Rail Work's Cab-Forward working a 2.4% grade in summer then plowing snow in winter.

Rail Work's Cab Forward working a 2.4% grade in summer then plowing snow in winter The first is: Southern Pacific Cab-Forward road engine with G-Trax 700 4-8-4 Northern (representing a SP GS-1) point engine, 10 freight cars behind that is a second SP Cab-Forward helper, followed by 42 mixed freight cars. On the end pushing are a second G-Trax 700 4-8-4 Northern (representing a SP GS-1) coupled in front of a third Cab-Forward, this is followed by two more freight cars then the Caboose. The separation with the two freight cars is to keep the caboose away from the exhaust of the Cab-Forward. This is a typical consist configuration that Southern Pacific used eastbound over Donner. They are leaving Colfax eastbound working a 2.4% grade in late spring early summer. The second and end of clip is a Cab-Forward pushing a snow plow clearing the tracks eastbound out of Colfax in the middle of winter. The consist is Russell snowplow, flatcar, Cab-Forward, sand gondola, and caboose. This setup of the separation of the plow and the Cab-Forward is if the snowplow fouled against an unseen object in the tracks is to keep the Cab-Forward from plowing through the snowplow. The gondola gave some separation between the caboose and the exhaust of the Cab-Forward. I hope you enjoy the video.