Lionel Fastrack Trestle Set Question

If you use the spacers, it makes for about 10 inches between the trestles.  I believe each trestle gives you a half inch rise so that makes a grade of 5% or about 60 inches for the entire ramp.  If you want a more gentle slope, move the trestles farther apart.  My suggestion is to not use the spacers even if you plan to go with a 5% grade.  They are too big of a pain in the neck.

Great, that really helps, thanks!  So I could easily do that across the back portion of the run.

My biggest problem with O gauge so far, coming from HO and N gauge as a kid, is "eyes bigger than my layout" syndrome.  LOL.  You have no idea how many things I've bought, and then realized they don't fit anywhere.  I was trying to avoid that with the trestles and thanks to your help I should be safely able to get them and use them.

I just went through this. I did what you wanted to do and discovered

that a lot of my engines would not pull much up that 5% grade.

So I ended up dropping it to 2.5%

I would suggest putting some 1X or 2X pieces of lumber under the track.

Run a few trains on that grade and see if you like the performance.

You may or may not change your mind but you'll have an idea of what

you are up against...

Is that right? 60" seems short for a 5% grade.

There are 22 trestles in the set.  11 "going up" at 1/2" each, 10" apart... that's 110" for the entire ramp (up), right? 

Your percentage of grade is based on how fast the track rises.  In other words, how long (distance) it takes to go up 5 inches (height).  The longer the grade takes, the lower the percent of grade, etc..  I realize these photos are of MTH track and trestles but this will give you and indication of how big a gradual grade can be.  This layout will accomodate a fairly large train on the elevated loop.  This layout is 8X16'.

A 5% grade inclines 5 inches in 100 inches of travel.  FWIW.

Don, I think you're correct!  My bad.  Thanks for correcting me.

FlaglerSystem,

I am so sorry for the confusion!  This is what I have (The folder dogbone from the FasTrack book).  I have a 6x12 and a good chunk of my "up" ramp is a half circle on one end of the layout.  I have a few straight pieces and then a turnback loop.  (The last trestle in my set is on one of the straights.)  So I save space that is normally taken by a separate "down" ramp.

I have heard that some people have trouble with the 5% grade.  I haven't done a huge amount of running on it yet but I haven't had trouble.  I'm not running long heavy trains either.  It is a 6x12 and shorter trains still look better.

What size layout do you have planned?

Just a 4x8 layout for me right now.  Looks like they won't work after all, if it's 110" to get up to 5" and another 110" down.

The link to my track plain is here:

http://www.thortrains.net/marx/148ff1.jpg

Thanks!

It will make the up/down runs longer, but you can use two sets of trestles and cut the grade to 2.5% fairly easy. Just use some bass wood to make 1/4in spacers under one set of pier pieces. Use the regular spacing and alternate them with the 'standard' piers.

Calling the lowest pier 'A' you would have 'A' - 'A+spacer' - 'B' - 'B+spacer' - 'C' - 'C+spacer' and so on.

You might be better off just adding a separate elevated loop...that way you can still use your bridge(s) and you won't have to deal with the issues associated with trains trying to climb that steep a grade.

Rick 

This is exactly what I have done. My grade is pretty much all part of a .060 curve. In the pic, I actually started the downward part of the descent at the far end of the bridge as shown, using shims under trestle bents, and the bridge piers of the same height to reduce the % of the overall grade. 

This method does take up quite a bit of real estate. From the start of the bridge section, to the point where the track reaches its' farthest point away from the bridge is about 9 feet. So with the return track descending the loop, and the added track required for the loop itself, I've probably used up well over 20 feet of track. My upper level is about 7" higher than the lower, so this grade ends up somewhere under 3%. In my opinion, about a 4 to 4 1/2% grade would be the max that I would feel comfortable with. Anything greater, not only would be a challenge for some engines, but also wouldn't look all that good.

REV 

I am in the process of removing my graduated trestles.  I am replacing them with Woodland Scenics risers and incline sets.  It will be more time consuming but I am hoping it will look better when I am done.

Last month's "Classic Toy Trains" has a diagram for an up-and-over layout in 4X8--but that's with O-31, I believe. Would have to expand your table a little if using Fastrack, but might still be worth checking out.