3.5-mile-long freight train rolls through L.A. Basin

[FrictionShifter]

 

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/01/safety-traffic-concerns-raised-when-35mile-freight-train-rolls-through-la-basin.html

 

Passed about 1.5 miles from my house, I would have been there had it been public.

[bikkuri bahn]

I had a feeling when first seeing the headline that it would be a UP train (not BNSF, which relies more on speed and timeliness than running monster trains), and sure enough, it was.  Only in the U.S. (and I suppose remote Australian ore/coal lines) would you have these absurdly long trains.  NO consideration for siding length, coz, after all, freight trains are more important than passenger trains in America- clear those tracks!- passengers be damned! the freight is running through!! 

On a related note, and in the same newspaper website, was the news that the United States FRA released regulations on positive train control, to be mandated by 2015 on all US railroads.  FYI, in Japan, ATS (an early form of PTC) was instituted on all JNR main lines back in the late sixties...

 

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/01/spurred-by-metrolink-crash-rails-move-closer-to-installing-automatic-brakes.html

[to2leo]

I wonder what is the current holder of the longest train, in terms of length, in the world?

[bc6]

Id hate to be in cardiac arrest when that thing was going across a grade crossing.

[Guest ___]

I had a feeling when first seeing the headline that it would be a UP train (not BNSF, which relies more on speed and timeliness than running monster trains), and sure enough, it was.  Only in the U.S. (and I suppose remote Australian ore/coal lines) would you have these absurdly long trains.  NO consideration for siding length, coz, after all, freight trains are more important than passenger trains in America- clear those tracks!- passengers be damned! the freight is running through!! 

On a related note, and in the same newspaper website, was the news that the United States FRA released regulations on positive train control, to be mandated by 2015 on all US railroads.  FYI, in Japan, ATS (an early form of PTC) was instituted on all JNR main lines back in the late sixties...

 

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/01/spurred-by-metrolink-crash-rails-move-closer-to-installing-automatic-brakes.html

 

I doubt you're going to have to worry about seeing 18k foot trains. Typically, 3500 foot to 4800 foot of train has historically proven to be the best mixture of train control, fuel efficiency and siding capacity. UP has always done these one-off's to test new ideas, but seldom have implemented the results of any such tests.

 

As so far as no consideration for passenger trains, so be it. The lines belong to freight railroads, pax be damned, it's their right, and blame the feds for it. Afterall the federal government invested billions on the IHS, and air travel, then forced freight to run passenger service at a loss. If passenger service provided farebox recovery equal to or greater than expense like it does abroad then the freight railroads would be open to pax service again, but until that day comes, it's their party and they can invite those to play or stay.

 

Freight pays the bills, the dividend. passenger service drains it.

[Mudkip Orange]

Man, I love America.

 

By the way, this is why incremental rail improvements for passenger service DON'T MAKE SENSE. The freight system is the freight system, and it does what it does well. You want fast passenger trains, you need to build separate tracks in separate rights-of-way. Period.

[westfalen]

I don't know if this record still stands.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LsuNWjRaAo

 

This is the description of the video if you can't sit through the full eight minutes of the train passing at track speed.

"Australian BHP Iron ore train, the longest train to ever run in the world, this train is officially in the guinness book of world records for the longest train.

The record was set on june 21, 2001 in western australia between newman and port headland, a distance of 275km (170 miles) and the train consisted of 682 loaded iron ore wagons and 8 GE AC6000 locomotives giving a gross weight of almost 100,000 tonnes and moved 82,262 tonnes of ore, the train was 7.353 km (4.568 miles) long.

BHP iron ore did this to test locotrol which is where locomotives are evenly placed along the length of the train.

The locotrol setup was 2 locos-166 wagons, 2 locos-168 wagons, 2 locos-168 wagons, 1 loco-180 wagons then the last locomotive on the back.

This very long train is controlled by only one driver.

Certainly makes an awesome sight, enjoy! "

[Guest ___]

Man, I love America.

 

By the way, this is why incremental rail improvements for passenger service DON'T MAKE SENSE. The freight system is the freight system, and it does what it does well. You want fast passenger trains, you need to build separate tracks in separate rights-of-way. Period.

 

*throws hands out!

 

THANK-YOU!!

Amen, brother. Amen!