Part 5 - A trip down the Midland Western (using DCC) - crossing the summit at Do

[trainman203]

Part 5 - A trip down the Midland Western (using DCC) - crossing the summit at Donna Pass

Note:  all DCC references are for operation with an NCE pro cab running steam engines with tsunami 2–2 decoders.

The Midland Western is a subsidiary of the Gulf Coast Lines, operated by both the Missouri Pacific and the Frisco.  The year is 1940.

The superheated exhaust chuff of 2-10-0 No. 1632 Midland Western is barking loudly as it struggles up the 2% grade with the Johnson bar fully notched, pulling Train No. 3 toward the summit at Donna Pass. Ahead at the summit the crew can see the water tank where they will stop for water to continue the trip to Thunder Grove some 8 miles distant.

Spotting the tender at the tank water spout will mean that the entire train behind the engine is still on the grade. With such a long train, the 1632 might not be able to start it again. The crew, though, having faced this before, knows exactly what to do. The Donna Pass passing track and team track lies just west of the tank and over the peak of the summit on level ground.  Without stopping at the tank, they pull the train partly past the last switch of the passing track. Then backing up, starting with with three shorts on the ATSF six-chime (F3), they set out the 5 cars of pea gravel ballast on the team track behind the water tank.  Then they move forward out of the team track starting with two forward shorts (F3), realign the switch back to the main, and with three backup shorts return to the tank with the other half of the train, knowing that they will be able to start eight cars on the grade again. 

The hogger cuts the steam (option key) as the train smoothly drifts to a stop, with the tender water hatch lined up with the tank spout.  The firemen, standing on the tender deck, gives hand signals to get the tender spotted correctly. He opens the water hatch, pulls down the water spout, and pulls a second chain to open the water valve on the tank (F16.). When the tender is full, he will return the spout up high and close the water hatch (F16 again.). During the water stop, the engineer is down on the ground walking around the engine, oiling around on the valve gear and rods, as is customary every time the engine comes to a stop anywhere. (automatic background sounds).

While the engine is taking on water, the conductor goes into the little telegraph cabin next to the water tank to check with Thunder Grove for any orders. This is necessary when running on dark unsignaled territory such as the Midland Western . Usually there are none.  He is surprised today, however, to find that an eastbound extra freight is just departing Thunder Grove, and that a meet must occur at Donna Pass. This greatly concerns the conductor, who does not yet know how long the approaching extra freight is, but does know that his now-eight-car No. 3 is still too long for the passing track.  Long ago the Midland Western decreed that no sawby meets be conducted at Donna Pass after a couple of runaways happened on the grade just to the east of the summit. The conductor knows that he will have to put three or four cars of his train on the team track to get No. 3 to fit on the passing track. 

Short passing tracks have always been a problem on the Midland Western, since it was built years ago when mostly light 4-4-0 and 4-6-0 engines pulled the short trains, but many limitations prevent the lengthening of them to truly accommodate the longer trains of more recent times.  The conductor advises the four passengers in the caboose to disembark and to have a seat on a bench next to the telegraph cabin while the train is separated and switched into sections that can be accommodated off of the main line at Donna Pass.  There's not a lot of time to get this done as the high pitched 5-chime steam whistle of the approaching extra is beginning to be audible far off to the west. The conductor sends a flagman out to the west for protection if needed.