I need some help here. I'm modifying a section of my layout to include a transition from subway to elevated line. Unfortunately I do not have a lot of room to do this, so the grade will be steep. Do any of you subway guys have any experience with this? I plan on replacing traction tires and will run short (4-car) trains.

Thanks in advance for your input!

--Elliot

I don't do grades. Just lower a base section of the layout. This saves space and you will not have to change any traction tires. Besides,MTH Long Premier's slip on a flat straight surface pulling 6 cars anyway.

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Thanks, Steve for your reply. That's what I thought. I think I may have to go back to the drawing board on this one. Has anyone else tried using even a low 2% grade?

--Elliot

One things for sure, after seeing the trains slow down on the approach to the helix at the club, when I build a home layout I will make sure the grades are no more than they should be. The biggest problem is when you run multiple trains on the same track. The one on the hill will slow down and the ones behind creep up on it. The only reason I was able to run six, seven subways on the red line at 120mph was because of the layouts size. The seventh train was a single R26 that Ben put TMCC in. 0-150 in less than a second.

I've always heard that about 4% was the absolute max any of the subways could handle - but this was only the better earlier models - R-21s, R17s etc. My R62s could barely handle flat straights! Come upon a curve, and they would start spinning their wheels - no grades! I'm hoping one of these days MTH will come out with a replacement truck - with wheels like boxcars and side frames that look like subway frames. The trucks on the dummies just have too much weight and way too much drag.

My subway to el design is for 3.5%. Chris is correct about the old models. The new ones may have a little difficulty making the climb.

Thanks, Joe. I think I've settled on a shallow 3% grade to accomplish what I want to do. Together with Steve's suggestion to lower a portion of my benchwork, even my R62's made it up the hill! Of course, I only ran a 4 car train on a temporary incline. Knowing my luck, when I go through the expense and time to finish this project, they won't budge!

--Elliot