Question about Diesel locomotives and fuel mileage

[nickleinonen]

Nick,



Which railroad do you work for? They do the same thing here, must be a railroad thing. The only trains here that run at least 2 to 1 are the stack trains. What we call junk trains ( more than one product ) are more like . 5 to 1 and everytime you come to a hill you just creep up the dang thing. The stack trains are sweet and will fly up any hill you throw at them of course being a higher priority speed is the key.

canadian national [but we are not allowed to call it that, americans own the majority stock and don't like the "canadian" part, so cn rail it is ]

 

[SHobbs]

I guess what I am trying to establish is the facts as I see them. Where i live,there used to be lumber yards at 2,4,6,10,and 12 miles away. All were served by rail. Now even the yards that sit by the tracks do not have rail service Fifteen years ago,I could easily locate a lumber yard in any town that was big enough to support one---just follow the train tracks till I spotted it. what I will ask of the guys who are in the rail business, ''given the present fuel price/traffic on the interstates,was it a wise thing to remove so many miles of track?'' Could we handle more goods by train than we do now?





I was told at one point in time that the more track you have means more in taxes. The RR I work for Union Pacific is all about cutting the bottom line and taking better care of the higher ups. We have seen a dramatic drop in track maintanance, newer locos and track upgrades. Now they do take care of the mainline but when it comes to the yards they usually let them get so bad that derailments happen everyday before repairs. Union Pacific has also been in the practice of running off smaller customers, the ones that need only 2 or 3 cars a day. The bigger customers like GM, GE and others they take great care of due to a larger volume of cars. With more track and better upgraded yards, yes higher volumes of traffic can be handled. This is the situation that Union Pacific is in, they have cut out tracks and yards to increase profits and the stock price and it is biting them in the butt big time.



The railroads are no different than any other large corporation these days, cut from the bottom to increase the top.



Nick,



I like Canadian National personally, must be some great territory up there to ride trains in.

 

[wxman]

Here's a good document on the relative environmental impacts of railroads:



http://www.aar.org/GetFile.asp?File_ID=364

 

[daveshoe]

Thanks!!!

Here's a good document on the relative environmental impacts of railroads:



http://www.aar.org/GetFile.asp?File_ID=364

It look like common sense would have led the politicians to the same conclusion. I now have the information that I need to write an informed editorial. Every poster's opinions and facts are really helpful as it will help me see all sides of the issue.

 

[SHobbs]

Found out last night that Union Pacific will build a new intermodal yard in San Antonio. They state that this yard will take aproximately 80,000 trucks off the road annually in that area.

 

[nickleinonen]

I like Canadian National personally, must be some great territory up there to ride trains in.

from what i hear it is very beautiful territory, but i rarely leave the yard [i work at the diesel shop there] unless it is for a service call. i still remember my first one. . ~0400 on january 1st, laying half under a loco on the main line pulling off a brake stablizer bar that was bent to heck and tripping the dragging equipment detectors. not the safest feeling place to be [especially when another train passes you on the next track going 50mph]