For the life of me, I can not find (on the net) out what the maximum allowable length a freight train can be. IIRC the Government recently allowed them to increase the length, seems to me it was something like 200 cars or maximum length of two miles. Any facts would be appreciated ….thanks.
Buff's Place wrote: For the life of me, I can not find (on the net) out what the maximum allowable length a freight train can be. IIRC the Government recently allowed them to increase the length, seems to me it was something like 200 cars or maximum length of two miles. Any facts would be appreciated ….thanks.
There is no Federal rule on the maximum length of a freight train, it is up to each individual railroad. The longest train on record in the US was a NS coal train of 500 cars.
In the past, anything over 150-200 cars was more trouble than it was worth. Now days they are running "distributed power" which are radio controlled engines that go on the rear or even in the middle of the train and allow for longer, heavier trains.
Railroads try to limit the trains to the length of the sidings on the route so they can clear each other. That way the trains can get by each other. In most cases this is in the 7,000' to 10,000' range.
When things get behind they'll make them longer. These trains are referred to as "non-clearing" because they can't get by each other. They try to make sure that they only run the non-clearing trains one way on a line. They'll move them one way for a few days and then only send clearing trains until the line clears that way and then send the non-clearing trains the other way. Sometimes someone messes up then they things get plugged up for hours when two non-clearing trains are facing each other. Then some open road switching has to occur to clear them past each other.
Buff's Place wrote: For the life of me, I can not find (on the net) out what the maximum allowable length a freight train can be. IIRC the Government recently allowed them to increase the length, seems to me it was something like 200 cars or maximum length of two miles. Any facts would be appreciated ….thanks.
There is no Federal rule on the maximum length of a freight train, it is up to each individual railroad. The longest train on record in the US was a NS coal train of 500 cars.
In the past, anything over 150-200 cars was more trouble than it was worth. Now days they are running "distributed power" which are radio controlled engines that go on the rear or even in the middle of the train and allow for longer, heavier trains.
On this particular train there were 3 GM/EMD SD45s in front of 300 cars, with an additional 3 GM/EMD SD45s cut in behind the initial 300 cars, and 200 cars trailing aft of the 2nd set of locos. At the end of the train was a sole caboose.
There is an old superstition that says if you count the cars on a passing train, that number will be the number of days you have left to live..
I remember hearing that as a kid growing up in the Carolinas in the 1940's/50's..
John
John Harrelson
Carson City, Nevada
fulltime since 1977
93 Ford 350 4wd Diesel
95 Prowler 30.5 ft 5th wheel w/slide
TWO CENTS WORTH
The story goes that a man died and was approached by the Devil who told him that he could buy his soul back for a dollar. The man searched his pockets and could only come up with 98 cent. While begging the Devil to forget the two cent he was short, an Angel happened by and hearing the Devil laughing, asked the man, "Would you mind if I put in my two cents ?" The Devil got so mad that he exploded in a puff of smoke and the man's soul was saved. The moral: Sometimes putting in your two cents worth makes a difference.
JOHN "the cook" 1997
On this particular train there were 3 GM/EMD SD45s in front of 300 cars, with an additional 3 GM/EMD SD45s cut in behind the initial 300 cars, and 200 cars trailing aft of the 2nd set of locos. At the end of the train was a sole caboose.
Total HP= GM/EMD SD45, 3600HP x 6 = 21,600.
Not GE/EMD SD45 engines, just EMD SD45's. Ge did not manufacture the SD45 engine, only EMD.
On this particular train there were 3 GM/EMD SD45s in front of 300 cars, with an additional 3 GM/EMD SD45s cut in behind the initial 300 cars, and 200 cars trailing aft of the 2nd set of locos. At the end of the train was a sole caboose.
Total HP= GM/EMD SD45, 3600HP x 6 = 21,600.
Not GE/EMD SD45 engines, just EMD SD45's. Ge did not manufacture the SD45 engine, only EMD.
GE?
Electromotive was a division of General Motors from 1930 until April 4, 2005. 75 years, which included the 1960s time frame that the SD45, and variants was built.
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