stepest incline trainsd can climb

[pipefitter]

Here's an interesting configuration from Cincinnati, Ohio, circa 1905. Conventional street cars and other vehicles are transported up and down a tall hill and then continue on their way.

Be sure to click on View full size under each photo to see a hi res image, and make sure to read the comments underneath

http://www.shorpy.com/node/8235

I love the title The Underwear Railroad referring to the clotheslines it passes

http://www.shorpy.com/node/7783

[Doneldon]

TB 16 -

Nice pix.  Thanx for sharin' 'em.

Joe -

Interurbans and trolleys with lines so steep that the cars had to be leveled like in your pic are usually cog railroads or, much less often, cable lines.  I don't know for certain but I suppose it's possible that streetcars could have had a helper mechanism on very steep grades and such a thing would most likely be cable.  Of course, there would have been no effort to level the cars themselves on such trackage.  One sure sign of cabling is double track, or at least a passing section, so one car can counterweight the other, allowing a much smaller electric motor to move the cars.

Many cities also built short tunnels under cross streets to lengthen a grade so street cars could climb the hill unassisted.  I don't know of any of these operating today but I do know that some such tunnels have been turned into streets for regular vehicle traffic.  In the Twin Cities we have one which has single-lane up and down hill streets with the old streetcar grade between, and one uphill and one downhill lane there.  For those of you who care, you can see this on Robert Street, just south of Downtown St. Paul.

                                                                                                -- D

[Kris Everett]

cool

TB16

[Kris Everett]

The 3% and 4% figures shown above are very good and conservative figures, although you will find that whaterver you have for motive power will have its pulling ability reduced dramatically.

In the real world, trains can climb steeper grades than this, but there are severe penalties in reduced tonnage rating and expensive opaeration.  Cass Scenic, for instance, averages 5% on its climb up to Bald Knob, has several places with grades in the 7 to 8% range, has two stretches at 11%, and once had a stretch of 13%!

I've actually tested my Bachmann Shay with a load up an 8% test track, and it pushed up a load relatively easily.  Coming down again was a different story, with slack in the gear mechanism causing a surging in speed, called "bucking."  The engine would start down the grade, almost stop, then break loose and coast rapidly, then almost stall to a stop, and start the process overy again.  Any ideas for cures, even if an 8% grade is rather extreme?

i just reread this

i might have a solution

add more weight to the engine?

ounce by ounce

[Doneldon]

J3a -

I'm not so sure more weight will help.  In fact, it just might make things worse.  But I may have an idea.

Put the Shay in reverse on the downslope but don't give it enough juice to push the train up the hill.  Let the train push the Shay down the hill.  If you install a regenerative braking system you might even be able to send some power back to the grid and save a few bucks on your utility bill.  Hey.  It could work.

                                                                                                             -- D

[Kris Everett]

good point i just figured adding a little more weight will apply more griping force but not enough to stop or hurt the motor