Hi Tony -
The thread recommended in the previous post is a good one with lots of information.
To address your specific question, climbing 10" on a model railroad layout at a reasonable grade is going to require a long run of track.
For example, to climb 10" at a 2% grade will require:
10" / 0.02 = 500" = 41 feet, 8 inches of track
If you increase the grade to 3%, you can shorten the run:
10" / 0.03 = 333" = 27 feet, 9 inches
And if you go to 4% grade, which is considered to be rather steep:
10" / 0.04 = 250" = 20 feet, 10 inches
The general rule of thumb is that a 2% to 3% grade is about the maximum for a model railroad main line. Beyond that, you'll be restricted to short trains or multiple engines to pull a typical train up such a steep grade. The runs calculated above will bring you to the top of a 10" rise. You will need an equal length of track you get back down to the base level.
So if you want to climb 10", I hope you have a large layout (or a helix).
- Jeff