I THINK i know now......

why i like mountains in railworks, but gods does it sound prejudiced and i certainly dont mean it that way.. Railworks is flled with some wonderful routes and incredible scenery thats a joy to drive on for most people, but it's all flat or nearly flat.. On a mountain, going uphill, you gotta balance gross tonnage with tractive ability. Too much weight and not enough throttle and your not going to make it. Going downhill, you have to balance gross tonnage against braking strength and throttle. Get any of the three wrong and your not gonna make it.. Your hands sweat, your heart pounds and your working so hard that if you make it back to the yard at all, your ready to relax and celebrate a successful run. I dont care if its the Smokies, the Alleghanies, Blue ridge, Sierras or even the rockies. What goes up, must come down, and your driving that train every second of the way.. I love that about the mountains. Even if its simulated, it still requires that you put some extra oomph into it. To me, flatland driving is almost like driving a bus. Move to the next stop, drop off and pick up and move again.. but perhaps i'm being overly simplistic.. ..
Pam

No you're not, you just about got it right. If you have enough power going uphill is the easy part. just put it in run 8 and set back. Cresting the hill can be a little tricky at times. The tonage and the grade determine how you handle the train. If you have seen the rail video called "The Stormy" you have seen what I run. It's part of the run between Tucson, Az and El Paso, Tx.

Just watched the trailer for it. looks interesting, but will have to wait for july to free up the funds :)...