Posted By East Broad Top on 11/25/2008 1:04 PM
Seeing doubleheaded locomotives on a narrow gauge line would have been very much the exception. So, in terms of the original question, the answer would most likely be not in normal, everyday service. The D&RGW was probably the most common exception to that, but they had the steep grades and long trains that--really--no other narrow gauge operation had. Having said that, if your railroad has the resources to burn twice the coal, pay twice the crew salary, and use twice the water to move a handful of cars from point A to point B, then have at it. It does look cool to have two locos on the point.
Later,
K
Of course, if they NEEDED two locomotives, and did NOT want to "burn twice the coal, pay twice the crew salary, and use twice the water to move a handful of cars from point A to point B", then, by gum, the crew could DOUBLE the grade, even if it was 25 miles of curving uphill, burn MORE than twice the coal, twice the crew salary, and twice the water to move a handful of cars from point A to point B, in addition to taking the shipment time more than double for the move of a handful of cars from point A to point B, and tying up the single track grade AND the passing sidings at the top AND the bottom for an extended length of time, why naught?