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However, Thurmond (at elevation 1,059 ft) to Hinton (at elevation 1,377 ft) is some 37 route miles when following the river and if my math is correct, equates to a mean average gradient of less than 0.5%. OK it's still a gradient but not very significant by any national standard.
When I made my admittedly bold statement about not being able to find a Trainz steam loco capable of hauling 100 loaded cars up the gradients of the Hinton and Coal Country routes I had in mind the lengthy 1.5 to 3.0% grades that are a feature of all the branches on Hinton and on the "main line" of Coal Country. My experiences have brought me to the viewpoint that 25 x 50Ton cars is around the maximum for one steam locomotive (realistic mode) on any of these routes. Even then it has to be a really good e-spec. You can double and triple head and include any number of pushers/bankers. But that's another story
True, but you have to consider how things were in the real world of the C&O route's mainline route via the New River Gorge and its branch line operations that ventured into the highlands during the late steam era.
Historically speaking, during the steam era on the New River division, there were zero -- count 'em, zero -- steam locomotives hauling "100 loaded cars" up the gradients of branch lines on the C&O's New River Division. All of the branches from the mainline run into the highlands, and in those highlands are where the mines were located. Thus, empty, unloaded hopper cars moved up those grades and loads moved down them. So, for example, on the Piney Creek branch, 100 empty car trains usually used two 2-6-6-2 Mallets to deliver empties to the yard in Raleigh (a location just off the boundaries of the Trainz New River route), and two 2-6-6-2 Mallets would take 100 loads back down to the Quinnimont yard. Even shorter trains when up/down the Loup Creek branch from Thurmond that were under the control of a single steam loco, or double-headed steamers, etc. The only loads going up grade on the branches were "supplies" going to the towns in the highlands -- anything from boxcar loads of food and merchandise for the company owned and privately owned stores and parts and supplies for wholesalers, to car loads of whisky, beer, and wine for the saloons.
In general, long trains (~100 cars or so) moved on the mainline (usually handled by the H8s) and short trains (less than 100 cars, with 25 or so being more typical) traveled the branch lines (usually handed by 2-6-6-2 Mallets) and 2-8-0s.
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