Balancing power on the 1:1 is almost like a black art and involves a lot more equipment than e.g. on the RhB in Switzerland or for that matter the SBB.
If you watch really closely you’ll see how many (or rather few) engines are powered in this video.
[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/29562473[/vimeo]
Perfect excuse to run a slew of engines on a short mixed manifest - to give the engines some exercise and get them off the shelves.
Good gracious !!! .
I made it two , the lead and the tail .
Good video Hans , very nice to watch .
Mike
Back in the day, the Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway Company, who ran almost exclusively ALCo diseasals, would put 3 or 4 extra units on their trains, in the hope that at least one unit would still be running when the train reached its destination. 
Funny.
Steve, and there ya go. Them newfangled, cantankerous, unproven, unreliable, diesel-lectric things just wont catch on until they get the kinks worked out.
…winking…
Steve Featherkile said:
And this after I read on here what wonderful maintenance engineers that railroad had, funny indeed.
BTW with todays operating procedures “they” just calculate the road power requirements "very precisely"and if one of the engines conks out the train crew is perfectly capable to sort the mess out. Suitably assisted by the “all knowing” RTC who have all the solutions up their sleeves. Just ask Craig Townsend, he can most likely confirm that - the all knowing RTC - with first hand experience.
[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/71207285[/vimeo]
The only comment I need to add, to what accompanies that video, is a bit after they dropped the RTC prescribed number of cars in the 7155ft siding and were back on the way.
RTC: “CN 5779 where are you?”
Crew: “Just getting to Drynoch” (6.3 miles from Thompson siding)
RTC: “How come you are that slow?”
Crew: “Not enough horse power to accelerate past 30 mph”.
Yes , yes, yes. Calculate very, very closely, that’s the only way to squeeze out maximum returns for the share holders. 
Am I having a good time when I’m rail-fanning? You better believe it, it’s also reaffirmation day of just how “silly” some people are! 
HJ, you are so literal.