Re: Steepest train/tram line

["Roderick Smith" <rodsmith@werple.net.au>]

I think that James has too fond a regard for the percentage system.  All
typical grades have to be expressed in a scale of just 3 units: 0% to 3%,
causing the need to drop into meaningless decimals to distinguish
differences.

Europe does not use percentage; it uses parts per mille, to alleviate this
problem.
-- 
Regards
Roderick Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
(Is anyones longer than 0.19?)

James Robinson <NOSPAM@ERIE.NET> wrote in article
<36688076.5651@ERIE.NET>...
> David Bennetts wrote:
> 
> > The line at Roaring Camp ... is about 1 in 12 (of course the 
> > yanks use a % grade, just to be different.  
> 
> Interesting that you should bring this up, as Australia seems to be in
> the minority with this one.  I believe most of the rest of the world
> uses percent to describe gradients, which is eminently more intuitive
> than the "1 in" system.  There are a few countries that seem to have
> clinged to the British method, mostly those whose railroads began under
> British influence.  (Though wasn't everybody's?) With the conversion to
> Metric, I would have thought that the description of gradients would
> have changed as well.  Seems to be an anomaly.  Any comments?
>