New engine connection and controller?

[Christine]

Hi,
I have a Chattanooga set and want to add a trestle set to my layout.  Can I just add a similar engine or do I need to use a different controller for two engines?  I'm concerned that the current engine will not pull the existing cars up the trestle. 
This is my first train set and I don't know what I don't know.
TIA.

[trainman203]

1. Keep the gradient slope as low as possible .  New model Railroaders often forget this necessity and create ridiculous grades that nothing can go up.

2.  Shorten the train to the length to what can go up the grade

This is how real railroads met those real problems in real life.

[trainman203]

Identical engines ought to run with one "power pack," what "controllers" are called.  The issue will be that even identical engines will have slight variations in speed, and will pull and jerk on each other and provide jerky operation.

[trainman203]

One other thing. Someone that knows more than me will have to amplify this comment, but that particular engine with the Chattanooga set for a long time came with a dummy coupler on the front of the engine. Bachmann has upgraded that lately, but this may not be an upgraded engine.  I'm just not familiar enough with the set to know. If it does have a dummy coupler, instead of an operating knuckle coupler like everything else on the train, the operating coupler behind the tender ("coal car") of the lead engine may not mate with the dummy coupler on the front of the Second Engine.

I invite a more knowledgeable reader to elaborate on this.  Just be aware of a potential issue before you buy.

[Terry Toenges]

The one in Bachmann's video has the dummy front coupler. The other pics I've seen on the web still show the dummy coupler in front.
If you  have the room, you could get two trestle sets to "spread out" the grade so it's not as steep. Like two 1/2" then two 1" then then two 1 1/2" etc. I'm not sure how much the height difference is between each one. I just used 1/2" as an example.

[jward]

The USRA 0-6-0 locomotive that power the CHattanooga set will pull about 3 cars up a 4% grade. That is the steepest I recommend going, as any steeper will make this locomotive practically unusable. Unfortunately, using the EZ track trestle set as designed will result in a grade of 5.6%. To get the grade down, you can either use two of the pier sets as Terry has suggested, shimming the second piers of each size to get an even grade. Or you could use the incline sets from Woodland scenics, which come in grades of 2%, 3% and 4%.

As a practical matter regarding grades, on a 3% grade, your locomotive will pull about 1/3 what it will pull on level track, on 4% that pulling power drops to 1/6. A 3% grade works out to about1/4" rise per full track section (the 9" straight, 18" curve and 22" curve are surprisingly close in overall length) and a 4% grade is 3/8" per section. SInce the minimum clearance for one track to bridge another is 3" this works out to 12 and 9 sections of track respectively that must be on the upgrade. This is a handy way of looking at a plan and estimating how steep the grades will be, and if it is a workable plan.
 

[Terry Toenges]

Thanks. I  forgot about adding the shims.