Addendum to the above...
#44 and the tale of the stalled train: The myth and the truth...
The above essay of #44 that accompanied my second photo-chop job wasn't total concoction. It's actually based on a situation that happened at an op session (Dec 13, 2021) with a friend.
I was running #44 and was headed up to Piney Gap.
My set of power should have made it... but some of the cars were a bit heavier than expected, so as soon as I hit the grade (the long climb begins immediately after the north main switch at the town of Ozarka), I realized it was going to be "close".
Sure enough, the train pulled down before I got to Sawmill Spur to the point it was literally crawling along at 1-2 MPH (and slipping). At times, it would momentarily stop and sit, wheels still spinning, then get a bite and start creeping upgrade again!
It did this 2 or 3 times (getting up to maybe 5 MPH at times) as I struggled on my way alongside Possum Creek to the town of Jack Fork. It was such a show that operating friend Jimmy had stopped what he was doing and had come over to enjoy the experience with me.
I was losing hope that I would make it on my own to Piney, and sure 'nuf, just as the head end bent around Chinkapin Knob to enter Buck Creek Hollow... down it went and I couldn't budge it.
At that point I made the call for help, and op friend Jimmy (that had been working the Jack Fork Turn), brought his engine up out of Ozarka to help me on up to Piney.
SO... as you see... the above yarn wasn't total BS... the circumstance actually happened in model form! From there I took the actual event, and extrapolated the incident so it was from a prototype perspective. (I really enjoy doing that.)
So... now you know... the REST of the story! (Said in my best Paul Harvey voice!)
Andre
P.S. Final mini-essay installment to follow eventually.
