Diesel Engines

[Hogjaw]

What is average weight of today's engines, fuel capacity, horsepower, and max number of cars they tow?

What engine holds record for most number of loaded cars pulled (number of cars, distance of pull, etc.)?

Thanks 

  

 

 

[wjstix]

Well really there isn't a good answer to either part of your question. Diesels in service now cover a range of horsepower from about 1500 to 4000, depending on whether you're talking about four-axle switchers or giant GM or GE six-axle road engines. For the second part, since diesels rarely work by themselves, I don't know in recent times if anyone has ever tried to set a record for how much they could actually pull. Obviously the builder can calculate based on weight, HP, tractive effort etc. how much an engine should be able to pull (in tons), but I don't know that anyone has tried to see how much they could pull with one engine.

[daveklepper]

Given the opportunity for running units in multiple, is the limitation that of couplers and drawbars?  And isn't this limitation imposed when starting the train, even when grades are encountered?  Starting the train on a grade has to be considered. of course.

[artpeterson]

Hi there -

"Average weight" isn't easy to get at - without a LOT of analysis, that is!  It really depends on the type of service in which the locomotive is being used.

Back in March 2005 "Railway Age" gave weights for an SD70Ace as 408,000 pounds and for GE Evolution series locomotive at 415,000 pounds, but didn't specify what railroad's specs (if any) were used to arrive at this result.  Earlier reports about CSX SD70MACs indicated the weight to be around 415,000 pounds, while their AC4400CWs were reported to have a total weight of approximately 412,000 pounds.

As for a commuter loco, in September 2002 "Railway Age" published the weight (loaded) for a Metra MP36 (MPI) as being 295,000 pounds.  This is a little beefier than Metrolink F59PHs which were reported to weigh in around 268,000 pounds, but recall that the Metra engine meets more recent and more rigorous crashworthiness standards, which would affect locomotive weight.  In the same context, the reported weight of MK reconstructed locos for Tri-Rail were about 282,000 pounds.

Hope this helps.

Art

[GP40-2]

Hi there -

"Average weight" isn't easy to get at - without a LOT of analysis, that is!  It really depends on the type of service in which the locomotive is being used.

Back in March 2005 "Railway Age" gave weights for an SD70Ace as 408,000 pounds and for GE Evolution series locomotive at 415,000 pounds, but didn't specify what railroad's specs (if any) were used to arrive at this result.  Earlier reports about CSX SD70MACs indicated the weight to be around 415,000 pounds, while their AC4400CWs were reported to have a total weight of approximately 412,000 pounds.

As for a commuter loco, in September 2002 "Railway Age" published the weight (loaded) for a Metra MP36 (MPI) as being 295,000 pounds.  This is a little beefier than Metrolink F59PHs which were reported to weigh in around 268,000 pounds, but recall that the Metra engine meets more recent and more rigorous crashworthiness standards, which would affect locomotive weight.  In the same context, the reported weight of MK reconstructed locos for Tri-Rail were about 282,000 pounds.

Hope this helps.

Art

 CSX's AC4400s weigh 432,000 lbs.

[artpeterson]

Hi -

The 432,000 pound weight is for an AC4400CW "heavy" - the 412,000 I quoted yesterday is for a "standard" unit, if such a thing can really be said to exist.

Art

[PBenham]

There are so many variables in determining a locomotives weight that it is mind boggling. Consider this: In 1941, representatives of Lima Locomotive Works and Chesapeake & Ohio met at the builder's Lima, Ohio plant scale house for the official weighing of the first C&O class H8 2-6-6-6, #1600 to this day 66 years later there is still controversy over just how heavy 1600 was. For many years the "official" weight was 725,000 lbs. Well, it may have been slightly on the light side, by 52,000 lbs. (that's 26 tons for those of you from Rio Linda) off! Imagine the problems this sort of discrepancy would trigger in 2007!

[markn]

I can't find my copy to confirm but a "recent" Trains (Sept/Oct/Nov?) had a great article about CSX adding weight and therefore adhesion/traction to their locos in mountain service. Hopefully someone can help me but I beleive the their locos were about 412000# and they added ballast to get them up to 420K or 430K and had charts showing basic wt, fuel/oil/coolant capacity/weight etc.  Also had a very good explanation of torque/weight/speed/traction etc.

I rememebr seeing something here or trains.com forum eariler this year about an Austrailian train setting the record of cars pulled on the straight/flat line going to Alice Springs?-search achives for "longest trains" 

 

[J. Edgar]

I can't find my copy to confirm but a "recent" Trains (Sept/Oct/Nov?) had a great article about CSX adding weight and therefore adhesion/traction to their locos in mountain service. Hopefully someone can help me but I beleive the their locos were about 412000# and they added ballast to get them up to 420K or 430K and had charts showing basic wt, fuel/oil/coolant capacity/weight etc.  Also had a very good explanation of torque/weight/speed/traction etc.

I rememebr seeing something here or trains.com forum eariler this year about an Austrailian train setting the record of cars pulled on the straight/flat line going to Alice Springs?-search achives for "longest trains" 

 

 most if not all diesels are ballasted in the form of lead weights and lead shot filling nooks and crannies....usually around 30000# .....of course your limited to "mx. wgt per axle" as per rulebooks/time tables/ FRA

[txhighballer]

  To figure out how much a single locomotive can pull, you take the tractive effort and divide it by the resistance per ton. That is a good starting point. To keep it moving at a desired speed requires horsepower.