Clearance for double stacks

[chatanuga]

Since I have all of my track working on my layout, I'm now preparing to get started on scenery, including a couple highway overpasses at a couple locations.  While I don't have any now, I am planning on getting double stacks in the future and was wondering how much clearance I should leave for them.

 

[jrbernier]

Kevin,

  Double stacks vary due to different types of containers.  Our club has a basic HO scale 25' rule of clearance above the rail.  Watch those side clearences as well.  The Athearn 'Husky Stack' cars are shorter than full length passenger cars, but the bolster wheel base is longer.  The result is the low sides of the 'Husky Stack' cars would not clear a bridge gusset that had cleared a Walthers Superliner II car!  We found this out last Monday, and had to 'adjust' the bridge.

Jim

[cwclark]

This is good advice. I also run double stack cars and found that 4" (real inches) will allow the cars to continue under a bridge without striking it. Also watch out for side clearances on bridges. I have an atlas arch truss bridge that the cars can't cross. They are too wide and get hung up on the sides of the bridge.....chuck

[7j43k]

This is certainly not the answer to your question, but I thought I'd mention it anyway (for general interest).

 

I worked on a project "tangential" to the cutting of the mouse-ears in the tunnels for the UP from the Sierras down into Oakland (old WP).  By "mouse-ears", I mean the cuts in the tops of the tunnels to allow double-stack trains to pass through.  Anyway, my recollection is that they cut the ears with 3" of clearance both vertically and horizontally.  That always seemed REAL CLOSE, but if you consider how nasty and expensive it is to cut even more concrete and re-bar out of a tunnel, you can see why they might have cut it pretty tight.

 

Ed 

[Petan]

This is certainly not the answer to your question, but I thought I'd mention it anyway (for general interest).I worked on a project "tangential" to the cutting of the mouse-ears in the tunnels for the UP from the Sierras down into Oakland (old WP).  By "mouse-ears", I mean the cuts in the tops of the tunnels to allow double-stack trains to pass through.  Anyway, my recollection is that they cut the ears with 3" of clearance both vertically and horizontally.  That always seemed REAL CLOSE, but if you consider how nasty and expensive it is to cut even more concrete and re-bar out of a tunnel, you can see why they might have cut it pretty tight.Ed 

Thanks Ed!

What approx time era was this done and were all tunnels on other major rail routes done all across the USA for double stack container trains?

Thanks

Peter C

Australia

[retsignalmtr]

i asked that same question last year and got a bunch of stoopid answers here. not getting any help i figured that since the containers are 8 ft high that two would come to 16 ft. then they ride about a foot above the rails when they are traveling in the cars. which brings the total to 17 ft which is about 2 1/2 inches in ho. i then added another inch to make it 3 1/2 inches which is 25 1/2 real ft. if you model in n scale that would be 2 inches for clearance.

[caldreamer]

The actual minimum clearance for double stacks is 22 feet 6 inches.  Which is 3.1 inches in HO and 1.69 inches in N scale.  That is cutting it MIGHTY CLOSE, so I have set mine at 17/8 since I am in N scale.

[7j43k]

Peter,

For the trackage I mentioned, I seem to recall it was the late '80's or early '90's.  I think it was done so that two 9'-6" containers stacked would pass through--the UP then got a lot more flexibility in loading.  As far as other places in the US, railroads would have to balance the cost of the project with the benefits.  There probably still are tunnels that see container traffic that won't clear high-cube double stacks.

Speaking of "cost of the project", the Port of Oakland kicked in some money to help pay for the UP tunnel mods.

 

Ed 

[jbinkley60]

Since I have all of my track working on my layout, I'm now preparing to get started on scenery, including a couple highway overpasses at a couple locations.  While I don't have any now, I am planning on getting double stacks in the future and was wondering how much clearance I should leave for them.

From someone just across town from you, take a look at this:

http://www.thebinks.com/trains/Truss_Bridge_Modify.html

I now use 3.25" for HO .

 

[eeyore9900]

Interesting this got brought up...

The CSX New Castle Sub (from New Castle PA to Greenwich,Ohio) can't allow double stacks due to clearance issues. A message was posted on my railfan yahoo group recently:

CSX Launches New Eastern Corridor Project
May 5, 2008 | 10:25 a.m. CDT

CSX Corporation May 1 announced the launch of its National Gateway
project, a $700 million public-private infrastructure initiative to
create a freight transportation link between the Mid-Atlantic ports
and the Midwest.

When completed, the National Gateway would provide greater capacity
for product shipments in and out of the Midwest and reduce truck
traffic on highways, CSX said. The railroad already has committed
$300 million to the National Gateway, and will work with several
states and the federal government to secure additional funding.

The National Gateway incorporates two primary parts. First, CSX would
build or expand several high-capacity intermodal terminals where
product shipments are exchanged between trucks and trains. At the
same time, CSX would work with state and federal government agencies
to create double-stack clearances beneath public overpasses along the
railroad.

CSX said the National Gateway will enhance three existing rail
corridors that run through Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina,
Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia. Those corridors include:

The I-70/I-76 Corridor between Washington, D.C., and northwest Ohio
via Pittsburgh;
The I-95 Corridor between North Carolina and Baltimore via
Washington, D.C.; and
The Carolina Corridor between Wilmington and Charlotte, North Carolina.

 

Had this reply from a raifanning bud in PA-

The Keystone Sub cannot handle domestic stacks through Sandpatch Tunnel. I doubt if anyone will raise the roof on that one.

 

Also, down past Cumberland, Carrouthers Tunnel can only handle stacks or racks on one of its tracks.

 

 

Just some info to pass along.

 

[Petan]

  What approx time era was this done and were all tunnels on other major rail routes done all across the USA for double stack container trains? Peter C Australia

Many thanks for the very useful responses to my above question!!!

Cheers

Peter C

[chatanuga]

Since I have all of my track working on my layout, I'm now preparing to get started on scenery, including a couple highway overpasses at a couple locations.  While I don't have any now, I am planning on getting double stacks in the future and was wondering how much clearance I should leave for them.

From someone just across town from you, take a look at this:

http://www.thebinks.com/trains/Truss_Bridge_Modify.html

I now use 3.25" for HO .

 

Sounds like about 3.5-4" should be more than enough.  The overpasses I'm using are Rix Products overpasses, one of which is visible in my one video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlKYLlUuZog) with autoracks going under it.  Thanks for the info everybody!

 

[nbrodar]

The actual minimum clearance for double stacks is 22 feet 6 inches.  Which is 3.1 inches in HO and 1.69 inches in N scale.  That is cutting it MIGHTY CLOSE, so I have set mine at 17/8 since I am in N scale.

Note this is 22ft 6in or 3 1/8in (HO) ATR (above the rail).  So you'll have to add the thickness of any roadbed and the track itself to the ATR figure.  My standard clearance in HO, using 1/4in roadbed and Atlas CD100 track is 4 inches.

Nick 

[caldreamer]

In the new Trains magazine is a piece about UP working to get funding to raise the height of the roofs in the tunnels and snow sheds over Donner Pass.  Now all double stacks have to go the long way via the Feather River Canyon to the Bay area. When this goes thru it will greatly speed up traffic since the Donner Pass is a more direct route.

 

 

 

[7j43k]

Engineer Jeff,

Nice pix--thanks!

 

Ed