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[quote user="MichaelSol"][quote user="Bucyrus"] I understand your points about specialized equipment.  I am only pointing out the inherent tare weight penalty on all cars in a loose-car system, and how a fixed car train-set can overcome that penalty as well as the penalty of slack.  [/quote]Well, I think the term "penalty" creates the unjustified presumption. I would use the terms "durable", "interchangeable", "highly flexible" and "time-tested", as well as "continuingly evolved". Not sure about the "penalty of slack". With slack, the starting coefficient of friction is pretty reasonable, without any slack, it is enormous.For specialized equipment, I might use the terms "production cost penalty", "maintenance penalty", "inventory penalty", "back-haul penalty", "congestion penalty", and "captive price penalty". [/quote]I use the term, penalty in reference to weight, merely as meaning weight that could be eliminated by some alternate design.  But eliminating one penalty usually incurs other penalties as you mention.  Aluminum eliminates the weight penalty of steel, but aluminum comes with the penalty of higher cost and less strength compared to steel.
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