CSX railroad

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CSX railroad

March 10, 2009, 11:11:03 PM

CSX claims (commercial) that
"csx can move one ton of goods 400miles on one gallon of diesel"

i cant get my head around this play on math. I have played around with some numbers and simulated two diesel engines (weight) and a dozen box cars (weight) moving across the land (grand total weight) across 1 mile. the only thing i arrive at is no change,, its not as green as it seems

This reminds me of the airplane or carpool concept, number of passangers miles per gallon or miles per ton in this instance.
anyone?

I think someone in Atlanta decided to take the number of gallons per mile used, subtract the total weight of the train, the fast forward the math taking in consideration the load only.

the average dumbass today would say "hey, those trains get 450 miles to the gallon, i heard em say it on tv"

CSX railroad

Reply #1 – March 11, 2009, 01:29:21 AM

You've got to include way more than one dozen box cars to get the efficency they're (correctly) claiming.

Diesel electrics are pretty efficient, but use a lot of fuel. The loco is going to burn about the same amount of fuel whether it's 10 cars or 100. If they returned power via catenaries to an electric grid rather than using dynamic brakes, the overall efficiency would be even higher.

CSX railroad

Reply #2 – March 11, 2009, 06:19:27 AM

I can tell you that a dozen cars is less than even a single engine will bother to haul. Driving across the prairies, I remember seeing an entire train from front to back, and it went on well over a kilometre. It was so long it was actually hard to see where it ended when we first met it. I'd say your two engines are closer to three or four dozen cars each.

CSX railroad

Reply #3 – March 11, 2009, 09:19:58 AM

Quote from: oldraven;260773

I can tell you that a dozen cars is less than even a single engine will bother to haul.

You ain't seen Commonwealth RR at work, they are often seen with only 8-10 cars... Of course they are basically a shuttle operation, just run small EMD switchers, but do take cars about 20 miles down to the mainline...

BTW I talked with one of the engineers, and he said about 5000ft was the max they could couple up and get out of the yard... Why do I know these things??? Cause my three year old granddaughter loves trains... We've chased those bright orange engines, and waited for them at about every viewable location along the line... Being orange they're almost like something from the Thomas Train videos...

CSX railroad

Reply #4 – March 11, 2009, 09:26:10 AM

Thanks for the info, Tom. Using that 5000', if divided by the larger 40' containers, plus about 5' between for coupling, that's 111 cars. A lot more than a dozen, but that's also probably with at least two engines.

CSX railroad

Reply #5 – March 11, 2009, 09:46:47 AM

Using the small switchers, a train that long will have three engines... One of those is probably less than half the size of the large cross country engines... BTW I can easily compare size, as CSX services the Portsmouth Marine Terminal... We go by there also on days I pick up the grandkids from preschool...

NPBL RR(Norfolk Portsmouth Belt Line)also runs up that way occasionally, so sometimes we get to see those black engines, the blue & yellow CSX and then maybe the orange C'wealth switchers... On a good day we may see 7-8 engines and spend a hour getting home(it's only about five miles from school to home)...

CSX railroad

Reply #6 – March 11, 2009, 03:39:11 PM

http://wvgazette.com/News/200903080436

CSX railroad

Reply #7 – March 13, 2009, 01:10:55 PM

Quote from: oldraven;260785

Thanks for the info, Tom. Using that 5000', if divided by the larger 40' containers, plus about 5' between for coupling, that's 111 cars. A lot more than a dozen, but that's also probably with at least two engines.

40ft? hell we rarely build cars that small anymore.... the only cars that short anymore are some of the hopper cars, and the coal cars.

http://www.steelcar.com/

that is were I work.... take a peek at the cars we build.:D

CSX railroad

Reply #8 – March 14, 2009, 09:02:27 AM

I just finished a project designing exterior graphics on a 20' rail/storage container.

CSX railroad

Reply #9 – March 14, 2009, 10:38:47 AM

Quote from: TurboCoupe50;260783

You ain't seen Commonwealth RR at work, they are often seen with only 8-10 cars... Of course they are basically a shuttle operation, just run small EMD switchers, but do take cars about 20 miles down to the mainline...

BTW I talked with one of the engineers, and he said about 5000ft was the max they could couple up and get out of the yard... Why do I know these things??? Cause my three year old granddaughter loves trains... We've chased those bright orange engines, and waited for them at about every viewable location along the line... Being orange they're almost like something from the Thomas Train videos...

Tom have you looked into this from Lionel?

CSX railroad

Reply #10 – May 27, 2009, 10:07:50 AM

Ahhh yes thanks, we have that set, bought it at a train show... Got it for a ultra cheap $52...

Now thought I'd throw up a picture of C'wealth's engines... Being they are a small operation, I suspect these were purchased used... Though none is apparent in this pict, poor ole 444 is blowing oil and smoke badly, maybe it needs the correct Motorcraft PCV valve??? One day they had it running solo, pulling probably a half mile of cars it was belching smoke something fierce... They also have engines #1551 & 1552, and '52 is belching at least as badly as 444...

Beware pict is about 2.5mb

http://members.pen 15s.net/turbocoupe50/444517.jpg

CSX railroad

Reply #11 – May 27, 2009, 11:07:53 AM

Well the engine on the left is a chopped nose EMD GP9. The engine on the right is a Ex-Santa FE CF7, which it self was rebuilt from an EMD F7 road diesel by the Santa Fe in the late 1970s (F7s were built from 1949-1954). Both of those locomotibes more than likely are still using the EMD 567 prime mover, which puts out about 1500 hp. These pics should show how much the original F7 was changed to become a CF7.

F7

CF7

CSX railroad

Reply #12 – May 27, 2009, 12:00:22 PM

Thanks TJ, I'll have to get a shot of 1551 or 1552(I believe wife has some), they are different than these two...

CSX railroad

Reply #13 – May 27, 2009, 02:30:06 PM

I should be able to figure out what they are if you have a pic;)

CSX railroad

Reply #14 – May 27, 2009, 02:42:41 PM

I forgot the specifics, but I talked to a friend who is a railfan and does derailment investigations/simulations for a living. He says the 400miles/gallon per ton is real.