GreenDiesel Posted October 7, 2012 Share Posted October 7, 2012 I'm sure that many of our Canadian freight trains are 2.5 to 3.0 in length. At that size, it's hard to go too fast! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talltim Posted October 7, 2012 Share Posted October 7, 2012 Whenever I tell people that my thing is second gen SP/ATSF they automatically seem to think of long drags on mountain grades...I have to say I prefer pigs, Superfleet paint and the early wide cab diesels! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfexVm1Hy6Q[/url The contrast on that vid makes it look almost hyper real, or something. I think that speedo needs looking at... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted October 8, 2012 Author Share Posted October 8, 2012 Why, because it doesn't fit in with your prejudices, Tim? Have you ever been alongside any mainline in rural areas on your visits over here, where the trains can really stretch your legs (I know it is difficult on business trips)? Please don't tell me you've never been here. Who cares if long, fast, InterModals are not really modelable that was NOT the point of this thread. They are here and now a reality in this country. It's maybe why I am becoming more interested in the real thing rather than models of it, maybe....I still love Shortlines and Secondary Routes, however. I cut out a couple of post which are repeats or links to the same things... Cheers, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewC Posted October 8, 2012 Share Posted October 8, 2012 I'm sure that many of our Canadian freight trains are 2.5 to 3.0 in length. At that size, it's hard to go too fast! CP is planning on lengthening to 3.7km long intermodal trains in the west. Up by 22% over the past few years. Its not uncommon to see 2.5km long trains doing well over 120km/h on the prairies. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreenDiesel Posted October 8, 2012 Share Posted October 8, 2012 CP is planning on lengthening to 3.7km long intermodal trains in the west. Up by 22% over the past few years. Its not uncommon to see 2.5km long trains doing well over 120km/h on the prairies. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreenDiesel Posted October 8, 2012 Share Posted October 8, 2012 Yes, I suspected that. I don't live in the Ingersoll area anymore but when I occasionally visit there I've seen long freights go barreling through. In my main train-watching places in Toronto, though, they seem to go much slower (perhaps slow orders or different track conditions, etc.). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talltim Posted October 8, 2012 Share Posted October 8, 2012 Why, because it doesn't fit in with your prejudices, Tim? No, just cos the needle is more than a bit wobbly. My old car's one was like that. For the record I don't dislike or disbelieve the fact that US/Can freight can reach high speeds and be very long and run on very nicely maintained track. I wish that the state of freight in the UK was as advanced or bouyant. I understand that seeing/feeling/hearing a huge tonnage moving a great speed can provide a visceral rush (thats probably impossible to model), its just not particularly the area of my interest in US railroading. I'm aware the thread isn't about modelling, however this is modelling forum so most people here probably come at RRing from a modelling perspective. The thread title, 'Why Do Some People Still Think US Freight Trains Are Slow?' asks us, predominatly modellers, our opinion. My opinion being that many of the UK modellers interested in US RR are interested in the shortline aspect as its more foreign to us than high quality mainlines and fits better in the space we have. So, while we aknowledge the existance of said mainlines, they aren't the first thing we think of. Its a theory based on subjective observation of posts and modelling featured here and I'm aware that it is very much a generalisation. Anyway I don't want to cause an arguement about it, and I'm sorry for derailing the thread slightly, keep posting those hi-speed vids! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talltim Posted October 8, 2012 Share Posted October 8, 2012 Very short clip of pre-Acela hi speed Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Gerbil-Fritters Posted October 8, 2012 Share Posted October 8, 2012 CP is planning on lengthening to 3.7km long intermodal trains in the west. Up by 22% over the past few years. Its not uncommon to see 2.5km long trains doing well over 120km/h on the prairies. feet, yards and miles per hour, please! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugsley Posted October 8, 2012 Share Posted October 8, 2012 feet, yards and miles per hour, please! Not in Canada! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozexpatriate Posted October 8, 2012 Share Posted October 8, 2012 I should get my lazy self up to the Columbia River Gorge to add some videos here: long fast drags on both sides of the river (BNSF on the north side, UP on the south side). I once stayed at a hotel in Cascade Locks where if you looked out the back window, it felt like you looked straight down into the roof ventilator grills of UP locomotives as they blasted past. I didn't bring a speed gun ( ) but they were anything but slow! I think the answer to Pete's question: "Why Do Some People Still Think US Freight Trains Are Slow?" is the preponderance of videos at level crossings and on heavy grades, rather than level main line working. As to slow passenger service, some years ago I chased SP&S 700 through the gorge on the BNSF metals while it was on a charter run to Spokane. Even though Washington Hwy 14 runs parallel to the BNSF main line, there was no way I could keep up with it - at least at the posted 55 mph speed limit. I estimated it at 70mph. Not too shabby for an antique. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewC Posted October 8, 2012 Share Posted October 8, 2012 Not in Canada! Only around 8% of the world's population still use feet, miles, etc. Basically Americans and luddites. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baby Deltic Posted October 8, 2012 Share Posted October 8, 2012 I've been out in the motor near Dodge City in Kansas and paced a few freights at 60mph out in the open country. One had 4 Dash 9's on the point and the leading bogie on the front loco was oscillating wildly from side to side which was a tad scary. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Gerbil-Fritters Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 Only around 8% of the world's population still use feet, miles, etc. Basically Americans and luddites. a huge raspberry to metric! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted October 9, 2012 Author Share Posted October 9, 2012 Rome, NY? Not far from Uttica, NY and Syracuse, NY................ Have the UK switched? "We" still use Fahrenheit too - I know the difference between nice at 75f and chilly at 60f........ Best, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted October 9, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 9, 2012 I should get my lazy self up to the Columbia River Gorge to add some videos here: long fast drags on both sides of the river (BNSF on the north side, UP on the south side). I once stayed at a hotel in Cascade Locks where if you looked out the back window, it felt like you looked straight down into the roof ventilator grills of UP locomotives as they blasted past. I didn't bring a speed gun ( ) but they were anything but slow! I think the answer to Pete's question: "Why Do Some People Still Think US Freight Trains Are Slow?" is the preponderance of videos at level crossings and on heavy grades, rather than level main line working. As to slow passenger service, some years ago I chased SP&S 700 through the gorge on the BNSF metals while it was on a charter run to Spokane. Even though Washington Hwy 14 runs parallel to the BNSF main line, there was no way I could keep up with it - at least at the posted 55 mph speed limit. I estimated it at 70mph. Not too shabby for an antique. The Columbia Gorge is one of my favourite locations. In the Summer we sat in the park near to the hotel at Cascade locks where we cold see the UP mainline alongside and the BNSF over the river. Not stayed in that hotel as we were heading to the lodge at Stevensen. The only way you can catch up with trains on these routes is to hope it gets held to pass a freight coming the other way some where nearby. Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted October 9, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 9, 2012 Rome, NY? Not far from Uttica, NY and Syracuse, NY................ Have the UK switched? "We" still use Fahrenheit too - I know the difference between nice at 75f and chilly at 60f........ Best, Pete. Well Mrs S is currently in Rome - Italy. As far as all the Napoleonic /foreign measurements are concerned the UK seems to have compromised in typically British fashion by using a mixture, frequently in the same breath. I believe our younger folk talk about measurement in terms of mm, cm and metres but like us oldies still have to think longer distances in terms of miles and speeds in terms of mph. Litres seem to be pretty universal for liquid measurement while weight seems to be always dealt with in funny foreign terms such as kilos and tonnes. Regrettably many in the engineering side of the railway industry also seem wedded to these alien ideas although fortunately we still have mileposts and speeds measured in mph (except on CTRL/HS1 - which is therefore technically breaking an EU ruling as according to them mph is the official unit of measuring train speeds in the UK and the official units of distance for railways include miles and chains). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted October 9, 2012 Author Share Posted October 9, 2012 Mike, I think that the problem of many metric systems of measurement is that they are not human-related. For example if I need to see roughly what an inch is I use my thumb - yer just can't do that kind of thing with the other way. Mind you I do joke with republicans here that they are still proponents of an Imperial system.... Best, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium jjb1970 Posted October 9, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 9, 2012 I also think a big part of the reason many people think North American freight trains are slow are all those videos that seem to take forever to show a sequence of one train going past a crossing or climbing a gradient at walking pace. I once bought a CSX video (I like the CSX bright future livery and their heritage companies such as C&O) and threw it away as it was just dreadful. There is no doubt thatsome of the most impressive rail action in the world is in North America, marvellous stuff. I also think there is a model - prototype separation, when it comes to watching trains I want to watch high power action with fast big freights and passenger trains, but the space needed to model North American main line ops even in N gauge would be rather large hence for modelling switching layouts and short line roads have a lot of attraction. One of the attractions to me of Canadian passenger trains is that you can model real prototypical trains on a compact layout. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edwin_m Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 When I travelled the Columbia River Gorge (south side UP route) on Amtrak, circa 1986, it was one of the few routes where cab signalling was operated and therefore (presumably) speeds above 79mph permitted. The reason I know this is because we had a three hour delay due to the cab signalling on the train engine not operating when required, until they found another engine to attach in front (UP not Amtrak). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreenDiesel Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 Only around 8% of the world's population still use feet, miles, etc. Basically Americans and luddites. I'm pretty much conversant in both imperial and metric -- I think that's the best solution. Here in Canada we're officially on the metric system yet several businesses & industries (printing for example) still use imperial. There are pro's & con's to both. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Wintle Posted October 10, 2012 Share Posted October 10, 2012 Here are a couple showing the track alignment near Bond Head, Ontario (East of Toronto on the CN main line) Adrian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozexpatriate Posted October 12, 2012 Share Posted October 12, 2012 Mind you I do joke with republicans here that they are still proponents of an Imperial system.... Indeed so Pete. I find it ironic that the biggest holdouts for the metric system are those that proclaim themselves as having won their freedom from England yet won't relinquish the weights and measures. Of course Americans neglect the convenient 'stone' as a measure of weight and introduce all sorts of confusion with pints and tons. I was converted at a tender age (at ruler point) when Australia went metric in 1974. They never looked back. The biggest refuseniks then were the track fans who mourned the 'sport of kings' being called in furlongs. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CraigZ Posted October 13, 2012 Share Posted October 13, 2012 Only around 8% of the world's population still use feet, miles, etc. Basically Americans and luddites. The metric system is a tool of the devil. My car gets 40 rods to the hogshead and that's the way I likes it! - Abe Simpson Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pacific231G Posted October 14, 2012 Share Posted October 14, 2012 The metric system is a tool of the devil. My car gets 40 rods to the hogshead and that's the way I likes it! - Abe Simpson Even by 1950s Detroit standards 216 gallons to the mile does seem a bit of a gas guzzler !! For a confusion of measures you should try aviation. Altitudes and heights are in feet, runway lengths in metres, distances in nautical miles and speeds in knots but a lot of air speed indicators are still calibrated in MPH. Fuel is sold in litres but tank capacities are often calibrated in US gallons. Mind you, according to the bridge plates round here, Network Rail are still measuring distances in miles, chains and rods. Given that they invented and adopted the metric system 200 years ago, it's amazing how well understood pouce, pied and livre still are in France though. Livre (pound) seems to have become rationalised as 500 grams as if you ask for a demi-livre of cheese in even a large Hypermarche they'll sell you 250g. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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