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Reply to "Standard Gauge climbing grades?"

General rule of thumb for original SG/Wide gauge... Train size (#of cars) is HALVED for every 1% of grade in order to maintain a constant speed.  Universal wound brushed AC motors do not have tons of torque and so depend on inertia to get a running start at grades. Inertia + tight curves= Bad   The tractive effort is helped by the weight on the drivers.  As the motors heat up, torque goes down. I had a 1.6% grade on one side(1.8% on the other!)  of the layout and a climb of 8.5".  Most trains, operating with the cars that were in the set, would be struggling as they crested the grade. Adding a car or two would require a run at the grade to make the crest at all.  Goin downgrade...Different story.  Spooky to see trains pick up that much speed on the grade.  Even with throttle moderation... wow!   Again, this is ORIGINAL prewar.  MTH and Lionel Classics are a different story.... modern drivetrains (can motor(s) and traction tires) are a step change again.  BEWARE the additional wear in the gear train due to grades.

OGR Publishing, Inc., 1310 Eastside Centre Ct, Suite 6, Mountain Home, AR 72653
800-980-OGRR (6477)
www.ogaugerr.com

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