In 1981, the first year of operation under new ownership, the K28's always pulled 11 cars (including the boxcar). After a week of "training", having just come over to Durango from six years on the C&TS, on my first solo run, as the 476 dug into Hermosa grade, my first thought was, "we're not going to make it". I don't know what the tonnage of those consists was, but it must have been approaching the upper limit for those locomotives. We did make it, and continued to make it every day. I was sure that the first time a few drops of rain fell, we would stall out, but, even on wet rails the K28's would make it, although there were a few trips where getting over MP488 above Needleton was a battle. Often, re-starting the train at the Needleton flag stop required setting some air under the train and backing into the slack.
I don't recall anyone having to double a hill during that first summer, though I came close on one trip. I think it was with 476 and a heavy 11-car train. The fire door operating mechanism broke coming out of the "mini" high line below Shalona, and we coudn't open the doors. There was about a three inch gap between the doors and we made a comical, but futile, attempt at stuffing chunks of coal through the crack. We ground to a halt on the Shalona freeway, just a couple hundred yards below the Shalona grade crossing, where we waited for a replacement pin and some tools to be brought up from Durango. The fix was simple, and we soon had steam up and were ready to go again. However, the 476 would not start. I tried about three separate times, each time backing into a little more slack, but still the 476 just could not get the train started. On the fourth attempt, I decided if it didn't start, we'd have to double into Rockwood. Pulling the slack out, the 476 struggled forward and stopped. Just as I shut the throttle, not relishing the thought of having to split the train, the 476 lurched forward (from the steam trapped in the superheater). I said OK and jerked the throttle out, and we were on our way.
I'm guessing that the 1972 trip that stalled at MP488 probably had an issue with the sanders--either plugged up or out of sand.
