Adriatic posted:4% is pretty steep. You may want to try setting up a 4% with extra track to test your locos, with loads, against the grade. Grades also require a hands on approach; no kicking the feet up to simply watch them loop. (not without command, step down/up blocks, or blocks with separate throttles anyhow)
I've seen all sorts of arguments and loooooong threads about grades.
I know from my own experience as a kid that we used to run figure 8's with a crossover that was WAY steeper than 4%. And all around a curve, no less. After reading through this forum, watching videos, and scouring other model train sites, I'm pretty comfortable with the 4%
Backup plan, if we don't like dealing with "actively" running the trains since it's all conventional, we are just eliminating the redundant switch under the bridge and lowering the bridge to something manageable. At that point, the grade will be just for looks,but that's fine since the second switch doesn't really add that much functionality to the layout. It's more of a convenience to get off the inside line in either direction without having to go around the inside reverse loop first.
Thanks for the tip, though,
