Answers.Body: <p>I've successfully run a single motor pulling two cars from <a href="http://rebrickable.com/sets/7938-1" rel="nofollow">7938</a> and the locomotive all the cars from <a href="http://rebrickable.com/sets/79111-1" rel="nofollow">79111</a> up a spiraling incline of two plates per track segment. I terminated the experiment after I ran out of track and table space. If the track was straight I probably could have pulled more weight.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-08-15T14:56:45.507Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2016-08-15T14:56:45.507Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Mr. Shiny and New 安宇
Answers.Body: <p>Anecdotal input: </p>
  
  <p>I run my <a href="http://brickset.com/sets/7745-1/High-Speed-City-Express-Passenger-Train-Set" rel="nofollow">7745</a>, <a href="http://brickset.com/sets/7740-1/Inter-City-Passenger-Train-Set" rel="nofollow">7740</a>, <a href="http://brickset.com/sets/7735-1/Freight-Train-Set" rel="nofollow">7735</a> (with extra carriages), <a href="http://brickset.com/sets/4558-1/Metroliner" rel="nofollow">4458</a> (with 2 clubcars), <a href="http://brickset.com/sets/4563-1/Load-and-Haul-Railroad" rel="nofollow">4563</a> and <a href="http://brickset.com/sets/4564-1/Freight-Rail-Runner" rel="nofollow">4564</a> up a 14 brick total height using 16 sections of straight track. 
  On the main sections this is one brick per 16 long track section but at the top and the bottom I smooth out the incline with 2 plates and then 1 plate. (Otherwise the carriages, especially the club cars, bottom out on the track).</p>
  
  <p>These are 12v and 9v models and not the Power Functions models you list so your motor and track characteristics are likely to be different.
  Space limitations are the reason I use such a steep incline and I do have to make sure I keep the electrical contacts clean to ensure constant power delivery or I can get some slipping and wheelspins.</p>
  
  <p>Also this is likely putting a fairly heavy load on the motors, luckily I have spares and I don't run my trains for long periods of time but I don't run my <a href="http://brickset.com/sets/7727-1/Freight-Steam-Train-Set" rel="nofollow">7727</a> on this section of track for fear of damaging it's <a href="http://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=bb12v&amp;idColor=5#T=S&amp;C=5&amp;O=%7B%22color%22:5%7D" rel="nofollow">precious red motor</a>!</p>
  
  <p>I think this is the absolute steepest you could get away with and if you have the space, two plates or one plate per track section as suggested here and in other places on the web should be your goal.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-08-16T01:23:04.307Z
Answers.Text: Thanks for your input! I've been doing LEGO for a long time, but this my first foray into trains and I'm hooked.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Maryellen
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-08-15T18:32:39.783Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2016-08-15T18:32:39.783Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: mcqwerty
Body: <p>I realize this would change based on how much weight it's pulling. How about using an engine pulling 3 cars? I'm guessing that sets available for sale now would have similar power. I have the engines from sets <a href="https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?S=60052-1#T=S&amp;O=%7B%7D" rel="noreferrer">60052</a> and <a href="https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?S=60098-1#T=S&amp;O=%7B%7D" rel="noreferrer">60098</a>.
  Thanks for any input you can provide.</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2016-08-14T21:51:10.167Z
Comments.Text: Carriages can be very different, and as such a poor unit of mesure for weight. Typically we say that any train should be able to handle a climb of one plate for each piece of track (16 studs).
Comments.UserDisplayName: Henrik supports the community
Tags: <trains>
Title: How steep a grade can a LEGO train go up?
UserDisplayName: Maryellen
ThreadText: # How steep a grade can a LEGO train go up?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2016-08-14)
  
  I realize this would change based on how much weight it's pulling. How about using an engine pulling 3 cars? I'm guessing that sets available for sale now would have similar power. I have the engines from sets [60052](https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?S=60052-1#T=S&O=%7B%7D) and [60098](https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?S=60098-1#T=S&O=%7B%7D).
  Thanks for any input you can provide.
  
  **Tags:** trains
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: Carriages can be very different, and as such a poor unit of mesure for weight. Typically we say that any train should be able to handle a climb of one plate for each piece of track (16 studs).  
  
  ---
  
  ## 2 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_2 on 2016-08-15. Score: 4
  
  I've successfully run a single motor pulling two cars from [7938](http://rebrickable.com/sets/7938-1) and the locomotive all the cars from [79111](http://rebrickable.com/sets/79111-1) up a spiraling incline of two plates per track segment. I terminated the experiment after I ran out of track and table space. If the track was straight I probably could have pulled more weight.
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_3 on 2016-08-15. Score: 0
  
  Anecdotal input:
  
  I run my [7745](http://brickset.com/sets/7745-1/High-Speed-City-Express-Passenger-Train-Set), [7740](http://brickset.com/sets/7740-1/Inter-City-Passenger-Train-Set), [7735](http://brickset.com/sets/7735-1/Freight-Train-Set) (with extra carriages), [4458](http://brickset.com/sets/4558-1/Metroliner) (with 2 clubcars), [4563](http://brickset.com/sets/4563-1/Load-and-Haul-Railroad) and [4564](http://brickset.com/sets/4564-1/Freight-Rail-Runner) up a 14 brick total height using 16 sections of straight track.
  On the main sections this is one brick per 16 long track section but at the top and the bottom I smooth out the incline with 2 plates and then 1 plate. (Otherwise the carriages, especially the club cars, bottom out on the track).
  
  These are 12v and 9v models and not the Power Functions models you list so your motor and track characteristics are likely to be different.
  Space limitations are the reason I use such a steep incline and I do have to make sure I keep the electrical contacts clean to ensure constant power delivery or I can get some slipping and wheelspins.
  
  Also this is likely putting a fairly heavy load on the motors, luckily I have spares and I don't run my trains for long periods of time but I don't run my [7727](http://brickset.com/sets/7727-1/Freight-Steam-Train-Set) on this section of track for fear of damaging it's [precious red motor](http://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=bb12v&idColor=5#T=S&C=5&O=%7B%22color%22:5%7D)!
  
  I think this is the absolute steepest you could get away with and if you have the space, two plates or one plate per track section as suggested here and in other places on the web should be your goal.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: Thanks for your input! I've been doing LEGO for a long time, but this my first foray into trains and I'm hooked.  
  
  ---
  
  