While working on the Activity Generator template for the route. I have discovered how hard it is with steam engines to climb the Ozarks' 4% grade. Being unsuccessfull with the first three or four attempts with smaller loads, I have restarted, from Mountain Creek, with two locos and 4 fully-loaded BM&E boxcars only. I was able to keep the speed to 13-15 mph with reverser settings to 45 and regulator to 85 (45-85) and reached successfully Fly Gap.
I have restarted this time with 5 BM&E cars and was able to climb with the settings at 40-100 but have been unsuccessfull with six cars. For me it meant to add another steam loco. The locos used here were the #10-13, taking into account the presence of helpers (H*) to assist the player engine.
With three locos, I was finally able to add BM&E cars up to nine (9) BM&E boxcars (close to 590-tons total weight) with three locos and climbed to Fly Gap. Let me know what results you were able to get with the heaviest loads so I may try to get the same results.
Practice and more practice, that is the key word in learning to climb the steep grades. Just imagine in real life situations for those engineers!
I am including some screenshots of the practice runs between Mountain Creek and Fly Gap. Hats off to those steam engineers who had to handle in real life steep grades like them!
Enjoy the shots!
Denis
