Railroads have specific tonnage ratings for each type of locomotive they operate over specific track segments. Each routing on a division has its own grades and profile of those grades.
Since I was in Dispatching the last 18 years of my career, I became intimately familiar with the tonnage ratings for each of the subdivisions of my territories.
One thing I NEVER came across was tonnage ratings for Steam Engine across the same territories I had current diesel ratings for.
I suspect current 'road' power has a significant advantage in both tons and speeds in the tonnage they are able to move, but I haven't come across any steam engine tonnage ratings.
Video's I have seen of steam loaded to the maximum on grades would indicate that steam was moving in the neighborhood of 5 MPH when loaded to the max. Diesels (DC) start getting into 'short time' ratings at speeds below about 12 MPH when operating with maximum exertion.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Don't know if this will display correctly - CSX Baltimore Div. Ratings from late 1990's - covers power from the few remaining Gen 2 diesels through the AC44's and AC60's -Origin Dest MP MP
CUMBOY BRUNSY BA 105 BA 76 3950 4500 6000 7150 7800 9900 10500 11400
CUMBOY CUMBED BA 105 BA 178 4600 5250 7000 8300 9100 11550 12250 13300
MILLR1 CUMBOY BA 115 BA 105 2900 3300 4400 5200 5700 7250 7700 8350
NORBRN MILLR1 BA 177 BA 115 9900 11250 15000 17850 19500 24750 26250 28500
MILLYL HAGEWM BAE107 BAS111 2500 2850 3800 4500 4900 6250 6650 7200
MILLR4 CUMBO4 BAQ 0 BAQ 12 6950 7950 10600 12600 13750 17450 18550 20100
MILLMN HAGEWM BAS 34 BAS111 2500 2850 3800 4500 4900 6250 6650 7200
HIGHWM HAGEWM BAS 93 BAS111 2150 2450 3300 3900 4250 5400 5750 6250
HAGEWM MILLYL BAS111 BAE107 4600 5250 7000 8300 9100 11550 12250 13300
HAGEWM MILLMN BAS111 BAS 34 4600 5250 7000 8300 9100 11550 12250 13300
HAGEWM PORTWM BAS111 BAS 49 1500 1700 2300 2700 2950 3750 4000 4350
HAGEWM LURGWM BAS111 BAV 32 3300 3750 5000 5950 6500 8250 8750 9500
LURGWM HAGEWM BAV 32 BAS111 2200 2550 3400 4050 4400 5600 5950 6450
CUMYD2 CONPAY BF 179 BF 270 1350 1550 2100 2500 2700 3450 3650 3950
ROCKWA JOHNSA BF 227 BFC 45 1900 2150 2900 3450 3750 4750 5050 5500
CONPAY CUMYD2 BF 270 BF 179 1900 2150 2900 3450 3750 4750 5050 5500
CONPAY NEWCAY BF 270 BG 58 6900 7850 10500 12500 13650 17300 18350 19950
BRADDA FAIWVY BF 320 BS 302 1950 2250 3001 3550 3900 4950 5250 5700
GLEJUN EDGEPA BF 323 BG 53 1650 1900 2550 3000 3300 4200 4450 4800
GLEJUN WASPAA BF 323 BO 35 1350 1550 2100 2500 2700 3450 3650 3950
JOHNSA ROCKWA BFC 45 BF 227 1900 2150 2900 3450 3750 4750 5050 5500
CALLEN GLEJUN BG 25 BF 323 1900 2200 2950 3500 3800 4850 5150 5600
CALLEN NEWCAY BG 25 BG 58 5600 6400 8550 10150 11100 14100 14950 16200
EDGEPA CALLEN BG 53 BG 25 5600 6400 8550 10150 11100 14100 14950 16200
NEWCAY CONPAY BG 58 BF 270 5900 6750 9000 10700 11700 14850 15750 17100
NEWCAY WILLAE BG 58 BG 204 4000 4550 6100 7250 7900 10050 10650 11550
STERLN NEWCAY BG 155 BG 58 3150 3600 4800 5700 6200 7900 8400 9100
WASPAA GLEJUN BO 35 BF 323 1350 1550 2100 2500 2700 3450 3650 3950
FAIWVY BRADDA BS 302 BF 320 1950 2250 3001 3550 3900 4950 5250 5700
FEDONZ BROWPA BTC 6 PLM 61 1950 2250 3001 3550 3900 4950 5250 5700
ASHTAB CONNEA PLC 1 QD 115 4350 4950 6650 7900 8600 10950 11600 12600
ASHTAB PAINSV PLC 1 QD 153 4350 4950 6650 7900 8600 10950 11600 12600
BROWPA FEDONZ PLM 61 BTC 6 5900 6750 9000 10700 11700 14850 15750 17100
CONNEA ASHTAB QD 115 PLC 1 4350 4950 6650 7900 8600 10950 11600 12600
PAINSV ASHTAB QD 153 PLC 1 4350 4950 6650 7900 8600 10950 11600 12600
The row that shows the engine type is missing.
mvlandswThe row that shows the engine type is missing.
I know! For whatever reason, it did not end up in the file.
Employee timetables during the steam years on the N&W gave tonnage ratings for each type of steam locomotive.One thing that I found interesting was that NOT UNTIL the advent of the AC diesel units could one diesel outpull an N&W Y6 class steam locomotive!
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That may be true but through the wonder of multiple unit control, you could easily assemble the number of GP9's under one throtttle that it would take to outpull the Y6b.
CSSHEGEWISCH That may be true but through the wonder of multiple unit control, you could easily assemble the number of GP9's under one throtttle that it would take to outpull the Y6b.
Duh!
BigJimEmployee timetables during the steam years on the N&W gave tonnage ratings for each type of steam locomotive. One thing that I found interesting was that NOT UNTIL the advent of the AC diesel units could one diesel outpull an N&W Y6 class steam locomotive!
One thing that I found interesting was that NOT UNTIL the advent of the AC diesel units could one diesel outpull an N&W Y6 class steam locomotive!
It would be interesting to see such tonnage ratings, especially if there is direct comparison to diesels from Gen 1 to the present.
Let us play train builder.
1. Sorry those cars cannot go as they will exceed tonage rating on hill X and hill Y. We don't have any helpers until hill Z.
2. No the temperature is too low for that rating but go anyway.
3. That head wind will not matter.
4. The rain / snow will not matter.
5. Loco needs fuel? That weight loss does not matter.
6. Crew says sand low? Not needed. Anyway, sand tower has been removed. That saved a lot of cash from my account.
7. What do you mean the train slid back down hill X? Lay the crew off for 60 days. Why couldn't they follow guidelines and not stall on hill?
blue streak 1Let us play train builder. 1. Sorry those cars cannot go as they will exceed tonage rating on hill X and hill Y. We don't have any helpers until hill Z. 2. No the temperature is too low for that rating but go anyway. 3. That head wind will not matter. 4. The rain / snow will not matter. 5. Loco needs fuel? That weight loss does not matter. 6. Crew says sand low? Not needed. Anyway, sand tower has been removed. That saved a lot of cash from my account. 7. What do you mean the train slid back down hill X? Lay the crew off for 60 days. Why couldn't they follow guidelines and not stall on hill?
1. Train make up and any tonnage restrictions are defined in the carriers Operating Plan. Tonnage considerations apply from Origin to Destination and the maximum ruling grade between the two.
On CSX this plan was changed on a weekly basis to accomodate planned MofW curfews for major MofW projects (Rail Gangs, Tie & Surfacing Gangs, Curve Patch Gangs etc.)
2. Temperature considerations are implemented during cold weather with the length of trains being restricted account trainline leakage from cold air hose gaskets.
3. Building trains at A, they have no idea of wind conditions if any at Z. Observation from the CSX territory between Willard and Chicago - headwind is fine - a quartering head wind can suck 10 MPH out of a Intermodal train's top speed.
4. Routine rain and snow don't matter. When rainfall and snowfall is reported in inches per hour then it becomes an issue. Monsoon/Hurricanes & Blizzards are taken seriously.
5. Have NEVER heard of adding fuel for any other reason than the engines were near running out of fuel or fuel was cheaper at location X than at location Y.
6. Sand is an issue. When engines are fueled, they are also sanded. Tank truck fueling of engines, the trucks are also supposed to supply sand. Current generation locootives have much larger sand capacities than did Gen 1 diesels.
7. Trains do stall for a variety of valid reasons. Crews aren't 'laid off', the are disciplined. I may be mistaken, the various agreements limit discipline to a maximum of 30 days suspension, for any period of time greater than 30 days the employeed is FIRED and must seek reinstatement through his Union's claim channels. Discipline is only applied AFTER a formal Investigation, not something that is spur of the moment. Limits vary by contract, but Investigations normally must be scheduled within 10 days of the rules violation.
BaltACD BigJim Employee timetables during the steam years on the N&W gave tonnage ratings for each type of steam locomotive. One thing that I found interesting was that NOT UNTIL the advent of the AC diesel units could one diesel outpull an N&W Y6 class steam locomotive!
BigJim
Now that wx4.org exists, you can look at employee timetables of a number of RRs that included tonnage ratings, like SP, UP, L&N, N&W.
Here's a 1953 Radford Division
Scanned using Book ScanCenter 7131 (wx4.org)
On page 18 you see that Y5/Y6s were allowed 4650 tons on the climb from Walton to Christiansburg, which is six miles of fairly constant 1.0%. Couple years later the rating increased to 5150 tons, so the usual coal train became 10300 tons with a Y at each end.
In 1958 Y5/Y6s were allowed 3600 tons on the 1.4% Elkhorn climb while GP9/RS11s were supposed to be good for 1400 tons (page 13)
But most RRs didn't include ratings in the timetable. And, of course, we don't know how fast the RR expected each engine to haul its rating, or how reliably.
BigJim BaltACD BigJim Employee timetables during the steam years on the N&W gave tonnage ratings for each type of steam locomotive. One thing that I found interesting was that NOT UNTIL the advent of the AC diesel units could one diesel outpull an N&W Y6 class steam locomotive!
Temperature differences reducing tonnage on the steam engines is interesting. Is the engine losing power OR is it an admission that cold oil in journal boxes is making it harder to pull the cars at the lower temperatures. Of course in today's railroads we are dealing exclusively with roller bearings on all cars and engines.
Is steam being fed to the tender to keep the water from freezing? N&W used canteens with a lot of the articulated engines - was water in the canteen also heated sufficient to keep it from freezing?
Some railroads did away with the tonnage ratings by class of engine and just went by horsepower and a horsepower per trailing ton rating for the train type or general area. Another rating system is "equivalent powered axles" and "trailing tons per axle".
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
dehusmanSome railroads did away with the tonnage ratings by class of engine and just went by horsepower and a horsepower per trailing ton rating for the train type or general area. Another rating system is "equivalent powered axles" and "trailing tons per axle".
As in the animal world, not all horses have the same power - thoroughbreds vs. Clydesdales. They are all horses but don't have the same power or speed potential.
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