I’m assuming you’re replying to my last post, Dave. If so:
Right but these “battleship” gondolas were way outside the norm throughout the Golden Years of heavyweight passenger cars. They were only used, as far as I know, by VGN and N&W (or did C&O have some?). On both the VGN and the N&W, they were only a small part of those roads’ coal carrying fleet. The vast majority were 50-ton hoppers. The large number of 40- to 50-ton gondolas used has always surprised me, too.
Curve and grade territory in mixed traffic often require track construction that puts one mode at a disadvantage to the other, most commonly with spirals and crosslevel in curves. ATSF & DRGW used to give speed (passenger) the priority over tonnage(freight). In some locations, curve rail had a very short life.
Three miles east of La Junta on ATSF is a curve that used to have 6 inches of crosslevel in it to maintain 70 mph train speed, Great for Amthrax, but low speed coal drags just starting out of the yard after refueling would eat the low rail alive. Flange lubricators only created more headaches (and whining trainmasters/ road foremen) for getting the train started and the ties soaked-up any excess fuel dripping from the filler neck or the sump. (instant gage problem with soft ties and rectangular spike holes)…now Amthrax slows down a tad [50 mph] and the ties and rail last longer.
Setting up the territory’s track structure has an effect on operating characteristics for passenger/freight. On curves, you want the wheels contacting both rails evenly, just slightly favoring one side or the other.
There are spots on our line that haven’t been rebuilt yet that still have pretty impressive superelevation. The Central used to run the line at up to 50 MPH. While we run 40 MPH is spots, our “locals” keep it down to 25 MPH for the most part, and one section is currently at 15 MPH. We’ve had trouble with our gensets on a couple of curves there if the oil wasn’t right up to the full mark on the stick.
Of course, we aren’t running the traffic ATSF or anyone else did/does on their mains, so that 1925 105Lb Dudley will probably last a while…
Right, but but the light weight of the 50-ton hopper was 25 ton, making 75 in total, just 5 tons short of a hecavywight Pullman. Long passsnger train = 30 cars, all heavyweights -= 2400 tons. Long freight = 100 cars, all loaded 50-ton hoppers = 7500 tons. Short pasenger train = 3 cars = 240 tons. Short freight = 10 cars = 750 tons. Generally, freight trains are heavier than passenger.
Previous post assumes all 30 car heavyweight trains were all-Pullman. Stillwell Erie coaches weighed 44tons, NY-Westchester-and-Boston 75-foot mu cars weighted 55 tone witih their electrical equipment, and most convetional four-wheeled-truck standard coaches wieghed 55-60 tons, such as the PRR P-70.
A three car passenger train could be a total-service passenger train: mail-baggage-express or mail-baggage-express-combine, coach, Pullman buffet-sleeper. That is sort of the minimum total-service train. I guess one could shorten it to two cars, with all coach passengers in the combine.
well at least it isn’t the WW2 army surplus “Buffalo” that nobody had plates for…as it is, 105# anything is oddball stuff west of the Mississippi.
[8D]The big difference is freight does not complain and passengers do!!
Freight may not complain but the Shippers/Receivers will!