I had a discussion at the time with our Roadmaster on the First Sub, who's territory went from Oakland to Midway. My news that the powers that be were bringing some of the DD's out of retirement and that they had been OK'ed for use on the WP (all the way to Oakland) was the first that he had heard about it. We happened to be standing on a tangent on Altamont Pass which was laid with 100lb jointed rail. He looked down the track and only said, "Oh no". There was no problem at all with them during that time--even on the 85 lb rail in the Stockton and Oakland yards.

As for the rigid wheel spans on tight curvature, remember that the UP's ex-LA&SL line through southern Utah/eastern NV had some 10 degree curves and that the WP once ran 4-8-4 steamers.