Quote:
Originally Posted by Bowtiepower00
I live in AZ (PHX metro area), close enough to the tracks to hear the trains faintly, but not close enough to make the house shake, lol... (been there, done that...) Are the Eastbound trains from the west coast far more loaded than the Westbound trains returning to ports on the WC? (It appears that way by the number of locos I see on the EB compared to WB trains...) How do the locos handle the grades and mountain ranges out west? I assume, particularly in winter, that the mountains have to pose some serious issues?? At what percentage of full capacity are the bulk of our mainlines currently operating? Based on my (relatively uneducated) observations, I'd have to say at least 85-95%, I hear and see a large 100+ car train pass my location 3+ times an hour, usually every 15 minutes, all day, everyday...
Thanks for your post, BTW...  |
It's actually just an example of the sad truth in this country- we import much more than we export... it's not necessarily true that WB's are more loaded than Easts, however... it's just dependent upon the port where the freight is coming in... We have 10,000+' trains running in and out of Canada daily, but more goods come in than go out...
I would assess that you are correct in the 85-95% capacity- we don't have a lot of downtime on most of our mainlines around here, but what we do have is various avenues to divert traffic in case of derailments, or increased capacity which, while it may take slightly longer, gives us the opportunity to get the freight where it needs to go.
As for how locomotives handle the grades in mountains or elsewhere, specifically in winter, locomotives are equipped with 'sanders', which drop a small amount of sand directly in front of the wheels. This provides a gritty surface for the wheels to grip, and it ultimately works pretty well on icy or wet rail. Another option is distributed power, which places a locomotive at intermediate locations within the train, or at the tail end of the train... it provides additional horsepower, as well as reducing the in train forces on undulating track.
Keep the questions coming... we're working a ton, but I'll keep answering as long as you keep asking, and if I don't know the answer, I'll find it out.