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Steam Locomotives versus Diesels
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[quote]QUOTE: <i>Originally posted by route_rock</i> <br /><br />Oh youth that doesnt listen to elders. two SD-70 macs to drag a coal train up albia hill at a crawl.a 2-10-4 dragging a 10,000 ton train up the same hil at about 30. I can hear you guys now ,thats 8,000 tons less,ahh touche but they had fricton bearing's. Not the nice roller bearings that todays power house junkers get to pull. Took 4 count em 4 to get the same train pulled by one steam loco.So before you all say steam was horrible l suggest you re read your history. Had WWII not forced railroads to run power that was beat up and out of repair the diesel might have had to wait till the 70's. <br /> Funny we all talk about how great diesels are and versatile but can a 70 mac do locals? a Trash 9? I dont think so folks! Diesels were versatile one day long ago,not now. <br />[/quote] <br /> <br />Can your 2-10-4 do locals? Can it take the 200 foot radius curves found in old industrial and dock areas? An SD70MAC just might, albeit very slowly and with much flange squealing. No I wouldn't want to do it every day. But in a pinch an SD70MAC can do the local. Your 2-10-4 could not. <br /> <br />And yes it took four diesel units to handle that same 10,000 ton train. But if there was only 2000 tons a diesel only needed one unit. While with steam you were stuck with that same 2-10-4. Likewise if there were 15,000 tons to move a diesel could have 6 units. And you still had a 2-10-4. Or maybe you called out two crews and ran the train in sections. <br /> <br />It is fairly common in northern and western Ohio to see trains on the NS that approach 3 miles in length hauled by 2 SD70s or Dash9s. Trains that size were never routine during steam. Yes steam had to pull many cars with friction bearings (but there were some roller bearings too, WM had lots of them on coal hoppers) but steam never had to pull trains of cars that exceeded 300 feet in length and carried 10 containers, and do so at an average speed that is competative with the interstates.
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