Engine failure - high speed running

[40 Deluxe]

Is the horizontal mounting that big a problem? What about all the A's and AA's that spent their lives hauling people and freight up and down steep mountain roads? Or climbing out of a gravel pit with a full load, maxed out in low gear? They rarely saw the 'official' 3 degree-to-the-rear drop! Also, many a farm harvester or industrial machine (sawmill, etc.) was powered by an A engine that barked at full power all day long, and these engines were mounted level (or "horizontal").