Train PIC 50000 is scheduled to cover the approximately 776km from München Riem Ubf to Hamburg Billwerder Ubf. in 462 minutes, including a 25 minute stop in Würzburg to add a section from Nüremberg and a 6 minute stop at Hannover. The train is allowed to travel at 160kph (100mph) while on the Würzburg to Hannover NBS, except it is allowed only 100kph. (62mph) through Kassel-Williamshöhe station. Elsewhere it has lower limits. the train is powered by two Class 182 Eurosprinters producing 17,150hp.
There is a video of the train passing through Kassel station here
PIC 50000
The counterpart train PIC 50001 is scheduled for ten minutes longer
Does it have a tonnage limit?
timzDoes it have a tonnage limit?
I am not sure it has a tonnage limit per se, but when all the slots are full, I doubt it weighs over 1100 US tons, the length limit is 750 metres.
Here is the weeknight meet between PIC 50007 and PIC 50008 at Dollbergen station just east of Hannover at midnight. This pair is limited to 140kph (87 mph) maximum speed by the use of standard freight locomotives. Top speed can be achieved between Berlin-Spandau and Hannover, and between Bielefeld and Hamm. This pair links the DHL Hubs in the Ruhr and Berlin. There is one more pair linking Leipzig with Frankfurt am Main.
PIC train meet
Shades of the NKP's 'hotshot' operations.
But 6 minutes for a station stop [Q] What's that all about [Q] Too short to add or unload containers, I would think. Coffee break [Q] 'Pit stop' [Q] Crew change [Q] I can think of some railroads that wouldn't even bother to schedule something that brief . . .
- Paul North.
beaulieuThis pair links the DHL Hubs in the Ruhr and Berlin. There is one more pair linking Leipzig with Frankfurt am Main.
Nice niche for a freight train on fast track. Perhaps there are niches like this in the US that might pan out should we ever have a reasonable amount out 90-110 mph track.
-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/)
Paul_D_North_JrShades of the NKP's 'hotshot' operations. But 6 minutes for a station stop [Q] What's that all about [Q] Too short to add or unload containers, I would think. Coffee break [Q] 'Pit stop' [Q] Crew change [Q] I can think of some railroads that wouldn't even bother to schedule something that brief . . . - Paul North.
Crew change and inspection stop. The companion train PIC 50001 is allowed 10 minutes to make the Nüremberg setout and do a Crew Change at Würzburg.
In Europe the Driver has a digital clock and his schedule showing all his timing points on a CRT in front of him, while running. The Clock displays the current time including seconds.
oltmanndbeaulieuThis pair links the DHL Hubs in the Ruhr and Berlin. There is one more pair linking Leipzig with Frankfurt am Main. Nice niche for a freight train on fast track. Perhaps there are niches like this in the US that might pan out should we ever have a reasonable amount out 90-110 mph track.
I think we'd need some lighter and better maintained container cars for that. US rail equipment is several times heavier than our European counterparts' rail equipment, and a lot of it (intermodel is no doubt better, but it's probably not as good as the stuff in Europe) has flat wheels and other maintenance issues that, combined with heavy cars, would really beat up the track.
beaulieu Crew change and inspection stop. The companion train PIC 50001 is allowed 10 minutes to make the Nüremberg setout and do a Crew Change at Würzburg. In Europe the Driver has a digital clock and his schedule showing all his timing points on a CRT in front of him, while running. The Clock displays the current time including seconds.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
BaltACDbeaulieu Crew change and inspection stop. The companion train PIC 50001 is allowed 10 minutes to make the Nüremberg setout and do a Crew Change at Würzburg. In Europe the Driver has a digital clock and his schedule showing all his timing points on a CRT in front of him, while running. The Clock displays the current time including seconds.Obviously compliance with the US Power Braking Law is not a consideration in this move.
Obviously compliance with the US Power Braking Law is not a consideration in this move.
In the opposite direction where it is a pickup rather than a setout, they allow 25 minutes which should be enough for a brake test.
Remember Amtrak used to run train 13 ? Ran from New Haven to Washington DC with no passenger coaches, just boxcars, short train of 5 or 6 cars and 110mph max speed. Fork lift trucks helped load / unload cars on the high platforms in New York and Philly. It was kind of a high pseed freight train.
High speed trains for intermodal, at least in the US and Canada, are not needed and would be a waste of money. You don't need high speed, you need steady speed.
A 45 MPH average. in combination with a few other things, makes IM fully truck competitive for the vast majority of the business. And that's all anything from California lettuce to floor tile. To get to 45 MPH they need to do one thing: Keep the *** Train Moving. I know 45 MPH is much higher than is now achieved, but it can be done if they just keep the trains moving.
45 MPH is Chicago-Atlanta in less than 17 hours. Lathrop-Chicago is less than 54 hours. And Chicago-Memphis is 11 hours and change. Price it right and the customers will be beating down your doors. And the railroad(s) will be throwing money to their bottom line(s).
They'll need to add in:
1) At least two departures per day. If a customer misses the train, they don't want a 24 hour delay.
2) An ability to make a very limited number of set outs/pick ups within that 45 MPH standard. Trying to shove everything through a very few high volume IM terminals drives drayage costs through the roof and destroys IM competitiveness. It also limits the ability to aggregate into economical trianload lots which destroys the ability for multiple daily departures (which are needed).
Even if they had to stretch those times by one hour for two SO/PU en route they'd be OK against the truckers.
TrainManTyI think we'd need some lighter and better maintained container cars for that
Yes. "Amtrak" roadrailers would work as would single well cars with premium trucks.
greyhoundsHigh speed trains for intermodal, at least in the US and Canada, are not needed and would be a waste of money. You don't need high speed, you need steady speed
Agree completely, although getting to 45 mph avg will be hard for a RR like NS where the current avg is a bit less than 30 excluding scheduled stops. 40 might be doable on some routes with some attention to detail and some hustle.
The only place higher speeds would make sense would be where they could run on track and at speeds created for passenger serivce where the lanes align with the needs of package/mail service and the speed could move the traffic up a sort or two.
A very narrow set of conditions, for sure. I could see a short fast, UPS train from NJ to Chicago if/when Albany (CP-169) to Buffalo and Cleveland to Chicago (Willow Springs) are upgraded. You'd have to really hustle up the River Line and thru Selkirk but the Buffalo to Cleveland gap would be surivable at 79 mph.
greyhoundsHigh speed trains for intermodal, at least in the US and Canada, are not needed and would be a waste of money. You don't need high speed, you need steady speed.
The high-speed in these German cases is to make the next mornings sort. Otherwise this traffic would move by air. These trains all work Monday to Thursday and are replaced for the Friday service by a conventional Intermodal since the is only a tiny amount of Saturday delivery with its super premium price.
Another thing that I've noticed is how light the tonnage is on these trains and how overpowered they seem to be. The length restriction is about 2500 feet, which is a small train by North American standards, even for intermodal.
CSSHEGEWISCHAnother thing that I've noticed is how light the tonnage is on these trains and how overpowered they seem to be. The length restriction is about 2500 feet, which is a small train by North American standards, even for intermodal.
The length is the primary limitation and is driven by the standard block length in Germany, 1 kilometer. Within that length a fully loaded standard Intermodal will weigh in 1500 to 1600 metric tonnes. Italy has some lines with maximum length restrictions as low as 400 meters. Germany and the Netherlands have been running tests with 1000 meter Intermodal trains within the standard network looking at things like braking distance. These trains would only operate on lines equipped with LZB or ETCS Continous Cab Signalling and Safety Systems. The length limitation is what you make of it. The vast majority of freight trains in Europe (Italy being the major exception) run with one man crews. One train with 40 swapbodies, manned by one man, on a manpower basis beats the heck out of a truck. And with a large number of Intermodal Terminals, and most of the Intermodal Terminals in Europe being "Open", drayage is not a big part of the transportation costs. Nevertheless European IM Operators complain about not enough terminals.
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