% slope from Woodland Scenics and I'm hoping that isn't too steep :) Cheers

[@DonegalDadRail]

Glad it was helpful, 3% should be ok for most stuff do some testing before you fit it into place. Will be doing another video soon on inclines on my latest build. Thanks for watching.

[@nigelweir3852]

Nice to see you have a utube channel

[@DonegalDadRail]

Thanks Nigel

[@ModelTrainOutsider]

Nice video, Mark. Well explained and relevant.

[@DonegalDadRail]

Thank you Anthony

[@theangelsmodellingandrailways]

Hi Mark, great info on the different values for creating an incline, yours looks perfect. Thanks again, all the best. Brian

[@DonegalDadRail]

Thanks Brian.

[@moorlandmodelrailwayandy]

Hi Mark I'm catching up on videos. Very well explained mate. In the end I decided to buy the 2% woodland scenics risers to get mine right. Atb Andy

[@DonegalDadRail]

Thanks Andy

[@normanrowe2831]

Hi ya Mark, very interesting and informative. Thanks. See ya.

[@DonegalDadRail]

Thank you Norman

[@steve87thpsap]

Very well explained

[@DonegalDadRail]

Thank you Steve

[@johanswanepoelswanies7483]

Great thank you 🙏🏻

[@DonegalDadRail]

Thank you Johan

[@johanswanepoelswanies7483]

@@DonegalDadRail no worries mate , you are doing some real practical stuff that folk can enjoy. 👍🏻

[@DonegalDadRail]

I'm glad you are enjoying it, thanks for the positive feedback.

[@captainarwhal4548]

THANK YOU SO MUCH THIS HELPED MY LAYOUT A LOT!!!!1 (Darn caps lock)

[@DonegalDadRail]

You are welcome, glad it was of use to you.

[@AyebeeMk2]

Hornby track plans book reckon between "1:16 - 1:21" is shallow enough ratio;; you ratio (1:59) is way more shallow, can I ask where you got your number from?

[@DonegalDadRail]

Hi I used the available run I had a to work out what ratio I could used. I did another video on inclines kzbin.info/www/bejne/anm3YYyfoZJrsLs it might explain it better. Thanks for watching.

[@AyebeeMk2]

thanks for the further info, due to my limited space I am looking for the capabilities of the models to accend which gradient: this will be a trial and error for me to resolve. This also the first time I have looked at including an incline and as usual there is more to it than you first think. thanks again.@@DonegalDadRail

[@Mike-fx1eu]

Nice!!!!

[@DonegalDadRail]

Thank you Mike

[@TeamDriveBy]

What about banking on inclines are there equations for lateral degrees on radius inclines etc. ?

[@DonegalDadRail]

Hi TeamDriveBy. Do you mean doing super elevation on the curves? This is achieved by putting some 1mm to 2mm plasticard under the outside rail. Remember with curves the incline changes on the inside and outside tracks because of the distance travelled.

[@TeamDriveBy]

@@DonegalDadRail Fantasic thank you. It’s just the outer oval with not a huge incline but wanting to run HST, class 800 etc and not see them take flight.

[@martinwalsh3228]

Reopening of the Western Rail Corridor must be freight to Killybegs.

[@DonegalDadRail]

👍👍

[@martinwalsh3228]

@@DonegalDadRail Watch Former Fine Geal Leader Enda Kenny programme on railways on Monday nights @ 8:30p.m. on RTE 1 watch 1st programme on RTE player.

[@JamesSmith-mv9fp]

GRADIENTS CAUSE SERIOUS OPERATIONAL PROBLEMS !!! As I'm modelling a real life location to scale, for my 87ft x 25ft exhibition layout, I have real life 1 in 100 gradients that require a 25ft long, straight length, just to climb 3 inches ! And despite that, 80% of my STEAM loco fleet, of over 100 locos, required additional (lead shot) weight adding internally, to get them to haul real life loads up this gentle gradient. (Max 12/13 coaches for my Bulleid Pacifics and other large locos). None of my DIESEL or the odd 3rd rail ELECTRIC locos had any problems out of the packet on MY gradient. Because oddly these are all stuffed with weight as new, whereas many of the steam locos are half empty inside !!! BUT, the problem of gradients is made far worse as few British outline models have TRACTION TYRES. European & Japanese ranges generally include at least 2 TRACTION TYRES on each loco, which at least DOUBLES their hill climbing abilities ! As many home layouts use gradient as steep as 1 in 20, (1 inch UP, for every 20 inches lengthwise) which is much steeper than ANY British railway line, even the dreaded Devon Banks or the notorious Lickey Incline near Bromsgrove Birmingham. Which means that even your Diesel and Electric locos are going to have trouble, hauling probably more than 5-7 coaches on such a gradient. BEWARE - If your gradients include CURVES, this effectively makes the gradient MUCH steeper. TEST TEST & TEST AGAIN. If considering gradients, then do a QUICK TEST, using something like a long plank of wood, with some track tacked to it, and measure the gradient before testing each loco and the coaches/wagons you need it to haul. If you don't, you are likely going to waste hundreds of hours of work, and thousands of pounds in costs, building a layout which WON'T WORK !!!!! Good Luck, and Happy Modelling.

[@DonegalDadRail]

Hi James I do find that modern models offer better traction being heavier and having more driven wheels. Some of my old tender driven can barely pull 3 coaches up an incline. Have you though about using DCC Concepts PowerBase?

[@JamesSmith-mv9fp]

@@DonegalDadRail As a real railway Locomotive Mechanical Engineer I have no problems getting my modern Hornby steam locos to pull 12/13 car trains up 1 in 100 gradients. I simpy re-engineer the models a little, so they work as well as all my scratch & kit built brass locos, and pull real life loads. I have been building large International exhibition layouts for 40+ years, and being a real railway engineer, have learnt a few tricks. Re-read my original post which includes tips about the problems of gradients, and avoids spending large amounts of money on such things as the "DCC Powerbase", by simply adding lead shot internally to each steam loco. As a professional railwayman I would never entertain DCC, which is okay for a home layout, but cannot comply with many of the real railway rules of operation & signalling. I have therefore used a real life wiring method called BR Solid State Interlocking, combined with BR Track Circuit Block multi aspect signalling on all my exhibition layouts. This electrical system is of course only around 10% of the cost of DCC, but requires me to design the solid state panels & circuitry before I then build them. All of which runs on 12v DC. Happy modelling 😝.