Supersize Train
 

Nine locomotives,15498 Tons,18061 feet (3.4 miles)


From UP OnLine, January 8, 2010:

Improving Safety, Efficiency, Customer Value

Dallas Departs Longest DP Train

January 8, 2010 | 04:50 p.m. CST

Union Pacific continues testing new configurations of distributed power to improve safety, efficiency and customer value.

Early this afternoon, a double-stack intermodal train carrying 618 containers departed the Dallas Intermodal Terminal destined to Long Beach and Oakland, Calif. As the longest train ever run on UP, the consist includes three locomotives on the head end, two sets of two locomotives throughout the train, and two locomotives on the rear.

Distributed power reduces in-train forces, improving train handling. It also can lead to employee and public safety enhancements, fewer derailments and lower maintenance costs. For example, the number of train separations has decreased when distributed power units are used, because in-train forces are better controlled with mid-train or rear remote locomotives.

In addition, such trains reduce fuel consumption and emissions. This train could take more than 600 trucks off our already congested highways.

I guess all those contrs were empty and being returned to the port for re-patriation to the Far East?

I don't think so. 618 containers on a double stack train gives you 309 wagons. Dividing 309 into the train weight of 15498 tons gives you 50.15 tons per wagon. An empty container only weighs 4 tons leaving you 42 tons per wagon and the wagons don't weigh that much.

The wagons probably weigh around 15 tons each. x 309 = 4635 tons
The locos are about 269 tons each x 9 = 2421 tons
They were probably 53ft. contrs which must weigh around 5 tons each x 618 = 3090 tons
Making a total of 10146 tons which leaves a nett weight of approx 5352 tons. I guess thats a lot of oil products bound for California. Is there a youtube video of this yet?

Found one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqHvja7fU00

Looking at it, the boxes are 40 standard and high cube and 45 foot high cube boxes, the weights for these are 3700 to 4500 kgs, most of them are 40 high cubes which generally weigh 3900 kgs.

I'm curious, where did you get the 269 ton figure for the locos?

On wickipedia:-

EMD DDA40X
UP 6922 at Cody Park; North Platte, Nebraska.
Power type Diesel-electric
Builder General Motors Electro-Motive Division (EMD)
Build date April 1969 – September 1971
Total production 47
AAR wheel arr. D-D
Gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Wheelbase Between truck centers: 65 ft (19.81 m)
Truck wheelbase: 17 ft 1.5 in (5.22 m)
Length 98 ft 5 in (30 m)
Width 10 ft 4 in (3.15 m)
Height cab roof: 14 ft 11.375 in (4.56 m)
overall: 16 ft 4 in (4.98 m)
Weight 538,000 lb (269 tons) (244 tonnes)
Fuel capacity 8,230 US gallons (31,154 L)
Prime mover 2 × EMD 645E3A
Aspiration turbocharged
Cylinders V16
Power output 6600 traction hp (4,900 kW)
Safety systems Leslie Supertyfon model S5TRRO or S3LR horns

Not sure if they are exactly the same but they look a good deal heavier than our locos.

Ah. Hate to say it but they've been withdrawn. UP retain one (6936) for heritage and occasional freight work.
Looking around on the net, I'll find out what they are.

Ok, locos on the video are (in order)

7454, 7419, 7462, the first mid train pair are 7800 and 5318, the second pair are 7792 and 7773 and the bankers are 7667 and 7680. Googling Union Pacific 7454 gives you this page http://www.railpictures.net/viewphot...651&showexif=1
Follow through on Wikipedia with ES44AC gives you this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ES44AC#ES44AC and scrolling down to Evolution Series Operators will give you the UP numbers. They're all GE ES44ACs. Page doesn't give a weight for an ES44AC so a bit more looking around...

http://www.thedieselshop.us/Data%20ES44AC.HTML gives a weight of 432000 lbs which is 216 tons (196 tonnes)

My word, American stuff is heavy! Thought 269 tons sounded way over the top but for an 8 axle loco which the DD40AX was it has a lower axle loading than the ES44AC, 33 tons v 36 tons.

video of Supersize train
 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdIzRFOaTCY

Hope the above link will show you the video of the train.

There where 295 loaded containers with clothes,electronic good and furniture from the midwest region for export.

The DDA40X (Centenials) where basically two locos mounted back to back on one frame with two trucks with 4axels on each,built only for Union Pacific to replace the Big Boy and Challenger steam loco,s.in the mountains of western US.

Found a vid where you can play spot the difference! DD40 meet ES44 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-kdjgSzfM0

Very, very impressive! How was the train assembled at Dallas? Was it a "special" train given a clear road? 3.5 miles of train would need very special handling wouldn't it?

The train would be made up in several sections at an intermodal yard, then joined up when leaving.
Because much of the line is single track with passing loops,a lot of planning was needed to make sure any train that was met was not too long to enter a passing loop.
Apparently the line (The Sunset Route) was very quiet with a noticable reduction of trains for 24hrs before this train.
After arrival in Los Angeles the train was split again with a section going on to San francisco.
Concern was noted by emergency sevices in the Los Angeles area as the train could take more than 10 minutes to cross a grade (level) crossing and therefore delay ambulances or fire engines, and on the same theme if there was a breakdown or holdup of the train 3.5 miles of track and all grade crossings would be closed and cause major disruption.
The unions have also shown concern, as obviously if this is the way of the future, two members instead of six are required to move this tonnage.

Just remember, when an American says "ton", they mean short ton (2000lb) by default, rather than long ton (2240lb). Still makes them a lot heavier than British equipment. Even most American locos don't compare to the C&O Allegheny, which had an axle load of 42 tons. I believe the only places equipment that heavy is used today are the ore lines in Australia.

typical manpower reductions
 

I was going to say that the only thing missing from this train is the other drivers. These monster trains are fascinating me, just how long does it take to assemble such a long series of trains. By the time the last train is asembled the first one could be half way there surely. We get a lot of delays sending containers across USA and if part of the delays is the time that it takes the railroad operators to assemble trains when in reality every user thinks the transit is 5 days without allowing a week to build the bloody things in the first place!!

U.P. would probably load three trains of 100 wagons(200 containers) per day in Dallas for the west coast, so they have just put those three trains together.
An intermodal yard would have maybe four cranes loading each train,this means a train could be loaded in about three hours.This equates to about 4 minutes per lift of container.

By having distributed power in the train,the brakes can be applied from each set of loco's,remotly from the head end cab.If there was no loco's in the train it could take several minutes for the brakes to be activated at the rear of the train,thus the rear of the train could be moving at full speed when the front brakes are working to try and stop the train, with disasterous results.

A new system on trial, electronically applies and releases,all the brakes along the train at the same time,thus reducing braking distance and restart times, and allows higher track speeds.

Thanks for that 105E (do you like Anglia's by any chance?)

Yes, klordger,first car many,many years ago,spent many hours and mucho cash on modifications,tuning etc.
Still get a twinge of nostalgia when I see one.