Hi,

I have all along been planning my layout with clearance based on the Marklin 74.5mm drawings, which when working with 2% inclines has been pretty tight.

I have just been out measuring, and from the baseboard up, on C-track, I only have to things higher than 60mm and they are still only 62mm above baseboard.

Why the 74.5mm recommendation from Marklin? If I could stick to 65mm, it would make everything so much easier.

Thanks

Well, I only have diesel and am not particularly interested in steam or electric. My era won't support steam anyway.

It makes my layout building a lot easier if I can get away with 65mm clearance, this means I won't have to have points on a slope.

Thank

Morsing,

I was just finishing reading the English version of Marklin Magazin 02/2019. The magazine presents layout construction ideas in every issue. In this particular issue, they start describing a small layout based on a folded figure eight. Since the tracks cross over at one point, inclines are to be minimized and the layout perimeter is to be minimized, there is a clearance issue. Here is a link to the files showing that particular layout (these are available to anyone from the Marklin's German website):

A Handy Eye-Catcher Layout

(Note, that it actually appeared in edition 01/2019 in the German version of Marklin Magazin.)

Look at page 41 of the pdf and you'll notice in the top left hand corner of the layout the base levels are at 30 and 100mm. Therefore, if I interpret these drawings correctly, the clearance is 70mm less the height of the track and thickness of the bridge material used.

My previous post quoted Marklin's suggestions on the catalog pages for ramps and bridges, but this particular Marklin Magazin layout does not follow these suggestions.

I guess my point is: Whatever you build is okay so long as the inclines and clearances work for models you intend to run (now and in the future).

Just to ease your mind, measure you models' height or test roll them through the clearance and see if they fit. If worse comes to worse, I'm sure you can go to a 3% grade. In fact, I believe the Ramps and Bridges page of the Marklin catalog actually shows up to 5% grade, but I wouldn't go there.

Cheers,

Harold.

Dont know really.

Maximum allowed height for railcars in Europe are 4320 mm above top of rail that is 49 mm in H0, The norm for free space around track is 6500 mm above top of rail is 6500 mm, that corresponds to 74,71 mm above top of rail, pretty close to 74.5 mm, but that is from top of rail. Marklin measures in a different way.

You will be OK with 65 mm.

Henrik