The knickers to realism thread. I think...

Roger Pound

Western Thunderer
Regarding the high speed video - I thought it was just an example of 'better standard' typical American track.... :oops:!- Now I think I should be heading for the naughty corner.......;)!

Roger.
 

76043

Western Thunderer
Several US mainline trains of 100+ cars each, axle loads of about 25 tons, and nary a sway or shimmy in sight. Double-stack container trains put the feeble British loading gauge in perspective, too. :)

Very impressive tanker train and line speed, but this is where I'm glad to model a UK wagonload freight train consisting of one wagon and a brake van. Not only is it massively shorter, it's a hell of a lot cheaper too! :D
Tony
 

Yorkshire Dave

Western Thunderer
Knickers to Realism for a bit, let's have some fun!!!

Excellent - Just what the doctor ordered.

Several US mainline trains of 100+ cars each, axle loads of about 25 tons, and nary a sway or shimmy in sight. Double-stack container trains put the feeble British loading gauge in perspective, too.

Nice bit of fillum. Noticed all the trains had helper units on the rear.

If you had double track and sound you could do this....:D. I wish our trains had either Nathan or Leslie 5 chime horns rather than the feeble bee-barp!

 

76043

Western Thunderer
If you had double track and sound you could do this....:D. I wish our trains had either Nathan or Leslie 5 chime horns rather than the feeble bee-barp!


If that was in the UK can you imagine the look on the Signaller's face? :eek:

I recall spending one night in the Kingman Hotel, Arizona and getting very little sleep because the sound of the US loco horns kept us awake all night, the drivers didn't seem to know the meaning of short and snappy. :( I am very happy we have the BR bee-barp here, it's much more polite.

Tony
 

76043

Western Thunderer
I do agree the loco drivers have no choice and are following the rules, totally the right thing to do, I just couldn't live near it. :)

I'm reminded of the Norfolk Merc driver recently trying to beat the train here. Upon leaving the golf club he found that a J15 comes off way better.
 

Peter

Western Thunderer
Yes, off you go. As punishment you can watch this video, and COUNT THE CARS as well. :p

Several US mainline trains of 100+ cars each, axle loads of about 25 tons, and nary a sway or shimmy in sight. Double-stack container trains put the feeble British loading gauge in perspective, too. :)


Hi,

400+, no axle load of 25 tons and no double stacking!!!

2' gauge with 400+ cars : Australian Railways - YouTube

Regards,

Peter
 

Osgood

Western Thunderer
If they all have the higher rated engines there's 430,000 hp in that line of locomotives (approx 60 in view and another 40 out of shot).
I'm struggling to work out how long the train (sorry - consist) might be if it were feasible to make use of all that power.
 

Big Train James

Western Thunderer
Well, in the Colorado and Nebraska area, the unit coals trains these locos pulled would most often utilize three units. The average unit coal train was +/-115 cars, 100 tons lading per each, let's call them 55' per car, so about 6500' per train if you include the power. My math says that's about 215,000' of train, or about 40 miles.

I don't think it would be hard to find 33 trains of coal hoppers at any given time, at least prior to the downturn in coal usage here in the states.
 

mickoo

Western Thunderer
I do agree the loco drivers have no choice and are following the rules, totally the right thing to do, I just couldn't live near it. :)
Oh I don't know, I stayed in Cajon pass Motel (for over two weeks) which is close (6-800 yds) to Transcon 2, so easily 100 trains a day, you have two choices, the side next to the 8 lane Interstate or the 4 main line Railroad, I picked the Railroad....naturally.

You get used to it pretty quick, they horn all night too, kinda cool waking up and standing on the balcony in the early sun watch 12,000' container trains grind up hill or heavy manifest's on full dynamics whining down grade.

The motel is the red roof just below the 76 sign, the Palmdale cut off is just to the left out of sight.

IMG_1963.jpg

I loved every second of it and wished I'd got up earlier and stayed out later, even though most days were ten hours of
rail fanning.

Speeds here are slow, but when you get out to the flat lands in the desert they really get going, a two mile long double stack at 75 mph is really rather impressive rocking down grade from Goffs....apologies for the blur, Route 66 is not the smoothest of roads at these speeds....

BNSF 8232f.jpg

or grain trains stomping along the arrow straight main east of Barstow.

BNSF 6887a.jpg

I've no idea how fast this was going, easily up in the 60-70 mph range and even given the reasonably good MOW, those covered hoppers were having a good old bounce along.

Sorry for the distraction, I like my railroads, hot and heavy.
 

paratom

Western Thunderer
Excellent - Just what the doctor ordered.



Nice bit of fillum. Noticed all the trains had helper units on the rear.

If you had double track and sound you could do this....:D. I wish our trains had either Nathan or Leslie 5 chime horns rather than the feeble bee-barp!

Notice the lack of safety fencing, you would never get that on the UK system. One reason to model American railways.
 

michael080

Western Thunderer
I think France has fences almost everywhere, but Germany has not even the high speed lines fenced. Which resulted in an ICE run into a flock of sheep some years ago.

Michael
 

Northroader

Western Thunderer
Good to see Jordan has created this thread, mainstream modelling in action. Now, if you have a microlayout, you might find American freight cars are overlong, particularly the 50’ers, so, cut em in half. Work in progress with an Atlas gondola.
62E17D81-1FAA-4642-8ECD-AC2E96084AB9.jpeg
 

Northroader

Western Thunderer
But look at that flat, it’s taking up enough space for three proper cars. Mind, having had a look round here, there’s a lot of serious modelling going on, I don’t think they’re ready for a “Route of the Shortys” thread.
 
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