train weights throughout history

Malcolm Campbell · **Posted:** Sun Jun 17, 2001 8:19 pm

Hi,

Does anyone know of a good article which shows how average train weights, or maximum practical train weights, have changed over time for passenger or freight service?

thanks,

--Malcolm

grinnellglacier@yahoo.com

Ray Dewley · **Posted:** Mon Jun 18, 2001 12:30 pm

Check out the link below that may have an article containing the info you are seaching for.

Railroad Extra

Malcolm Campbell · **Posted:** Mon Jun 18, 2001 12:58 pm

> Check out the link below that may have an
> article containing the info you are seaching
> for.

This is a pretty good site, but don't think it covers modern era too thoroughly. Had fun reading a lot of the articles while I was supposed to be working, though. Thanks for the tip.

grinnellglacier@yahoo.com

Erik Ledbetter · **Posted:** Sun Jun 24, 2001 9:14 pm

There is some good discussion of this in William D. Middleton's new book Landmarks of the Iron Road. It turns out railroad engineers had standard "units" of load in which they calculated maximum loads on bridges and other structures--if I remember rightly what Middleton argued the base unit is derived from a turn-of-the century 2-8-0.

Also check John White's The American Railroad Freight Car.

eledbetter@mail.rypn.org

Malcolm Campbell · **Posted:** Mon Jun 25, 2001 8:39 pm

> There is some good discussion of this in
> William D. Middleton's new book Landmarks of

> Also check John White's The American
> Railroad Freight Car.

Thanks for the tips. I know we have the White book in the library. We ought to have Middleton, but not sure.

It's the kind of statistic that I would think would be easier to find, but it is illusive. For example, the current Operation LifeSaver site says that a typical locomotive weighs 200 tons and if it has 100 cars, that's another 6,000 tons which takes over a mile to stop at 55 mph. It's not their place to be a statistical resource, but the natural next steps would be to also tell people how long a 20,000 ton train takes to stop at whatever it's average speed may be on level track as well as how long it takes a typical Amtrak train at 79mph and an Acela train at 135-150mph to stop. I never understand why half the info is missing. It's a typical frustration for all of us, I guess.

--Malcolm

grinnellglacier@yahoo.com