What is the length of freight trains????

Posted by Anonymous

on Thu, Jul 7 2005 1:56 AM

No set limit. But usually under 200 cars. Sidings, grade, and horsepower are great concerns. Now I don't beleive a railroad ever ran 500 cars (not saying anyone is lying) but you would never pump the brakes off a train that big without distibuted power. And I run trains all the time with dp power and communication between the head end and dp unit is not reliable over 15,000 feet. So don't ever think you will ever see a train over 200 cars anytime soon. After 13,000 feet things tear up very quickly.

Posted by Anonymous

on Thu, Jul 7 2005 2:06 AM

Sounds reasonable to me. But sometimes to a motorist a train might SEEM five miles long.

[:D]

Posted by TrainFreak409

on Mon, Jul 11 2005 12:20 PM

Brunswick's CSX yard see trains that are easily over 100 cars long. And a lot of them are quite slow. Some even stop on the grade crossing due to yard work. Just yesterday, I saw a freight headed by six CSX diesels, and stretched quite a ways.

~[8]~ TrainFreak409 ~[8]~

Scott - Dispatcher, Norfolk Southern