4 & 1/2 Seconds--Train Speeds in major cities

Trains Magazine General Discussion
1

I have a great view of CXS’ mainline through downdown Indy from my office. The line probably averages 4-5 trains an hour–it is amazing that I ever get any work done.

Anyway, I bought two things to facilitate my train watching. Of course, a pair of binoculars and a stop watch.

I bought the stop watch just to be able to have an idea of which trains were moving fast and which were not–although I have no idea what mph to attach to particular times.

Anyway, it works pretty well. I have two views of the track One view that I estimate to be about 250 yards and another that I estimate to be about 170 yards (although I wouldn’t bet money on those estimations). Unfortunately, there is a skyscraper–the City County Building–bisecting the two views–as I would much rather have one 900-yard view.

The 170-yard view is flanked by two skyscrapers. Thus, I will hit my stop watch when the second engine emerges from one skyscraper and click it again when it gets to the second one that obscures the view.

Anyway, I think I am getting pretty accurate, as I am very consistently hitting 8.44-8.48 seconds, which I initially thought was the maximum track speek. Of course, I get the occassional 12 or even 16 second time, but that doesn’t really surprise me.

However, today, I clocked a train at 4.71 seconds. The previous record was 7.1 seconds. It was in intermodal with a UP SD-70 on the point and TFM I think SD-70 as the second engine (although I am not as sure). I explained the 7.1 seconds as an engineer just exceeding his speed limit.

However, it is VERY rare for time to go under 8 seconds, so I was shocked at the 4.71 seconds. Also, I could tell she was moving just by eying her. If I had to guess, I would say 50-55 mph.

My question: Previoulsy I thought that there was some kind of official speed limit that held trains to 8.44 seconds–which would make sen

2

Interesting ‘game’. Could you take a measurement of the distance via rangefinder or something similar? I think that knowing that distance would allow you to more accurately get a conversion chart for time to cover distance equalling speed.

3

At $400 an hour, Gabe, do you reach over and pull up the flag on the meter when a train goes by?[(-D]

Seriously, can you hear them coming, and how? Do your windows open?

If any of the guys in your office is a golfer, they may have a laser yardage-measuring device. You could use it to measure the distance from one end of your “run” to the other and use that info to determine the exact speed. Or triangulate it based on two measurements from your perch.

4

Okay, it should be pretty straightforward, right?

170 yards = 510 feet.

510 feet is approx 1/10 of a mile.

so he is going about 1 mile every 47.1 seconds. let’s round up the time to 50 seconds for a mile, and that might make his speed between 60 and say, 62 miles an hour? Is that right?

After all, the train is traveling a linear distance. The amount of time taken to cover the 170 yards shouldn’t vary based on Gabe’s distance from the tracks. It would alter the time the train remains in view, but then the view time is fixed by the skyscrapers.

Anyone else care to take a guess??

5

Gabe: Simply pull out a {city}, map {of course drawn to scale}, and check out the distance your line of sight happens to be and arrive at a figure of length within your sight. Use that figure then to calculate the speed thru your “speed trap”…

6

I could probably bill another 45 minutes per day if I did not watch the trains . . .

Although the line is about three-to-four city blocks from my office, and my windows are very thick (they withstood a direct hit from a F-3 Tornado about two years ago–ever wonder what happens when an F-3 Tornado hits a 40-story skyscraper, there are some really interesting pictures) and do not open, I can usually hear the engines vaguely enough. Also, my peripheral vision is just about right to spot it.

The thing about a range finder, it would give me the distance between me and the tracks, but not the distance between the two points. I suppose I could do like the used to do in the navy for estimating distance, do a range for the two most extreme far points, and then use a compas to triangulate the two points, and then do the geometic calculation that would give me the actual distance. But that seems like a lot of work.

I am still amazed that the train was going that fast.

In typing this email two trains whent by. One was 7.5, which is pretty fast and the other was 9.2. I am guessing the 9.2 is going to take the turn off toward Cincinnati rather than stay on the double track main to Muncie.

Gabe

7

Gabe:

Things must be a little slow in the legal business these days. I hope your door is closed or else you will have another office soon!

Hey, why dont you get a scanner and then tune into CSX and you can monitor daily passage times for the trains. I have been doing that for years. It is pretty amazing how close some of these trains run to “on schedule”.

ed

8

62 sounds too fast. I would be surprised if it was doing much more than 50. Perhaps I underestimated the yardage.

Gabe

9

I thought of that, but due to triangulation, it is ver difficult to estimate my line of site on the map. I mean I can get it within 50 yards, but that is as accurate of a guess as I am willing to venture.

Gabe

10

A 6-7 second stare out the window every 20 minutes will not get me in too much trouble–actually, I think it helps my work sometimes. It is like a reset button when my mind gets overwhelmed with the complexities of supplemental jursidiction or securities fraud or something like that.

On the other hand, I think a scanner would get me fired in about a week . . . .

I have always wanted to toy with a scanner though, it could help me catch things like the Circus train I saw the other day.

Gabe

11

…Draw the lines from the pinpoint {location}, of your building. Between those lines, measure the length you have the train in sight, and bingo you should be close in calculation.

I’m assuming you can do the same for the buildings that form your “speed trap”…Their location, I’m referring to.

12

Oh, I see what you are saying. My map doesn’t show the actual buildings, if so, your idea would work well.

Gabe

13

…I agree, doubt if trains would be running thru a city at 62 mph.

14

…Believe train speed thru Muncie here, is right around 30 mph.

15

If it is at all possible, the best bet is to go out there on a Sunday and measure out the distance on foot. Pick a couple landmarks that are visible from your office. Use a steel tape or a measuring wheel. (I have one in the trunk of my car but that’s no help.)

It goes without saying that you stay on public property. Then when you have a known distance, you can time the trains in seconds, (Velocity) and convert to miles per hour. As an example, a vehicle moving 43.5 feet per second is travelling 30 MPH.

Let me know what you think and how this works.

16

Unless restricted by a local ordinance, speeds through cities and towns are dictated by the track speed for the territory involved. Speeds up to 79 MPH are permissable on signaled track that is maintained to that level for passenger trains and in such territory, 70 MPH would be the nominal maximum speed for intermodal type freights in such a territory. The employee timetable for the territory will specify the ‘track speed’ for all territories that the timetable covers.

17

Using msn Live Local site you may to be able to estimate your distanse

http://local.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&cp=41.84337~-79.161889&style=h&lvl=17&scene=3375266

scroll around to find targets

18

use the satellite photos at mapquest.com

dd

19

Google Earth would work very well for that. It even has a measuring tool for measuring distances.

20

Here is a possibility. The highest resolution for the Mapquest image of downtown Indianapolis is 15/16th of an inch equals 50 yards. If you can use the image to define the points where your line of sight limits intersect the rails you might be able to get a fairly accurate measurement of the length of track you are viewing.

By the way a 50 second mile equals equals 72 MPH. One hour = 3600 seconds divided by 50= 72.