The age old practice of Doubling the Hill is not one I’ve needed to use, until today.

It finally warmed up to the low 30’s with bright sunshine. All the blizzard snow has melted away and the ROW is clear except for Deep Cut, so it begs for a winter excursion.

The new Bachmann Dizzie was chosen as the motive power to pull my Cheesy Sound Car, a string of box cars and a caboose. My line includes a long steep grade, part of which is on a curve. Dizzie did fine until the train started around the curve, then she lost adhesion and just sat and slipped.

Not to worry, We’ll just double the hill A short backing move put the entire train on a straight and a brick acted as brakes to keep the tail end from running away when uncoupled. I dropped 3 boxcars and the caboose after which Dizzie took the grade in great form, accelerating all the way.

Once at the top, I shoved 3 boxcars and a flat into the Wye and dropped them. Next, a backing move took us down the hill the retrieve the end of the train. Once again Dizzie climbed the hill with ease. We stopped to drop the caboose before the switch, then proceeded past the switch. A short backing move put the train, less caboose back together. One more move attached the caboose. The train is now complete, although in different order, at the top of the hill.

This unplanned operation added quite a bit of interest to what would have been a fairly boring out-and-back run. With Deep Cut closed, I can’t turn more than an engine on the Wye effectively reducing the operating layout to a very long siding.

JR