Woodland Scenics inclines are pre-moulded foam products designed to help model railway modellers create realistic...
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What is the minimum space required to install a OO gauge incline?
For most modellers, installing an incline can be challenging because they take up so much space, and space is something not many of us have an abundance of. That begs the question - What is the minimum space required to install a OO gauge incline?
Firstly, it should be pointed out that an incline is possible on any sized layout, however, the height that an incline can achieve is another matter. If you only have a small baseboard, only a small increase in height will be possible.
When most modellers think about installing an incline, they probably have a design in mind that takes one track up and over another via the means of a flyover. And that is the scenario we are going to be looking at here.
To take a track up and over another, you will need to raise it approximately 4 inches (10cm). You can conceivably knock a couple of centimetres off that, but 4 inches works with most bridge or tunnel portals, so be prepared to do some alteration or scratch building if reducing clearance.
Next, you have to consider the gradient at which your track will rise. A gradient of 1 in 30 (approximately 3%) or gentler is advised, but 1 in 25 (4%) prefabricated inclines are readily available and suitable for shorter trains or lighter consists, so we'll use that for our calculations as we are studying minimal requirements here.
Taking into account everything above, a 4% incline will require 100 inches (just over 8 ft or 2.5m) to achieve the height required to pass over another track. Now, before you get too excited, don't forget you will need the same distance again to bring the track back down to baseboard level, that's 16 ft of baseboard in total plus a bridge!
That measurement is the minimum space requirement that any manufacturer dares to recommend. Many modellers have had success using steeper gradients over a shorter distance, but whether or not you attempt it, has to be your decision.
Posted in: Best practices
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