Re: Sitching problems Uintah Railway

I, too, have noticed this from all available photos. I assume you are referring to one-car passenger trains with a combine and one of the 20's as the locomotive.
My take on the situation is that unless the locomotive needed servicing other than water, the crew would have avoided uncoupling, because a shove with only one combine and a tank engine would be a cinch, and each time you break the air hose coupling, a full brake test is required with all operating rules I am aware of (although frequent complete brake tests before venturing down the steep URY grades would seem prudent to me anyway...I don't know what Uintah rules were).
Another consideration would be that a long shove downgrade with the locomotive on the uphill side would produce a rough ride for the passengers, hence the practice of turning before the stop rather that after. This is of course all speculation!