Having surveyed the Main Line's gradients, I've been experimenting with trying to coast a train from Wellsworth all the way to Vicarstown using just gravity and momentum. Here's how I've been doing it - I assemble a consist of loaded stone trucks on the Little Western by Tidmouth sheds, with several Gordons at the head end. I then set a route for Vicarstown and used waypoints to ensure I was always on the leftmost track. With that set and the signals clear, I threw the regulator full open. The regulator is left full open until I reach Suddery Junction Signalbox (right at the foot of Gordon's Hill), at which point I would completely shut off steam and take my hands off the controls. The goal then is see if the train would coast not only over Gordon's Hill, but past the secondary summits at Killdane, Kellsthorpe and the Ballahoo Tunnels, maintaining enough momentum to get into Vicarstown without my needing to open the regulator again. After several runs, I finally suceeded - the consist was 60 loaded stone trucks with EIGHT Gordons at the front. Starting from Tidmouth (with the back of the train almost at the Little Western tunnel) we were doing 70mph through the platforms at Knapford and going just over 100mph at Wellsworth. From there, it was all left to momentum and gravity. The hardest part is actually Crovan's Gate to Vicarstown - there's a long and fairly level stretch from the station to just before the Hoo bridge, at which point the railway starts climbing at 1-in-110 to the tunnels. On most of my attempts, the train stalled somewhere on this uphill slope. On this occasion though, there was just enough momentum to get over the top at about 10mph, after which its all downhill to Vicarstown, which I entered doing about 40mph... at which point the train jumped the rails, potentially because I tried to brake 60 wagons and eight locomotives while negociating the station throat I've just tried the run again with only 20 loaded trucks and three Gordons, but although doing 102mph at Suddery Junction, the lighter consist meant there was not enough momentum to get through the Ballahoo Tunnels. If anyone reading this is intrigued, I challenge you to try it for yourself!
