I will refer you to page 21 of the latest "20/20" issue. In the second column, did any of you think there was something odd about the numbers and try to do the math for yourself?
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14,000 lbs / 225 h.p. is 62.2 h.p. ratio. It looks like they divide 225 h.p. by 7 which is the 32 figure, but the 7 is 7 tons not lbs. They claimed 32 h.p. for every pound which would be 32 x 14,000 = 448,000 lbs which is 224 tons.
Then again 325,000,000 million x 1,000,000 is what Mini Mike spent and still has lots left over.
Miningman 14,000 lbs / 225 h.p. is 62.2 h.p. ratio. It looks like they divide 225 h.p. by 7 which is the 32 figure, but the 7 is 7 tons not lbs. They claimed 32 h.p. for every pound which would be 32 x 14,000 = 448,000 lbs which is 224 tons. Then again 325,000,000 million x 1,000,000 is what Mini Mike spent and still has lots left over.
Johnny
Deggesty Miningman 14,000 lbs / 225 h.p. is 62.2 h.p. ratio. It looks like they divide 225 h.p. by 7 which is the 32 figure, but the 7 is 7 tons not lbs. They claimed 32 h.p. for every pound which would be 32 x 14,000 = 448,000 lbs which is 224 tons. Then again 325,000,000 million x 1,000,000 is what Mini Mike spent and still has lots left over. Maybe whoever did the calculation that was published used the "new math"?
Maybe whoever did the calculation that was published used the "new math"?
Does new math work on old calculators?
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
MiningmanThen again 325,000,000 million x 1,000,000 is what Mini Mike spent and still has lots left over.
I didn't get my check yet.
York1 John
York1I didn't get my check yet.
You're not a registered Democrat.
On the more general subject of the 20th anniversary issue, I skimmed through it and left it on the shelf at the newsagent.
By chance I had the 15th anniversary issue with Preston Cook's article on F units out, and I reread that issue. That was really something. Not quite as detailed as we got from X2200 South in Don Dover's time, but definitely a reference on the subject.
Peter
Well that's too bad... I'm sure the News Agent fellow was amused as is Classic Trains with you're comment.
At least you get to use their Forum for nothing so it doesn't cost you to dole out a put down.
The A-B-B-B-B-A 30,000 h.p. UP DD35's running for Cajon was a real eye popper. A serious ground shaking moment I'm sure and the sound something perhaps a dedicated steam lover like myself could tip his hat to, begrudgingly mumbling something about "not bad". Only my dog here to confirm that though.
MiningmanThe A-B-B-B-B-A 30,000 h.p. UP DD35's running for Cajon was a real eye popper.
It's a 92 car freight. There are very distinctive individual plumes, shooting straight up, coming from every one of them. March 18, 1975.
I would say the train is just getting under way, or labouring on grade.
Six DD35's on a 92 car freight? Jeez, a "Big Boy" didn't need any help with a 92 car freight! An N&W Y6b wouldn't have needed any help either!
You call that progress?
I'm sure the UP had a reason to put 30,000 h.p. on that train, even if it was just as a trial.
Keep in mind that it's quite possible that this was a power move and some of that power may have been offline and idling rather than sending electricity to the traction motors.
30,000 HP would work wonders with the lead drawbar.
CSSHEGEWISCHKeep in mind that it's quite possible that this was a power move and some of that power may have been offline and idling rather than sending electricity to the traction motors. 30,000 HP would work wonders with the lead drawbar.
I guess I led a sheltered railroad career - I never heard anything about limiting head end locomotive power until the AC locomotives began to appear on the property.
Of course until the sustained pulling power of the AC units showed up it was never considered that trains could be built that would exceed the capacity of high strength knuckles.
What was a BIG train 40 years ago would not be worthy of operating these days - hold it for tonnage until a 'proper train' can be accumulated.
Balt,There have bee rules in place for a very long time about how many axles may be on line in power and dynamic brake. Suffice it to say that it is not going to take long for that 30,000 HP to bust a knuckle or worse jerk a drawhead out of the end of a car.To you railfans, all of that power makes for a good story. But, in the real world, it is most likely a lot less power on line than some of you want to "mythisize" about.
Well as previously stated they are all ejecting a very forceful straight up plume of exhaust. That would mean every engine is working. If that means they are engaged with the traction motors I don't know.
The Chicago Great Western would run huge lashups of F units but maybe not 30,000 h. p. worth.
CGW's "standard", at least on the line out of Chicago, was 9000 HP with 6 F-units (A-B-B-B-B-A), or four GP30s, or three SD40s. CGW bought additional F7B's just to fill out their lashups.
CN's current operating rules allow 24 powered DC axles in a consist, which may be increased to 30 on certain subdivisions with a supervisor's authorization. With an AC unit it is 18 axles.
Dynamic braking is restricted to 18 DC axles/consist, 12 if you have an AC unit.
The rules on other railroads may vary. As an example, before the Mount MacDonald Tunnel was built in the 1980s Canadian Pacific used to run 6-unit SD40 helper sets in the middle of loaded trains on Rogers Pass. 36 powered axles in that consist, but since they were pushing as much or more than they were pulling drawbar strain does not seem to have been nearly as much of a problem.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBPVTEx9Syw
The Utah Railway did the same:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Za57_HF5H8
Greetings from Alberta
-an Articulate Malcontent
Flintlock76 Six DD35's on a 92 car freight? Jeez, a "Big Boy" didn't need any help with a 92 car freight! An N&W Y6b wouldn't have needed any help either! You call that progress?
If the PRR Q2 was tested by the Union Pacific, the "8000hp" PRR Q2 wouldn't need any helper as well! Even though the starting T.E of Q2 was lower than the "Big Boy" (115,816 lbf with booster Vs. 135,375 lbf). The experimental PRR Q1 could easily handle a 100-car freight on level track and reach 40mph at 40% cutoff...
Jones 3D Modeling Club https://www.youtube.com/Jones3DModelingClub
For those of you that denied themselves or think we are talking about helpers:
That would be twelve exhaust stacks. I don't see that many plumes.
Maybe some those DD's are dirtier than others? Maybe they've gotten a load of cheap fuel?
"Dirty Dick's Discount Diesel?"
The photo caption says it all "UP nickname Unlimited Power"..."formidable consist"..."infatuation with giant double engined Diesels".
As stated previously I'm not generally very taken by Diesels but this lashup gets a nod.
Even if you replicated it on a model railroad, in my case N scale, it would cause quite a rumble and stir!
I remember reading a long time ago about throttle restrictions with high horsepower consists on the UP. With 30,000 hp the throttle was not to be advanced to the 8th position until train speed was up to 30 mph where the tractive effort is reduced.
A Big Boy could handle 92 cars but not nearly as fast as a 30,000 hp diesel consist. The reason the UP got into high HP diesels and turbines was to run fast trains over their long distances.
Mark Vinski
Gee, how fast did UP want to go? I've read a Big Boy was good for up to 70mph, at least on level ground with a typical consist. A Challenger as well.
Granted, on the N&W a Y6b typically didn't go faster than 35mph. The exception was during WW2 when they were pushed up to 50. Wartime traffic had to move.
mvlandsw-- Thank You! Rather wonder how widespread this practice became during the 'Unlimited Horsepower' years.
Can you imagine 6 DD35's at high speed. Holeee mackerel.
Then again the UP always had the big stuff, Big Boys, Turbines, Big Blows, plenty of wide open running and some stiff grades.
mvlandsw I remember reading a long time ago about throttle restrictions with high horsepower consists on the UP. With 30,000 hp the throttle was not to be advanced to the 8th position until train speed was up to 30 mph where the tractive effort is reduced.
This makes sense. But the Engineer would still have to be very careful when starting the train with all those units online.
Flintlock76Granted, on the N&W a Y6b typically didn't go faster than 35mph. The exception was during WW2 when they were pushed up to 50. Wartime traffic had to move.
OK Big Jim, you were there and I wasn't , so, just how fast could those Y6b's go?
I've had some old-timers here tell me from first-hand experience Class A's would run away from chasers driving on Route 460, and we know the Class J's could fly when given the chance, so how about the Y6b's
Just a couple of thoughts...
1. I'm a subscriber and I also found the latest issue extremely boring. With 20 articles, they were too short to be anything but superficial.
2. A 92 car consist in Big Boy years was a lot lighter than the same number of cars in the 1970s. In the 50's, there weren't any autoracks, high cube boxcars, Big John covered hoppers, etc. It was mainly 40ft boxcars and smaller hoppers.
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