Logging grades.

[KentBy]

I have retested my Heisler and converted to max percent grade without spinning the wheels.

Tested on straight track
Engine with zero cars.... 11.4
with one car....... 8.0
with two cars..... 5.9
with three cars... 4.9
with four cars..... 4.0
with five cars..... 3.3
with six cars...... 2.1
with seven cars.. 2.1
with eight cars... 2.1

Tested on 18" curve track
Engine with two cars..... 7.5
with four cars.... 5.1
with six cars...... 3.0
with seven cars.. 3.0
with eight cars... 3.0

Tested on 15" curve track
Engine with two cars........ 6.6
with six cars......... 2.6
with seven cars..... 2.6

With this testing I think that I can use 1 to 2 percent grade on curves and 2 to 3 percent on straight section.

I put the conversion for degrees to percent grade into excel to figure all this numbers out. Then I got to looking at my level and it has a button to convert to percent grade on it.

Kent

[pgandw]

Results really look pretty good. Interesting that it does better on curves than on straight. Must be the extra friction the wheels are able to generate rubbing against the rail sides. I'm guessing that the track gauge on your straight track is the wide end of the NMRA tolerances. I wonder if straight track closer to the narrow end of the tolerances (ME flex track) would increase traction slightly. An experiment I'll have to try soon.

Thanks for the report.

[NIevo]

Originally Posted by pgandw

Results really look pretty good. Interesting that it does better on curves than on straight. Must be the extra friction the wheels are able to generate rubbing against the rail sides. I'm guessing that the track gauge on your straight track is the wide end of the NMRA tolerances. I wonder if straight track closer to the narrow end of the tolerances (ME flex track) would increase traction slightly. An experiment I'll have to try soon.

Thanks for the report.

I think the testing for the curves was done on level track? Otherwise I think he would have listed the grade for the curved test.

[KentBy]

On a 4x8 sheet of 1/2 plywood with 1/2 inch of foam on top. I setup an oval of sectional track with straight on the side and curved across the top and bottom. The first piece of curve track is 18" and all the other curves are 15".

I just check the track with my gauge and the 18" curve has some tight spots in it, but the straight and 15" pieces look OK.

Now for my testing I put blocks of wood under one end of the plywood and started out really high. Ran the test and measured the angles.
Keep in mind that the angle on the curved sections were measured with the level being parallel to the ends to that section and the thickness of the wood under the end is not guaranteed to be perfectly level, but the angle that I measured was at the place in the track that the engine was at. Another thing to keep in mind is that when the engine enters the curved track the cars are still in the straight track. I don't know how to judge that.

Another thing to keep in mind is that my blocks don't represent all possible angle. I didn't publish the numbers I got from "slips a little", "Slips some", "slips a lot" and "spins/stalled".

I have those numbers if you want to see them, but I thought that the only important one is the one without spinning the wheels.

Kent

[Triplex]

Also I will be doing some testing on how to make a engine turn-around at the top of my logging site, or should I just run the engine backwards on the return trip?

Geared engines could run equally fast (er... slow) in either direction. You don't need to turn it.

[Jim Krause]

Switchbacks and reverse running were the order of the day on most logging lines. Most logging operations didn't even have turntables. Maybe a wye somewhere if there was room enough. On steep grades, the loco's were usually operated with the front of the locomotive upgrade in order to keep water over the boiler crownsheet.

[Mountain Man]

Two quick thoughts:

1. Did you balance your engine? To much weight forward or aft will affect the tractive ability.

2. I think they make traction tires to help model locos "make the grade" Have you considered those?

Good luck with your layout.

[KentBy]

Originally Posted by Mountain Man

Two quick thoughts:

1. Did you balance your engine? To much weight forward or aft will affect the tractive ability.

The Heisler is straight out of the box. I did 1/2 hour run in and then started testing.

Originally Posted by Mountain Man

2. I think they make traction tires to help model locos "make the grade" Have you considered those?

Good luck with your layout.

I would be wondering if I would loose electrical contact if I used rubber on any of my tires.

I could get out my file and convert it to a cogged line.

Kent