OK Mr Road Foreman; what guidance can you provide us engineers on Seligman Hill?

#1 Should I power up the hill until I stall-out, then double from there?

or

#2 Knowling from experience that I can't pull Seligman Hill will (for example) 25 cars,
should I split the train at the Pender Passing Track, take first half to Seligman,
then return to Pender for the 2d half?

IMHO, I'd rather split the train and start at Pender, than try to start the train-halves
on "the hill" at Seligman.

There'll be less consternation stopping at Pender and doubling from there, but more miles. However, you'll also not have to set as many hand brakes as well as draining your main resevoir when releasing the heavy brake set neccessary to hold them on The Hill.

Your call!

If you decide to leave them on the hill don't forget to apply the cars' handbrakes. I forgot when I doubled it the first time and the cars ran away. I should have known better...

The funny thing is, they didn't derail. After placing the the first half of the train in Seligman I ran back to look for them and found them back in Walden, pretty far away but on track...

gfbeat wrote:

I made that same mistake thinking the cut would go into emergency (like a real cut of cars would do). Boy was that a mistake, and to have the M.O.P.'s assistant (my son) there watching the whole ordeal. I was on the carpet for that mistake before it was all said and one.

Must confess, I did the same, managed to set one cars handbrakes before disconnecting, found them past walden almost to the Mcnab tie spot.

Something tells me though that in RW, the dispatcher would not let you pull more weight than the power could handle, or do they? Any engineers on here verify that?

"Something tells me though that in RW, the dispatcher would not let you pull more weight than the power could handle, or do they?"

Yes, they do. I've been onboard A&M freights several times that doubled Boston Mtn. (A distance of about 6 miles one way.) This was also common in the days of the Frisco on the same stretch of track.

You basically move the tonnage you're told to move on your manifest sheet from the originating and out lying points unless management or other extreme situations says otherwise enroute.

The Dispatcher isn't the one that decides this. The Dispatcher merely tries to keep things flowing playing the various cards he's dealt. Once underway, then extenuating circumstances are taken into consideration and the decisions that are (supposed) to be made are decisions to best expedite tonnage movement.

On a line with only one killer (short) grade, doubling can essentially become standard operating practice.

ALSO: When on grade, make sure you've made a heavy brake application before uncoupling, and in MSTS the cars should stay put. Of course, the handbrakes can/should also be used.

Andre