I was "off the grid" for a couple of days (actually, away from my home computer and unable to fathom my password), it would appear I created quite a fire storm. Geez! I feel like I wore white after Labor Day, or something!
Really, the prospect of dropping loaded passenger cars down a 3% grade towards a big washout was not what I intended. Lets leave that for space mountain or Universal Studios. My thought was to leave the cars on the main, drop the engine down the main and reline the switch for the TOM siding, which appears flat or slightly uphill, and drift the cars into the siding. No way would I allow passengers to occupy said consist during the move. I considered, perhaps "skates" as a safety brake a couple of carlengths from the north end of the siding. These are devices placed on the rail in humpyards to keep cars from running out of a track, which look like a steel chock with a long flat surface on the rail. When a car encounters a skate, the lead wheel rides up on the flat and shoves the skate which slides on the railhead, acting like a brake. They really work well. But, I understand that the prospect of doing this with irreplaceable museum equipment raised a few objections. I get that. Perhaps I should stick to stories about rubber ducks!
Anyway, extending the railroad to TOM and beyond is an exciting prospect and I look forward to my next visit when I can offer limited skill and a weak back to a truly talented and energetic group of people. I promise to only allow gravity to effect my misguided hammer blows!
John