> About Russ's other point (grades on the FW&D), I don't know what to say.
> Most of what I know about such matters I've had to glean piecemeal from
> various sources, and about the FW&D, that's essentially zilch. I wish we
> had a comprehensive sourcebook showing track profiles or at least a list
of
> ruling grades on the Q's various divisions and subdivisions. Corbin and
> Kerka give some such information, but only for a few sections of the
> railroad. And nothing for the C&S or FW&D. Maybe one of our Texas friends
> can help out. My folks lived in Dallas for about 20 years. They moved
there
> just as I was starting college, so I didn't spend a whole lot of time in
> Texas, but we did take some trips together and drove out west
occasionally.
> I don't recall the country northwest of Ft Worth being very hilly, nor
does
> it look to be in Steve Goen's pictorial. I don't doubt the FW&D had its
bad
> stretches. But I wonder how they compared with, say, Angora Hill or the
run
> up to Palmer Lake?
>
> Jonathan
>
Jonathan,
The ruling grade both Northbound and Southbound between Pueblo and
Denver is 1.42%.
Angora Hill is a very long 1.00%.
Between Alvord and Decatur the FW&D is a sawtooth railroad with
varying grades between 1.2% and 1.38%. This is fairly typical Texas
railroad. Very little grading was done after the original construction.
Closest RR to my house is ex MKT. It looks to be the same way. It is
strange to wait at a crossing for a coal load and notice that the head end
power is in dynamic and by the time the DP unit reaches the crossing it
is shoving hard wide open.
I will scan the FW&D today and it will be available. While I have a
current one I'll use a pre BN merger. The C&S may have to wait.
Russ
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