Loco or coach first on incline?

[BritInTexas]

Part of my still under construction, early BR, layout will be a single track branch up an incline to a station with no turnaround facility. I'll probably have an autocoach and some sort of 0-6-0 tank engine.

In the real world, was there any sort of standard about which went first up the incline - the coach or the loco? Or asking the other way round, did the loco always come down the incline first?

Since the layout is purely for my enjoyment and I am not in any way a "rivet counter" the question is really just for curiosity's sake.

[End2end]

With an autocoach I wouldn't think it mattered as it's driven from both ends.

If you want to use other loco's and coaches with the space why not use a passing loop at the station end?
Place it on the opposite side of the track from the platform and just make sure the loco doesn't foul the platform (as marked in red)

Just an idea.
Thanks
End2end

[flying scotsman123]

Not as far as I know between autocoach and loco, although my gut reaction would be loco first. Typically uphill you might favour the loco travelling with the bunker end in front irrespective of what order the loco and carriage go up in to avoid risk of exposing the firebox crown though.

[Bufferstop]

For normal gradients it isn't a consideration. If any special measures are necessary (rack, or Fell brake wheels) then it's usually loco on the downhill end. On really steep inclines, and with independent brakes on the coach it probably won't be coupled, but that's taking us into mountain railway territory, the loco will always point up hill with the boiler tilted to keep it nearer to level, (called a kneeling cow)

[Dad-1]

On the Bridport line West Bay extension locos always went down to the coast bunker first,
but there was a run around so either way the loco was pulling.
Ever thought about a gravity siding ? several were used in the west of England. Maiden Newton,
Princetown are the only ones that come to mind immediately.
We had one on a club layout and it created much interest. The coach was pushed up the siding
where we locked it in place using a Peco point motor. Uncouple the loco and move out of the
way, release the coach by changing the point motor, which then ran back down alongside a platform
from where the loco would re-couple.

Perhaps not exactly what you're after, but a strange prototypical way of drawing stock with the
loco always at the front so to speak.

Geoff T.

[Bufferstop]

Geoff gravity run past was used at all of the main turn back points on the Manx Electric Railway. At Laxey, the midway point, the tram would stop, uncouple the trailer, move forward down the slope, the conductor would hop off swing the Tolley pole so it was on othe opposite wire and trailing. The driver would reverse through the crossover. Meanwhile the conductor walked back, took the brakes off the trailer, to allow it to roll through the points and lock the brakes on again. Then the driver would run back through the crossover, couple up to the trailer and set off back the way they had come. Both sets of brakes were held by ratchet wheels wound on by a handle on the front weatherboard. So the whole process was a glorious rattling and clacking from the brake wheels. In fact the trailers were (probably still are) known as ratchet cars.

[BritInTexas]

Thanks for all the replies. As I said it's a matter of curiosity really but having the bunker uphill seems to make sense.

Terry

[Bufferstop]

It really does depend on the gradient. Boiler first can be essential to keep the top of the firebox covered. However if the slope is too great the boiler has to be tilted down at the front to keep the water out of the steampipe.