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Oil Shortage - Back To Steam #2: Donner Pass Stranded Car Rescue I

This is a continuation of the 'Oil Shortage - Back to Steam' series, and is scenario #2.

After dropping off 12 coal hoppers each at Truckee and Norden, you, your fireman, and the conductor walk to the caboose for a rest break, then grease and re-lube the #3985 Challenger. After then turning the locomotive around in the repaired and enlargened Norden Turntable and after recoupling the repair car, it's time to get back at it. First is the retrieval of the caboose, then coupling up the stranded container cars at Norden so you can then head down the mountain back to Truckee, where three more strings of cars are waiting to complete their journey to the Sparks yard.

How good are your downhill braking and shunting skills with a steamer? They better be sharp, especially your braking skills, as when you leave Truckee, you're gonna have a long and very heavy train behind your engine that does not want to obey the 40-45 mph track speed limit!

Just remember, steamers actually do have their own form of active, dynamic braking, just as diesel-electric locos do, and you would be wise to take advantage of #3985's active braking abilities.

Also, you only have 15,000 gallons of water to work with, as delivering 1,200 tons of coal each to Truckee and Norden used up 10,000 of the 25,000 gallons of water you left Sparks with, and the Norden Water Point has not been brought back into service yet. For engineers who know what they are doing, 15,000 gallons of water should be plenty to get this job done with. Good luck!