graduated trestle

Which manufacturers set?

Lionel has 11 and MTH has 12 to the climb. tubular set to 4.75", FasTrack to 5.5" MTH 6.5" MTH lists a 4.7% slope. Lionel would be close.

Both are rather steep.

MTH has a graduated set for Fastrack as well as for there own product, Realtrax, which I think are the same slope.

MTH states when using their trestles with Fastrack to put one every 10 inches at the ends of the track where the joiners are for straights.  Its different if there are curves involved, but you can trust your eye or use a level to get angle right 

Lionel has graduated trestles for postwar O and O27 track as well as Fastrack.

There is also "foam" solution by one of the scenic companies you can use as well.

What kind of track are you trying to raise?

I am trying to elevate tubular Lionel track. I plan to use wooden "studs" and 1/4 inch plywood on top of the "studs" and then the track on top of the plywood. It would all be finished off as a hill/mountain. I want to begin the climb with the last O-72 curve just prior to the straight tracks. Your thoughts?

How much right of way do you have to build the ramp?

What length train do you intend to use the grade?

How much of the grade will be tangent?

How much rail head to bottom of overpass clearance do you need?

The lower track which will be passed over; will it be possible to depress the lower track somewhat to help in the grade effort?

Have you considered using Ceder shingle shims to initiate your grade?

My trestles are still in school.

Thank you, I'll be here all week.  Tip your waitstaff.

Early track work got a 3.8% grade.  Here is a picture, (1/2) the MTH graduate set of piers. Off the bridge the grade continues around an O-54 1/2 curve.

Tom,

I used 1/4" per foot, for about 2% grade (.25/12 = 0.0208). I made risers that were in 1/8" steps, and spaced them six inches apart.

(Click on the pictures for clearer details)

These were the risers/spacers for one grade.

This was the area for one of the graded tracks. (I painted the background before I did anything else, and was very glad I did so.)

This is how it looks now.

Good luck!

Alex

I just measure the height of grey arch Lionel tubular trestles #D, #E, & #F. The difference was 1/2". The difference may be less on #A to #B to #C or the last letters(?) because of the need to ease into, or off of a grade and not affect the coupling height by tilting the lead truck in a coupled pair fwd or back.

If you may own an electric loco in the future, or have tall cars like an Evans auto loader, or a rocket launching car, you will need a little more head room than they provide at full height but some extra base shims do wonders

 Personally I'd shoot for 6.75" ground to track bottom, or track support low points. After 0-27 track raises the loco off the ground, that leaves about 6.25" for headroom.

Tom5789,

I see from your first post(welcome to the forum) that you are building a perimeter layout.

Answering Tom Tee's questions will help you plan the grade.

You can have a lower rise and still have a good effect if the rise, level and descent are against the wall.

You really need some length. You may have to start in the curve and end in the other curve to have the needed length.

If you will have it passing over another track, now you must go higher for clearance of the lower train. 

Ingenerio gave you the formula. Tubular track straight lengths, you know. An 072 curve is about 14.13", an 054 curve is about 10.51" and an 042 is 10.67" in length.

Now, you can determine the total length of the track in question and calculate your slope based on the height needed.

You can see how curves help, because they are longer than straights.

Grade (Percent) = Rise / Run X 100 

Run = Rise/Grade (Percent) X 100

Smaller layouts it's tough to get those grades down to 2%.  

I used a minimum between levels of about 7+" and the Run stretched out to well over 15 ft including curves.

Example: 3.8% grade =  7"/184.21"(15.35 ft) X 100 

Oh, one trestle goes at every track joint. I like extras in the curves to handle my heavy GG-1 and Hudson while pulling die cast metal PW.

 Modern made 3ft sections of 0-27 will survive med-light trains without support in the middle, but looks a bit silly without girder bridges, or the like.  

From the OP 2 days ago:

"I am trying to elevate tubular Lionel track. I plan to use wooden "studs" and 1/4 inch plywood on top of the "studs" and then the track on top of the plywood. It would all be finished off as a hill/mountain. I want to begin the climb with the last O-72 curve just prior to the straight tracks. Your thoughts?"

Tom

You mention that you will start the climb right after the last curve. you can have the curve as part of the climb so my suggestion to to back up the start of the climb as far as you can to minimize the grade.

One thing you do not mention is what type of trains and consist you will operate over this route.  If you are planning to run short trains of 8-10 cars and your engines will have traction tires then you will be able to get away with a steeper grade. If you are running postwar and magne-traction then definitely less grade is better. If you are running logging engines like the Shay or Climax then more grade is typical.

Steve

You must mean without Magnetraction, or this is a "mileage may vary" thing.

 My magne-traction pulmore rectifier, and a MT 2037 steamer are my best up a hard grade. That's out of my 20 locos. The plain wheel Hudson the best on level ground. The Berk jr with tire is real close though, and does do the best well loaded down on slight grades. The Berk Jr is the biggest traction tire loco I have though.   

Thanks Moonman, I did have this confused will another thread. I had sort of merged the two in my head.

  I got the mention of the trestles heights again from your post I think, decided to go look for myself, and shared the result, along with what I've done, for comparison. But as written, it was directed more at the other thread

 It sounds like a good plan from a visual standpoint. A curves beginning is where I began mine because I wanted to fit a long level straight with girder bridges butted to a steel overhead truss bridge. But I was pleasantly surprised how much I liked the locos beginning to rise in the curve that way, and only wish I could have used wider curves.