I live 1/4 mile from the beginning of the massive, Union Pacific switching yards at Roseville, CA. If I should something to model when it comes to rail yards, I am just a short walk away.

My thanks to Royce, ChrisS and Sparks65 for your feedback. You have been quite a help, and gave me exactly what I was looking for. If you have something to add to their feedback, please do. But wait... there is more

I am in a very unusual situation compared to most who model railroads... the Nevada County Narrow Gauge (NCNG) Railroad is part of my family history... my great grandfather was vice president and often roadmaster of the NCNG. The NCNG had problems with time if you can imagine on just a 25 mile, narrow gauge line, and as the railroad crested the late 1800's, a name was coined for its letters, "Never Come, Never Go."

The NCNG often double headed because the Baldwin 4-4-0's and Baldwin 2-6-0's could only handle so much freight by themselves, and there was a long uphill climb from Colfax where the road linkined into the Southern Pacific yards, to the rail heads in Grass Valley and Nevada City. It wasn't until Baldwin 2-8-0 consolidations were purchased by the NCNG that one steam locomotive could handle the whole train by itself.

You might think that my life-long desire has been to model the NCNG, but you would actually be wrong. There is another one in my personal history as well... the Virginia and Truckee Railroad. Carson City to Virginia City... I have driven every foot of the V&T several times. I could still walk it today, and I would still feel the V&T inside me if you can understand that. Parts of it have been restored for tourists, but much still lies there for serious 4-wheelers to discover, just like the pony express, and morman trails. I have explored those as well.

Is it the V&T or NCNG? Well, the V&T lost the coin flip so it will be the NCNG.

I'm sure this question has been answered several times over the years. Do the motors in current 4-4-0, 2-6-0, 4-6-0 and 2-8-0 models all have the same pulling power with regard to rolling stock? Does anyone have an estimate as to how many cars a single locomotive can pull up a 4% grade without losing speed? If I double head (use two locomotives) would that double the number of cars? I am just starting on a new ON30 layout for the first time.

Thanks for the feed back... Ron