GN 'heavy weight' passenger train PM and testing.
The passenger cars are, mostly, brass so the term 'heavy weight' is literal. The GN Z-6 4-6-6-4 is heavily weighted (Engine alone weighs 43 oz) but it can't handle the 16 passenger cars going through the cascade tunnel thus, the GN Y-1 electric pulls the train through the tunnel. I turn off the chuffing to simulate the procedure. Also, no sound makes it easier to sync the two engines to run at the same speed.
The cars and engine did well. Two cars had coupler height problems that were resolved. One negative with large numbers of cars is the couplers can be aligned correctly for height but, due to vertical play in the coupler box, the stress can make a coupler rise above the next car's coupler. This is exasperated when the coupler has a plastic shank which can bend.
Starts out at Skykomish.
Tunnel finishes at Tye but we continue on to the end of the passing siding due to 'grade'. There are two electrics stationed at Tye (right behind building) as well as two at Skykomish.
Close to the end of the passing siding.
Here, the electric uncouples and takes the siding to return to Skykomish.
Electric heading back to Skykomish.
Y-1 'back home' The electrics have dedicated throttles.
The passenger train can, now, continue to St. Paul. The rise in elevation from Seattle to Tye is about 15" covering 160' and from Tye to St. Paul is about 7" covering 240' so ruling grade from this point is modest. Seattle is 36" and St. Paul is 58" above floor level.
All but one or two have Central Valley trucks which roll pretty freely but the amount of weight per car makes for a heavy train, especially when 16 cars are involved. The painted cars are plastic.
