I can't answer your questions GreatBeach but I can say "Welcome!" There's a lot to be learned here, so don't be shy in asking questions.
And it's always good to hear from railfans in other countries. Maybe the magic key to world peace is railfanning?
US Main line diesel locomotives are between 15'6" (4.7 Meters +/-) and 16'2" (4.9 Meters +/-)
Maximum height of cars are 20'2" (6.15 meters) Double stacks are 8'6" (2.59 Meters) wide at the 20'2" height. Autoracks are narrower at their extreme height. Individual cars hauling both double stacks and autoracks are nominally 89 feet (27.13 Meters) in length. The length of the cars limits the allowed width of the lading account of overhangs in curves.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
I am an American living in Triete, Italy and have noticed big differences in both the height and width of European trains in relation to US trains. The Pennsylvania Railroad, a precursor to both present day CSX and NS railroads had a standard of 6,700 mm from railhead to catenary wire, which now limits the height of freight cars that can travel under wire. Electric operation is the standard in most of Europe, probably including Romania, but is not standard US practice.
I am not familiar with the total height of US locomotives , but would make a guess at around 4,200 mm, with few exceptions, all of which are diesel. This would make it close to what a Romanian electric would be with the pantograph down. However, a lot of freight now moves as containers stacked two high on a car or in tri-level vehicle carriers, both of which would not fit under wire. I suspect that these cars are are around 5,100 mm tall, but they are not the tallest. The tallest is an Auto-Max car that stands 6,150 mm from the railhead and is restricted to certain routes because of extreme height.
I do not know the height of the catenary wire above the rails here in Italy, but just looking at it, it seems incredibly low. Riding the trains and looking out the window, I'm impressed with the very close side clearances and the lightness of the bridges. I do not think I've ever encountered a truss bridge in the US without top chords, but that seems to be the standard here. To me, half the bridge is missing, but that maybe just me.
In world exists many types of train right , but in every copuntry are different so i'm from Romania and i'm interest in some things which i think that users on this forum know the respond !
For example an electric Romanian train has a height of 4500 mm with retracted pantograph but what is the height of locomotive without pantogaphes , only to roof , i predicted 4200 mm but you ?
A truck has a height of 4000 mm in Europe and in America a height of 4120 mm right ?
If in Romania an electric train has 4500 mm with retracted pantograph is clearly that is taller than very truck but in we compare the locomotive with truck and the locomotive is measurment only to roof remind it taller than truck ( european and american ) .
In us Trains are incredible big and no truck is taller than them and it's very clear but i'm interest in Romania .
In general in Europe trains are like in Romania , except Uk where trains maybe are smallest in world .
So a locomotive is taller than a truck if we comapre them only to roof ?
I want to say electric locomotives becuase in Romania are disel locomotives which are 4500 mm and truck is no match for them !
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