Big Unknowns – Train Lengths vs. Govt. Length Regulation

[Overmod]

The Justice Department suit against NS specifically mentions trains that were too long to take siding to allow Amtrak trains to proceed...

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charlie hebdo

 

 

tree68

As I said, some folks will complain about the 30 seconds it takes a five car train to clear a crossing.  They'll see anything short of completely eliminating trains as a loss.

 

 

Your reductio ad absurdum statement shows the weakness of your argument.  Big difference between a five car train, a 50 car train and a 100+  car monster.  Vision test?

 

Not really.  The CSX East Yard in Plymouth, MI is small but the yard throat is right at Haggerty Rd.  People grow impatient if a single locomotive has to make a couple of back-and-forth movements over the crossing to assemble its local. You can tell because they immediately make a u-turn.

[tree68]

Charlie hebdo

Your reductio ad absurdum statement shows the weakness of your argument.  Big difference between a five car train, a 50 car train and a 100+  car monster.  Vision test?

Not at all.  You've missed my point entirely.

For some people any delay in reaching their destination is unacceptable. 

Given the 20 or so second lead time before a train reaches the crossing, after the gates go down, plus the few seconds it takes that short train to go across the crossing and the gates to lift again, you're looking at 30-35 seconds, max.  Yet people will drive under the gates as soon as they lift far enough for their vehicle to clear.  They've just GOT to get where they're going...

If anything, I was being a bit facetious...

[charlie hebdo]

tree68

As I said, some folks will complain about the 30 seconds it takes a five car train to clear a crossing.  They'll see anything short of completely eliminating trains as a loss.

Your reductio ad absurdum statement shows the weakness of your argument.  Big difference between a five car train, a 50 car train and a 100+  car monster.  Vision test?

[tree68]

Some people would complain about being 'delayed' by a five car train.

I would opine that the feds will be more concerned by safety issues than inconveniencing the public.  The exception could be urban areas, as was seen in Chicago a few years ago.  Once you get out on the road in the country, it's not that much of an inconvenience.

So the question becomes relative safety.  East Palestine would have happened with a ~50 car train (it was 150 cars - some reports say 151).  A couple of 700 axle trains came through Deshler when I was there last month, without incident, other than the time it took for them to clear the interlocking.

So, to answer your question, neither side will win or lose.  There is already talk of limiting train length.  And there will be a practical limit as well, based on siding length, yard capacity, etc.  As I said, some folks will complain about the 30 seconds it takes a five car train to clear a crossing.  They'll see anything short of completely eliminating trains as a loss.

[croteaudd]

With Precision Scheduled Railroading, ever increasing train length is the game.  But that incurs the wrath of the will of the people at grade crossings.  Ultimately, will railroads lose and people win?