Are there any electrified freight railroads in North America today? I don’t know of any, but I think it would be interesting to see. What are the cons of an electrified freight railroad as opposed to passenger? Do electric motors lose CTE at low speed?
Thanks,
Matthew
There are the electrified amtraks out east, but I do not think they handle frieght
I just finished a book about GE locomotives, and was impressed by just how many railroads did, at one time, haul freight using electrics,
Nope, none left cept Amtrak.
Hmmmm, The Iowa Terminal must count as an electric freight railroad, after all they are all electric AND haul freight. They also own a LARGE fleet of cars, you may have seen them IATR ?
Closer to Coburn is the East Troy electric RR, again, all electric and a freight hauler.
As for out east…, none.
As for the tractive effort, what do you think the diesel locomotive was patterened after?
A GP-7 is really just a trolley car with an engine. therefore continuous tractive effort is the same as a comparable diesel.
The biggest con with electrics is the maintenence of the trolley structure and the inflexability . You cannot do track work without accounting for the effects of the trackwork on the trolley wires, an example, raise the track 6 inches, what is your overhead clearance now ? Raise the track 6 inches every year and soon you are a very low clearance RR.
Randy
How about the Black Mesa and Lake Powell in Arizona that uses E60CF’s and the Muskingham in Ohio that used e50C’s?
Texas Utilities also operates two electric railroads at mine-mouth power plants.
I don’t remember the name, but it’s in NW Colorado and hauls coal around Rangley to Utah, about 50 miles, if I remember correctly. The motors were originally built for use in Mexico and came with all Spanish language controls. The line is completely isolated.
Deseret Western RR (Near Rangely, CO to Bonanza, UT)
http://www.deseretgt.com/grid/powerpoints/dwr.shtml
Before Penn Central became a part of Conrail, and it’s passenger lines, Amtrak, PC ran electric freights over the NEC. However, when ConRail came about Amtrak received the NEC, then in 1981 Conrail ceassed electric freight operation due to the fact of high cost, so that ended electric freight over here in the eastern portion of the United States.
I know that the IOWA traction railroad uses electric power and I think a TEXAS based railroad also uses electric power to move cars back and forth from the up interchange tracks