Re: Is this the steepest adhesion worked (model) railway in the world?

["John Garaty" <jkgaraty@1earth.net>]

Greetings all, the steepest adhesion worked railway in Australia that I know
of is a stretch of 1 in 8 underground at Corrimal colliery near Wollongong.
The colliery is now closed. A Baldwin 30 ton diesel loco had to be purchased
to safely move itself plus 1 flat car with a load of 1 long-wall roof
support. Remember that underground in coal mines, things are usually kept
wet and the rails were usually buried in dust on the floor. From memory the
coefficient of friction used in the design calculations was less than 1/4 of
the coefficient of friction generally quoted for a steel wheel on clean dry
rail. Several Battery-electric locos and later 5 diesel mancars provided
most of the hauling capacity at the mine for day to day requirements.
Regards, John Garaty

Derick Wuen <cullend@webone.com.au> wrote in message
3906dcce@iridium.webone.com.au">news:3906dcce@iridium.webone.com.au...
(1) Guiness Book of Rail Facts and Feats has steepest adhesion grade as 1 in
11 on Chamonix between Servoz and Chedde (France).

(2) If this was an Olympic event I'm sure Lambing Flat's little Krauss would
be disqualified under equipment rules for adhesion working.... LGB rubber
tyres seem to me to be in the same league as sprung shoes for high jumpers
or flotation suits for swimmers. On the other hand, I bet they have the
sanders going full time on the Chamonix 1 in 11!


    David Bennetts wrote in message <39062f56@newshost.pcug.org.au>...


    Can't speak for model railways, but the Roaring Camp and Big Trees
Railroad, Felton, California which uses steam ex-logging locos claims a
grade of 1 in 12.  Having ridden on it in 1997, it is certainly steep.
Tramways, and electric railways using single vehicles can also be quite
steep.  The steepest in Australia (ignoring the Balmain wharf line which
used counterweight assistance) was the line to Neutral Bay wharf, which had
a ruling grade of 1 in 8.5.  This required trams to be equipped with special
braking systems, at first they used mechanical track bracks, then a corridor
car with dynamic brakes was employed for the final years of the line.  I'm
sure that there are electrically worked Swiss mountain lines and perhaps the
Chamonix line (France), using single coaches, which are steeper than 1 in 12
using adhesion.

    Regards

    David Bennetts
    Canberra