Hello All, I've noticed over the past few days that when performing some of the task while operating the locomotives that some of the trains can not make it up the grade past Mance and on the other side of the mountain at sandpatch where the grade is 1.2%. Now if you have 2 CW44AC's, 2 SD70Ace's 2 CW40-8 or a mixture of those engines, you have no trouble pulling the grade if you are speeding. If you are doing track speed you can forget it especially with 2 CW40-8's on a loaded coal train. But if you throw in the SD40-2 or GP38-2 with any of them locomotives you can't make the grade past Mance. Even with 2 SD40-2's you still can't pull the grade. Also you lose a lot of speed when going up both sides which also prevents you from making the grade. I'm not sure if anyone else is having the same problem but I am. Most of the issue is with the loaded coal trains starting from Rockwood. Starting from Cumberland it depends on the freight you're hauling and the locomotives.
This has been a known issue since TSW2. In a nutshell, those services were designed for TSW1 which didn't model adhesion (or rather, modeled perfect adhesion). Back then 2 SD40s could handle it. In TSW2, no. Now, in RL railroads are (usually) canny enough to provide enough traction. The usual rule of thumb is that your horsepower-per-ton ratio needs to match or exceed the steepest grade on the route. Since the steepest sustained grade in SPG, the ascent from Mance, is 1.6%, 2 SD40s can pull at most 3750 tons up it. Maybe 4000, but you'll be awfully slow by the time you reach the top. GP38s wouldn't be used up there at all except as helpers or pulling really light consists.
I understand what you're saying. In order for me to make it up either side, I have to get above the posted speed limit in order to get anywhere. I used the UP SD70ACe and had a CW40-8 as the locomotives. I did this last night hauling a loaded coal train from rockwood and once I got up to the summit I saved the game so I wouldn't have to go through it again.
I do know that they use the GP38s for running up to rockwood to go down the branch to Johnstown, Pa to do local switching there. But I have also seen some GP38s in consist on the game going up and down the mountain. I can't remember what trains they were on but it does happen on the game which I am sure you are aware of.
