Moving Coal!!!

[gwladok5]

Now that's what I call an MGR!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bc80g01x ... re=related

[Makeone]

Well, i don't know, 'only' 25 000 hp's and about 10 000 tons...yeah alright, everything is BIG in USA

What's average british coal train, 15-20 100ton cars and a class 66, about 2000-2200 tons total? Been playing too much simsig

[thenudehamster]

Well, i don't know, 'only' 25 000 hp's and about 10 000 tons...yeah alright, everything is BIG in USA

What's average british coal train, 15-20 100ton cars and a class 66, about 2000-2200 tons total? Been playing too much simsig

Which just goes to prove that it's not what you've got, but what you do with it, that counts...

[martinhodgson]

Wouldn't want to wait for that at a railroad crossing!

[craigy]

I bet the other end of that train is in a different time zone

[ewsjo]

Well, i don't know, 'only' 25 000 hp's and about 10 000 tons...yeah alright, everything is BIG in USA

What's average british coal train, 15-20 100ton cars and a class 66, about 2000-2200 tons total? Been playing too much simsig

Which just goes to prove that it's not what you've got, but what you do with it, that counts...

Yup, it's all down to tractive effort, not pure horsepower

A quick comparison, to show how we do it with style (and a single loco) over here.
That US train, using the given estimates above of 25000hp on 10000t comes at 2.5 hp per t.
The Merehead - Theale Yeoman stone train loads to around 36 102t hoppers - this gives us 3672t, with 3300hp at the front. That's 0.89 hp per t. And that's before we even consider the weight of the loco(s). The Yeoman Jumbo often loads to over 4000t, with it's multiple portions, and this again is handled single handedly.
The coal trains round here tend to 17-21 102 tonners, behind a 66 or a Powerhaul. Liverpool docks load to 23 behind a 60.

cheers

jo

[spartacus]

This being a particular speciality of mine, GBRf run the heaviest coal trains today, sometimes loading to 24 102 tonne HYAs on their Immingham - Eggborough trains, almost 2500 tonnes. The biggest ever were EWS' jumbo trains from Carlisle to Gascoigne Wood and later York which would normally have 42 104 tonne HTAs behind 2 66s, nearly 4400 tonnes, although the second loco was used mostly for acceleration and reliability.

What Freightliner might try with a 70, we'll just have to wait and see!

[gremlin1812]

G'Day all, OK I'm from way down the bottom of the world in the land of OZ so I could go around bashing both yanks and poms but look at this in perspective. These US rail roads have quite different conditions to those in the UK there are some very steep grades and for quite long distances, take your average British coal train, 15-20 100ton cars and a class 66 put it on their rails and then see how you go and I tend to think you would get nowhere fast.
Please before going and criticising others, have an open mind and see there particular circumstances in comparison to yours.
At this point I think I will put on my flame proof clothing and cover myself with fire retardant.
Even here in OZ we have multi headed coal and freight trains but in some areas the same train will be hauled by a single loco and at times locos are added and removed as the terrain requires.
Regards and seasons greetings to all.
Barrie

[bavli]

Are those empties going back? A load would would be 286,000 lbs. per car or 14000 short tons-up a 2% gradient that would be about 300 short tons on the drawbar- 200 short tons is supposed to be the limit as far as I know unless the rules are different for unit trains.

[exshunter]

Imagine being the shunter and walking the length to do a brake test!

[chriscooper]

They use quad bikes etc for getting along the trains due to the length. The FRED (Flashing Rear End Device) as well as being a tail light also allows the monitoring of brake pressure and the carrying out of brake tests from the loco.