Incline piers and double heading.

[Bighandz]

OK, to start with I hope this is the right forum as I think it could of gone here or the DCC forum, but here goes.

I am building a layout which would include the Hornby inclined piers but I have heard that locomotives may have difficulty negotiating the incline ratio.

My layout will be DCC controlled and I am aware that this gives me the potential to ‘double head’ locomotives. And expensive solution but will it solve the problem.

Will double heading get my trains up the incline?

I’m relatively new to railway modelling so any advice or guidance would be greatly appreciated.

[Tony57]

How steep is the incline you are hoping to use on what size is the base board?

The only way to find out how steep an incline the locos can climb is to try different set ups modern locos need double the length that older ones needed.

Double headed may solve the issue depending on the length of the train being pulled how free wheeling the stock being pulled is?

[96RAF]

The problem with those incline piers is if you set them at the best spacing to support the track then the slope is too steep.

If you set them at the spacing for an acceptable slope they do not adequately support the track and it sags as a loco goes across the span.

If you must use them it is better to use a plywood track bed resting on the piers.

[Jimbo1707820979]

Or make your own piers to suit the incline you want. Then you can space them more closely to avoid sagging track, which is horrible to view and causes problems. I have done this on a long incline and can run quite heavy locos successfully such as the Tri-ang Road Switcher plus wagons.

[Bighandz]

OK, I’m beginning to regret this idea.

I’m using two full sets of seven piers and an extra four high-level piers.

The spacing is every 28 sleepers which I believe is just about the maximum.

Making my own piers probably would solve the issue but I am registered blind so that would be difficult.

What I can’t understand is if these piers are such a problem why are Hornby still selling them or why haven’t they updated the design?

Personally I expect better from them.

[Jimbo1707820979]

Sorry Bighandz, I was not aware of your sight problem. If you still wish to use the Hornby piers, maybe you could get a friend to make some intermediate supports for you to prevent "sagging". Best wishes, Jimbo

[Bighandz]

Don’t apologise Jimbo, you weren’t to know about my vision issues. Sometimes I mention it, sometimes I don’t. It depends on whether it will affect the answer.

For instance questions about wiring and such I usually find it best to mention it. Whereas with these inclines I didn’t think it necessary. How wrong was I.

As I said at the beginning of this post, I am new to railway modelling and it throws up some interesting problems when you have vision issues. Fitting point motors has been my favourite one so far. Surprising what you can achieve with a small piece of wire as a guide although track pins and DCC point clips have eluded me.

But it does make an interesting hobby even more interesting if slightly annoying at times.

[morairamike]

When I started on my new layout I bought the incline pier set. Very disappointed with it, as with the piers set at a distance to allow a loco to run up the incline the track sagged. After numerous attempts it went back in the bag and was replaced by a solid scenic built section. That's part of it in my avatar.

[Bighandz]

Yes I’m beginning to think building it myself might be the solution. Especially as I have two raised sections at different heights.

Or I might just leave the whole thing flat.

Would be nice if Hornby could actually re-engineer these inclines so that they work properly with new locomotives.

[Jimbo1707820979]

One of my inclines

[Jimbo1707820979]

...and another

[Jimbo1707820979]

...and a third

[Jimbo1707820979]

[The son of Triangman]

Gradients should be as gentle as possible, today's models often lack the adhesive power of the models of years gone.

[Tony57]

Hi

A possible solutions would be to use 4 sets of piers, Start the incline with pier 1 and put pier 2 28 sleepers apart and carry on along the incline with that spacing , at the same time insert another set of piers with pier 1 at the 14th sleeper with a packer (ply hardboard cardboard ) under the base to raise the pier so it supports the track and carry on inserting extra piers with packers half way between the first set of piers.

[37lover]

Tony57

That is by far the best and most practical advice I have read if someone is fixated on using those piers. And the packer just needs to be half the difference in height of adjacent piers.