Thanks everyone for the replies. We are planning to implement several of the suggestions including lengthening the spirals at both ends of the curve, reducing the elevation to 1/2", installing more hardwood ties and using up a bunch of surplus switch slide plates with welded on rail braces and lots of hold down spikes. We will also run a hirail (or speeder) mounted gauge indicator device (under construction) after every third trip to help discover any gauge widening that ocurrs during the trips.

A rough calculation of the loads imposed in the two weekends of running the two steam engines and passenger equipment (50-plus round trips) were equal to a 800 car 6500 ton train with a rigid wheelbase on both locomotives much longer than any of our diesels. This does not include our normal 5 day a week freight operation over the same section of track. While the derailments are always disapointing, they are a challenging part of railroading.

Shortline Sammie