Grades & track length

[Tedshere]

    That's right WGL !!  And that's why I gave up too. Pretty tuff on a 4 X 8 sheet. Especially for someone like me who is just trying to figure out all the intricacies of this hobby to start with.
    Thanks to everyone who has added to this and other topics that have helped me. You've prevented a lot of catastrophes. 

    Ted

[jward]

it is possible to get up and over on a 4x8, and manage to keep the grade to 3%. i've done it in a little more than half that space (4x4.5) without exceeding 4%. imho, the advantages of having grades on any railroad, especially a small one, far outweigh the challenges of planning and building it. i"ll never build a flat railroad.....

put anther way, 100" run equals 11 pieces of track. the standard 18"r, 22"r and straights are all about 9" long. even the most comact figure 8 plan has 11 sections of track on each side of the crossing in the center. and with the incline sets woodland scenics makes, things are alot easier now than they've ever been.

[Doneldon]

Ted-

It depends on your track configuration. If you have a twice around mainline (it would look sort of like double track if it were all flat), start your low point 1.5" below grade and run all of the way around your layout before you get to the high point, directly above the low point, you can keep the grade well under 2%. And the downgrade after the overpass would have the same gentle slope.
                                                             -- D

[Tedshere]

    Thanks to all who have offered their insight here. All very good info. For the most part it's too late for me now to make the changes.
    Since this is my first layout, I've suspected right along that it would be a "practice" layout. That fact is becoming more and more obvious on a daily basis now. Thanks again, you guys are great!!!