It took me 38 years to finally catch a general freight train of over 200 cars. That one was 202. I've caught a couple of ore trains with the "jennies" but to me that doesn't count. I caught a train on the old CNW double main across Iowa with 213 cars. The next day, I caught one slightly bigger and got it on video
Enjoy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59Pl7tZOyMQ
http://www.youtube.com/user/pavabo
http://www.flickr.com/photos/paulvbox
Both UP and BNSF are pumping 200+ car trains through downtown Kansas City, sometimes two at a time on the three tracks they share. One of the BNSF trains looked like two trains coupled together with both mid-train and end of train distributed power units. Most are unit coal trains or pure intermodal trains though.
Like you implied the General Merchandise trains are harder to catch.
Had a 190 car slopper the other day, no DP. Even the eastern roads are not immune to this.
It used to be a manifest over 8500 ft was considered big. Not anymore.
I think the manifest in the video was headed for Kansas. The ones for Iowa/Illinois don't usually run in that DP combination. The other day there was a salad shooter that was 9000ft long. (It was all reefers, too. Usually it seems when they are that big they have filled been out with boxcars.) It did have a mid-train and rear dp set. It still broke in two on the Blair sub from what the engineer said over the radio.
Jeff
Up until the middle of 2015 CSX had a 9000 foot limit for all trains and 11000 foot limit for trains operating over the Water Level Route (former NYC).
After the middle of 2015 virtually all car or length limits were eliminated. Whatever the maximum allowed power and the tonnage that the allowed power could handle became the limits. Trains of 15000 feet were being operated before I retired in December 2016. On the territories I worked DP had not been implemented, although radio repeaters were being installed where tests had shown that they were necessary. Manned helpers were being used on the grades in the territory.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
The DM&E ran slow and long 200+ car trains westbound through Rochester in the early 90's. Slow as in 10-15,,,, maybe 20mph. I'd guess they had helpers getting up the hill from Winona Mn. One train I followed was just creeping along going up the hill to Byron as a couple of crew were were outside on the locomotives front porch looking down as the lead axle on the front truck was spinning.
Modeling the "Fargo Area Rapid Transit" in O scale 3 rail.
Just caught another one yesturday. That makes 3 200+ car trains for the trip.
Just updated this: 5-31-17 220pm just saw a monster of a freight train, 249 cars heading east towards Grand Island Neb.
Update: For what took me 38 years to catch one 200+ freight train, I have seen 4 in 3 days including that monster 249 cars
The various Deramus roads (CGW, MKT, KCS) were all noted for running very long freights.
The closest I've come to a 200 car train happened back in the early 1970's and involved a combination of two empty coal unit trains headed back to the southern Illinois coal fields on ICG.
I'm sure the engineer used up his annual allotment of curse words - two locomotives and ~196 cars. They were "on their knees..." I'm not sure why I started counting the cars, aside from the fact that such trains usually rambled through Rantoul at a pretty good clip.
I can only guess that ICG was short of power on the north end and couldn't muster the locomotives needed for two trains, as was the norm.
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
My last trip home, I only had 165 cars for 18000 tons and 10200 feet. Mostly covered hoppers and tank cars, it ran great.
Good thing, too. We seem to have problems far too often with radio reception between engine and portables. When tripling up that 10K freight, I couldn't make out the conductor's portable. We had a utility man helping and I told him he might have to relay. The conductor had a van with him at the joint and used the van's radio.
About 40 years ago the Ann Arbor was running 160 car trains, which was pretty good for a regional that ended at a carferry dock where the boats could carry about 32 cars per trip.
Back in 1990 when I returned to the Dispatching profession my Superintendent royally ripped my posterior for authorizing a terminal to run only a 180 car train. Got ripped up one side and down the other - Superintendent wanted a MINIMUM of 220 cars. Who knew?
This particular Superintendent would not permit the Locomotive Managers to operate light power over his territory - logic being that more than enough other trains were operating that could move any power necessary between terminals.
BNSF has four separate 16000 ft stackers in its intermodal service network. A question was recently asked to coroporate management on if this is it related to length. The question was not answered yea or nay but a "not at this time". Basically not wanting to say never, who knows, perhaps 18000 0r 20000 ft could be inthe future in yrs to come
For a short time a few months ago CSX was operating 200+-car monsters thru here with DP (ex-SAL/L&N line Jacksonville FL to New Orleans). I was kind of surprised, because previously the limit was about 110 cars. The experiment must not have been successful, because now the trains are down to 140 or fewer cars. I was surprised they tried such long trains, because the terrain in the FL Panhandle from Pensacola to east of Tallahassee (200 miles) is surprisingly hilly.
SALfan I was surprised they tried such long trains, because the terrain in the FL Panhandle from Pensacola to east of Tallahassee (200 miles) is surprisingly hilly.
I was surprised they tried such long trains, because the terrain in the FL Panhandle from Pensacola to east of Tallahassee (200 miles) is surprisingly hilly.
Maybe it was the Pensacola running from the east side bridge to the west side ?
I get the QNPPR today. 213 cars, 19000 tons, 13599 feet long. Has already had an undesired emergency out west.
It won't be that big by the time it goes by the Rochelle webcam. About half the train, and the 4 mid-train DPs, set out before then.
jeffhergertI get the QNPPR today. 213 cars, 19000 tons, 13599 feet long. Has already had an undesired emergency out west.
I would venture to say the conductor was not happy. Bummer if the offending hose was near the back end of the train.
Norm
jeffhergert I get the QNPPR today. 213 cars, 19000 tons, 13599 feet long. Has already had an undesired emergency out west.
Ahh, the joys of a DP train...
Norm48327 jeffhergert I get the QNPPR today. 213 cars, 19000 tons, 13599 feet long. Has already had an undesired emergency out west. I would venture to say the conductor was not happy. Bummer if the offending hose was near the back end of the train.
You mean knuckle. The inbound engineer said the DP put them in emergency, has they do some times, and the knuckle was behind the DP.
Going back to do the daily inspection on the DPs, we found a door open on a load of plywood. Other than that, uneventful. It still took all 12, arriving with a few minutes to spare at the terminal limits. Because of that they didn't have to call a dogcatch crew. The outbound was able to climb on and take over.
Kielbasa jeffhergert I get the QNPPR today. 213 cars, 19000 tons, 13599 feet long. Has already had an undesired emergency out west. Ahh, the joys of a DP train...
Many yrs ago, before all the nonsense of two or three mile long trains became partly the norm, I remember seeing a very long train and had to reference notes as I knew something was personally documented. In Feb 1993 Santa Fe train 524 made a pick up at Wichita departing from there w/168 cars. The crew was not thrilled on having to take the monster into Newton and yard it. Trying to go dead and get a dogcatch, they asked permission from dispatch if they could take a break for beans. Request was declined. In 2010 Wichita-Newton local departed Wichita w/158 cars. This was arranged by the condr on the job. Day before he got into a "disagreement" w/ the on duty trainmaster @ Newton. Fuming about it, the old head condr was going to pay it back. He changed the date status on every Newton car in Wichta yd for that day and departed w/the 158. Newton yd was not ready for a train of that length. The yd plan had to be changed on the fly. In the meantime the train is sitting on the main waiting for open space while trains behind were stacking up. Needless to say, the TM in question got the message by learning it's not wise to play games w/a trainman w/40 yrs service
On the way to work,I will cross the U.P's Milwaukee Sub.in Gurnee Il.
At times I will get stopped by a five engine train made up or 30 ft covered hoppers.
VERY LONG TRAIN!
This train has DPU's in the center.
It comes down from Butler yard Wisconsin.About 5am.
Anyone know about this train?
BaltACD Back in 1990 when I returned to the Dispatching profession my Superintendent royally ripped my posterior for authorizing a terminal to run only a 180 car train. Got ripped up one side and down the other - Superintendent wanted a MINIMUM of 220 cars. Who knew? This particular Superintendent would not permit the Locomotive Managers to operate light power over his territory - logic being that more than enough other trains were operating that could move any power necessary between terminals.
"No soup for you!" - Yev Kassem (from Seinfeld)
gebass6At times I will get stopped by a five engine train made up or 30 ft covered hoppers. VERY LONG TRAIN!
Sounds like a Frac Sand train. A specific type of sand is used in the Fracing to keep the fractured rocks separated so the oil (or gas) can flow.
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