The Nevada Legislature is considering legislation that would limit trains to a length of 7500 feet.
Arizona tried a similar stunt decades ago, limiting freight trains to 80 cars. It was struck down by the Supreme Court of the United States as unconstitutional state regulation of interstate commerce.
diningcar The Nevada Legislature is considering legislation that would limit trains to a length of 7500 feet.
Well lets hope it passes!
GrandTrunkWestern diningcar The Nevada Legislature is considering legislation that would limit trains to a length of 7500 feet. Well lets hope it passes!
Why?
An "expensive model collector"
Even if it passes, there will be a blizzard in Guam before it can be enforced. As previously stated, federal law superceeds ALL state and local laws. It will be overturned so fast the Nevada lpoliticians will never know what hit them. This is a useless show that is all for local consumption.
Among the grab bag of regulations being cobbled together under the so-called Rail Safety Act currently under consideration is the same 7500 foot train length restriction.
CSSHEGEWISCHAmong the grab bag of regulations being cobbled together under the so-called Rail Safety Act currently under consideration is the same 7500-foot train length restriction.
Of course, they could always try mandating that any train in excess of 7500 feet have ECP or comparable service brakes. Being sure to leave that word in as essential...
The railroads are always talking about "reduced crews". Isn't that what long trains basically are? I remember when the Detroit Edison trains at 120 cars were considered long. Now, that short. Put two together and you reduced to train crews to one.
Backshop The railroads are always talking about "reduced crews". Isn't that what long trains basically are? I remember when the Detroit Edison trains at 120 cars were considered long. Now, that short. Put two together and you reduced to train crews to one.
Until the train can't get to the terminal because of congestion (From another huge train), so it gets tied down on the main. Then you need to send another crew to go get it. But hey, we cut a crew!
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.
zugmann Backshop The railroads are always talking about "reduced crews". Isn't that what long trains basically are? I remember when the Detroit Edison trains at 120 cars were considered long. Now, that short. Put two together and you reduced to train crews to one. Until the train can't get to the terminal because of congestion (From another huge train), so it gets tied down on the main. Then you need to send another crew to go get it. But hey, we cut a crew!
And the Dispatcher's metrics get dinged because of the time it took to get the train from orign to destination, when the train was held out on line of road by the destination terminal, or crew change point that didn't have crews to permit the train to move through without becoming the cork in the bottle..
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
As long as you don't count the on line recrew. And often trains are recrewed because something happens and the train ends up in two or three pieces because the stresses of all that weight and length are placed on the well maintained () rolling stock.
Most terminals can only work so many trains at a time. It seems like all the working trains show up around the same time. No matter how they tweak schedules.
Today I had to triple into my home terminal. The last move was only about 8 cars, but it temporarily takes a 3200 foot track out of use or limits it's usefullness for other trains needing to work. It was a manifest that was extended beyond it's planned destination to relieve pressure on that original destination.
The long trains don't really save that much all things considered. Even when they don't get recrewed. It's how you allocate the costs that count.
States can regulate truck lengths and trailer combinations. Iowa used to prohibit 65 foot double trailer combinations. That's allowed now, but some of the other longer combinations that some states allow aren't. Why isn't that considered regulation of interstate commerce?
Jeff
jeffhergertMost terminals can only work so many trains at a time. It seems like all the working trains show up around the same time. No matter how they tweak schedules.
Joekoh's favorite statement when things get clogged up around Deshler - "time to get out the plunger..."
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
tree68 jeffhergert Most terminals can only work so many trains at a time. It seems like all the working trains show up around the same time. No matter how they tweak schedules. Joekoh's favorite statement when things get clogged up around Deshler - "time to get out the plunger..."
jeffhergert Most terminals can only work so many trains at a time. It seems like all the working trains show up around the same time. No matter how they tweak schedules.
For the most part - Terminals have not been DESIGNED to handle the size of trains being operated.
In the ideal world, the destination terminal would have at 15K foot or longer Receiving Yard track to yard the train on arrival. By the same token the originating terminal would have a 15K foot or longer Departure Yard track so that the train can depart without having to double together multiple tracks for the final train.
The productivity of todays terminals is severly constrained when yarding or dispatching trains tie up the leads on one end of the yard or the other preventing other yard jobs from doing productive work on that end of the yard.
Back in the 1990's when I was assigned to the Atlanta Division, the auto ramp at Lawrenceville, GA had 10 trains scheduled to work at the facility with a scheduled dwell of 20 hours at the facility. Facility was located on a single track subdivision that had a normal, non-stop, running time of 40 minutes between control points on either end. Talk about congestion.
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