SAR (Transnet) Goods train - 75 wagons (Video)
 

I videotaped this yesterday whilst enroute from Durban to Johannesburg. If I am not mistaken, the world's longest train was achieved in South Africa.

Enjoy!

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

I'm guessing, but if each wagon is 10 yards long from coupling to coupling, this train would have been 750 yards long, 800 if you include the locos.

I believe Australia have run the longest train. 4.5 miles long!

Blimey, you're quite right mate, I should have said "At one time..."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LsuNWjRaAo

I remember reading a long article in the journal for the SAIMechE - the South African Institute of Mechanical Engineers - some time ago, probably in the 90s. There were trials to see how long a train could be on the Sishen line.

I forget how long the trains were - perhaps 3 miles long and the tests routinely resulted in broken couplings. I am not sure but I don't think they had distributed power (as in 27vet's video).

I often wished I kept that article. I did find this related to train lengths on the Richards Bay to Ermelo line :

http://www.railcorpstrat.com/Downloa...20SAIMECHE.pdf

Interesting video and nice viewing. Also interested in what was going on behind the train!
Thanks
Phil

Long trains of the world.
 

Hi Ralph,i have been going back some months on various post,and i came across your South African train of 75 wagons,which is a short one to other places in the world But i believe that SA did have the longest train in the world back in the 1980s,but dont quote me on that.
Class 9Es were CO-COs.
built for the Port of Saldanha Bay,and designed by GEC of Manchester but built in SA to run iron ore trains to ISCOR,these Loco's ran on 50kV,although they can work on 55 kV down to 25kV. The train length was,3.2 kms long,six loco's pulled this train giving a total of 30,000 hp,with 5 braking systems they carried a small motor bike in a side locker,for train inspection if required.
In the late 1980s new 10E CO-COs came on the scene and replaced the9Es, as only 4 Loco's were required.
The most powerful Loco's on the SAR,as it was then were the 11Es for the Ermelo, Richards Bay coal trains of 200 wagons,pulling more than 21.000 tons being permanently in multiple there are only 2 cabs,i could go deeper into the technical side but i think this is enough.

I've seen the video, they have their locos spread throughout the consist, not all at the front.

Are the controls connected through a cable running the entire length then?

Col. Kritzinger whom I know, photographed almost every SAR loco and wagon and can be seen here : http://grela.rrpicturearchives.net/
I also recall that the SAR set a record (which has been surpassed for a long time). I don't think that the present administration has the noggin to do things like that.

Cheers
Ralph