Union Pacific, United States. Run from 8 to 10 January 2010, consisting of 296 container wagons and hauled by nine diesel-electric locomotive spread through the train with a total length of 18,000 feet (3.4 mi; 5.5 km), from a terminal in Texas to Los Angeles. Around 618 double-stacked containers were carried at speeds up to 70 mph/112 km/h. 14,059 t.[19][20] BNSF, United States, 2010-3.03 km [21]
Same here! I am at NC A huge lover of the NC transportation museum, about to start volunteering there I'm about 12 so that when I can start. When I go there, the museum was originally built along a main line for testing/building/repairing engines. So Norfolk southern which I want to be an engineer for when I can apply a job to start schooling for driving a train, I always go down the road, a mile away to the nearest crossing, about every 30 minutes there comes a train, if not usually 1 to 2 hours, I always like rail-fanning down there. It's my biggest passion I have, I have a whole big set in one of the rooms in my house. And we re plain rebuilding it in a few months.
Same here! I am at NC A huge lover of the NC transportation museum, about to start volunteering there I'm about 12 so that when I can start. When I go there, the museum was originally built along a main line for testing/building/repairing engines. So Norfolk southern which I want to be an engineer for when I can apply a job to start schooling for driving a train, I always go down the road, a mile away to the nearest crossing, about every 30 minutes there comes a train, if not usually 1 to 2 hours, I always like rail-fanning down there. It's my biggest passion I have, I have a whole big set in one of the rooms in my house. And we re plain rebuilding it in a few months.
This reminds me of the videos I have seen where Conrail used to move massive coal trains across Pennsylvania. Never thought I would see this here in California. Looks like they took four regular length trains, ran them together, made the air hose connections, got the "highball" and went for it. Great video. Thanks for posting this one. Mike in Fresno, Ca.
at least this train is moving fast. In my hometown theres a monster train yard with tons of trains coming in slowing way down or at times stopped on the crossing. It's the worst or was the worst. They finally made a bridge a year ago
That was awesome. I have been around for over half a century and a train fan since I was very young,and that is one of the longest trains I've ever seen. Thank you
296 cars and 9 locomotives 8 men crewing the train and roughly 592 tractor trailers worth of freight off of the interstates.... I bet you the teamsters are really happy about that :D By the way that was cool!! I wonder if any one that was at the grade crossing had a photo finish after having to sit there for over 4 min.
Hi Matthew, I work for U.P.S. and in the past we would see many more ups trailers on the trains, however the railroad is no longer able to meet the time constraints of our company, so now we are trucking stuff across the country. We can go from L.A. C.A. to N.Y. in 3 days where as A.T.S.F.R. is taking 4 to 5 days.
I work in Long Beach. You better believe planning went into this. This wasn't a pile of garbage. This was an incredible amount of revenue freight that is moving for customers. The industry is trying to come up with new ways to meet the ever increasing pressure put on railroads by truckers. Not everything tried will work. Fortunately management on BNSF and UP are trying new approaches. Beats sitting still and watching independents drive off with our business.
Very impressive. It looks like four trains hitched together to me, but for all, that it was quite a show, very lucky man, right place right time, right technique. Thanks very much
Here in Brazil we call these compositions "distributed" but because of the conditions but the railways are in 130 wagons with a maximum of 6 locomotives and the speed is only 50km / h. This distributed American and monstrous. Congratulations to the Americans!
Greetings from Brazil!!!! This is a pure LOCOTROL concept!! We have a kind of Locotrol trains here, the only company who compares to this UP Train is the VALE. Great train!!!
I got to see this live and up close...in the first car in line waiting at a crossing in Riverside, Ca. The train had to slow down there for a curve, I believe the limit is 35 for freight on that curve, and they were working on a couple of grade separation bridges in that area at that time as well, so it could have been even slower yet. I didn't think I was ever going to see the end of it, just a couple more engines, and more train...
Cool Clip. I read an LA Times article saying this had 9-locomotives, I saw the 3 in the front 2-middle and 2-end, the article also said it was 9-football fields long....Again....Thanks for the Post!! Awesome!!!
You guys run some bad ass trains in Brazil....and you are getting better at it. Dramatic improvements and it's good to see the investment Brazil is making in this mode of transportation. Brazil is going to be a world power in far less time than many people think. Be safe.
@charlieb640 - According to Wikipedia (grain of salt), the tractive effort of a Big Boy was 135,375 pound feet. I don't think it would be unrealistic given that the Challenger has a TE of 97,350 pound feet and pulled a 143-car intermodal double-stack back in the early 90s; it didn't even break a sweat. No doubt the operating costs would have been astronomical...I wasn't being serious when I typed that. Despite it being a fantasy, you can't deny it would look amazing seeing a Big Boy pull that.
It's basically three long trains in one which adds up to about 200 cars. The way they balanced the power out for that train was well thought out and the right way to split the duty for a train that big. The axle count was most likely near the 1000 axle mark or more, Everything is bigger from Texas so there :p
Was this that 'experimental' drag that everyone was worried about? I remember seeing an aerial shot of it on FoxNewsNZ, the locals along it's route were up in arms over such a dangerously long train passing through their communities if one ever got out of control....Wow that's impressive by the way, and I thought our 1km long freight trains were impressive enough.
I can only imagine 2 things. When this train arrives to its port (or cargo station to be loaded on trucks) to unload, and how long this will take until the freight stop pushing the engine for 3-4 miles before it stops in an emergency. And finally when the air rake system gets through the whole train to stop the freight pushing the engine.
This train is VERY long... but actually lighter than even a 110 car coal train, which weigh roughly 16,000 tons. Whereas this train was ~15,000 tons I believe. Intermodal trains are some of the lightest trains there are... I guess only roadrailers are lighter, since the trailers they carry aren't even on cars at all. So yeah, 9 locomotives weren't really necessary from a power perspective... hell on my subdivision, 16,000 ton coal trains can be moved by 2 modern diesels alone! Of course there's other factors. If you have 2 trains, one long and one short, that both weigh the same, then of course the long one will need more power to pull due to friction and drag and whatnot. Also with a train this long you'd never be able to move it with only locomotives on the head because you'd never be able to pump up the brake pipe to an adequate pressure all the way to the rear. The helpers are there to pump air and keep the slack manageable more than anything.
phillyslasher Oh don't get me wrong the grades on my sub are relatively light and even the steepest section is only uphill in the direction you're going with empties as far as grain/coal goes. I'm just saying that intermodal trains are VERY light for their length compared to unit trains like grain and coal. So even at 15,000 tons this train, at like 3 or 4x longer than your average coal train, needs the extra units probably more for slack/air reasons that actual motive power.
I counted 296 cars and nine locos. 620 double stacked containers. By my calculations, it's around 3.5 miles, give or take. Also, by using that sign as a reference, and the time between cars, I estimate it was traveling at 60 mph. All these numbers are close but it's hard to make perfect claculations from just one viewpoint.
I like this. And in addition to having displaced locomotives pulling/pushing the train while in motion, it also helps coming to rest. Controlled consistent action.
I've heard BNSF and CP do something similiar on higher priority manifests going on the Transcon, they will place loaded cars in the front of the train, then have a group of locos in the middle and then empties on the rear, thus your dpu's are not pushing on empties they are pulling them.
I counted 9 locomotives, 295 cars and just over 600 containers. Each train had at least 95 cars in the set between locomotives. That is one long train! That's a lot of trucks off the road with those 600+ containers on the rails.
Not only that, the weight of a stack train is basically the containers themselves not the actual train (the well cars). The well cars are pretty much hollow shells with wheels. Their is little to no slack do to the articulation between so many cars and the lighter weight compared to other cars/loads. This type of train is ideal for this type of test, not to mention that these containers need to be moving at all times.
That pissed off driver at the end was a nice touch. They're trying to figure out ways to beat the deep draft container ships after the upcoming Panama Canal expansion. The computers are built to handle 7 remote consists, and the company is pouring money into new track, so get ready to see this a lot.
Totally awesome dude! Thanks for sharing. Really held my breath for long as it took to pass......I can pass out now. Only an orgasm is better. Serious motive power always enjoyed by us railfans. thx again.
There was only one crew on that train, possibly one on the helper on the rear. The mid train units were being operated by the engineer on the lead locomotive. Its called distributive power...and the BLET (locomotive engineers union) is part of the Teamsters, so they don't care.
OOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHH I won´t sleep tonight!!!! I´ve never seen this!!! like here in Spain, no more than 750 meters, and more than 500 meters in special trains!! Greetings!!
We have 16K footers in regular service and PSR has created occasional 24K footers, which are too big for most yards. For conversion, that's 4.75km for a 16K footer, and 7.3km for a 24K.
Sometimes they build trains like this take them to a crew change point and separate them so that the DP units become the head end power for the rear section that's headed to a different destination. Saves crew costs between some terminals. The secret is "Don't look back"
Mouth hung open!! The record for number of cars I'd seen in a train video was previously 160. That has been blown away. This train had 295 cars in it!!
Nine units, three front, two 1/3 back, two 2/3 back and two on the tail -- that is distributed power. They have worked out the kinks -- I expect to see more of this. Labor is the biggest cost and these trains save on labor.
@cisan The reason they are in the middles is because they pick up the slack. Essentially, if you tried to pull the train from only the front, you're rip the couplers right out of the train. The middle units relieve the pressure on the couplers to an acceptable limit. Also, most locomotives can run in multiple with only one crew operating from one cab. These CERTAINLY would have that capability, being some of the newest stuff around.
@alladinmoua You summarized it quite well. A train is only as strong as the strength of the drawbar pulling the most train weight. I've seen many instances when drawbars are just simply pulled out of the car. Normally this is do to "train handling" and not overall train weight. I never worked in the mountain district on UP (SP) but I've talked with many who have. Amazing terrain. Have a good one.
@iceman977th The horsepower actually doesn't pump air per se. It does provide electricity to operate air compressors that in turn produce air pressure. Basically only so much air is going through the pipes at any given time no matter how much horsepower
@Pendragon1989, not as long as one might think. When you apply the brakes they start applying from all the locomotives. And since there are 9 locomotives throughout the train the air sets rather quickly.
Not only that, locomotives evenly distributed along the train help pull evenly helping prevent derailment. If not the train would be vulnerable to derailment at either half of the train to 3 quarters of the train without the DPU's. I beleive I read it was 3+98+2+98+2+100+2 (Plus/minus 1)
@mikey69up - The movements involved in this shipment and others like it were within scheduling tolerances based on customer ETA's. This included making scheduled sailings and drayage deliveries. Whether or not these movements continue will be subject to study. There is no "lack of planning" involved. A great deal of study went into moves like this. Just like when the first 110 car unit trains were run.
Holy s- -t, thats one long train, railroad has just gotta be up there among the greenest ways to move freight around. Wonder how long it takes to stop!!!!
Woooooooow!!!!! I was wondering why you said there were 9 locomotives, then I watched the entire thing and saw the helpers in random places throughout the entire consist! So if there were over 500 containers, and each car carried two, there must've been over 250 cars.
That is a MONSTER !! This Iron Leviathan navigating California with all it's prohibitive curvature and gradient was a sight to see. Great Post !!! Great Catch !!! How often do see something like this !!! What was the this ? A transfer move to a nearby L.A. Port?
There is an O gauge record of 751 cars and ten engines, for a total length of 685 feet. Naturally, it had to be done outdoors, but this particular train could be done--all you need is the space and the funds to buy all those cars :).
In France 4 locomotives with a total power output of 18.56 MW / 25 200 hp for 16 passenger coaches is common... that's a double TGV and it goes at 320 km/h.
@galovergirl711 It has always been a 'concerted group effort'. Railroads have almost always taken freight to warehouses or distribution centers where trucks in turn delivered to final destinations. In the 1800's it was steam taking freight to warehouses where horses moved the product to the end. Good observation
@msharmsen The locomotives in the middle and back are distributive power units. With current technology, locos not attached to the first engine can now be controlled by the conductor at the front of the train by use of computers. The more locomotives you put at the front of a long train, the more strain there is on the couplers and the greater the risk of breaking the train apart. By distributing them semi-equally throughout the train, there is a less likely chance of the train tearing apart.
Union Pacific, United States. Run from 8 to 10 January 2010, consisting of 296 container wagons and hauled by nine diesel-electric locomotive spread through the train with a total length of 18,000 feet (3.4 mi; 5.5 km), from a terminal in Texas to Los Angeles. Around 618 double-stacked containers were carried at speeds up to 70 mph/112 km/h. 14,059 t.[19][20] BNSF, United States, 2010-3.03 km [21]
Beautiful The mother of all trains. Wish I could have been there.
Same here! I am at NC A huge lover of the NC transportation museum, about to start volunteering there I'm about 12 so that when I can start. When I go there, the museum was originally built along a main line for testing/building/repairing engines. So Norfolk southern which I want to be an engineer for when I can apply a job to start schooling for driving a train, I always go down the road, a mile away to the nearest crossing, about every 30 minutes there comes a train, if not usually 1 to 2 hours, I always like rail-fanning down there. It's my biggest passion I have, I have a whole big set in one of the rooms in my house. And we re plain rebuilding it in a few months.
Same here! I am at NC A huge lover of the NC transportation museum, about to start volunteering there I'm about 12 so that when I can start. When I go there, the museum was originally built along a main line for testing/building/repairing engines. So Norfolk southern which I want to be an engineer for when I can apply a job to start schooling for driving a train, I always go down the road, a mile away to the nearest crossing, about every 30 minutes there comes a train, if not usually 1 to 2 hours, I always like rail-fanning down there. It's my biggest passion I have, I have a whole big set in one of the rooms in my house. And we re plain rebuilding it in a few months.
Millenniumforce
Hey MillenniumForce,
love ur vids
Congrats on play button again
(I rlly need subs,Help a railfan out)
I HAVE NEVER SEEN A TRAIN THIS LONG
This reminds me of the videos I have seen where Conrail used to move massive coal trains across Pennsylvania. Never thought I would see this here in California. Looks like they took four regular length trains, ran them together, made the air hose connections, got the "highball" and went for it. Great video. Thanks for posting this one. Mike in Fresno, Ca.
Imagine having to wait while in ur car at a crossover
Jash Media and you have to pee
at least this train is moving fast. In my hometown theres a monster train yard with tons of trains coming in slowing way down or at times stopped on the crossing. It's the worst or was the worst. They finally made a bridge a year ago
Pls can this comment reach 45 likes :)
What's funny though is the typical train near where I live is often half this length with 100 cars being the lower end.
They had engines in the middle of the train dude. that's how serious this shit is.
That was awesome. I have been around for over half a century and a train fan since I was very young,and that is one of the longest trains I've ever seen. Thank you
296 cars and 9 locomotives 8 men crewing the train and roughly 592 tractor trailers worth of freight off of the interstates.... I bet you the teamsters are really happy about that :D
By the way that was cool!! I wonder if any one that was at the grade crossing had a photo finish after having to sit there for over 4 min.
Under 4 minutes 9 locomotive 296
cars 8 men
Hi Matthew, I work for U.P.S. and in the past we would see many more ups trailers on the trains, however the railroad is no longer able to meet the time constraints of our company, so now we are trucking stuff across the country. We can go from L.A. C.A. to N.Y. in 3 days where as A.T.S.F.R. is taking 4 to 5 days.
I work in Long Beach. You better believe planning went into this.
This wasn't a pile of garbage. This was an incredible amount of revenue freight that is moving for customers.
The industry is trying to come up with new ways to meet the ever increasing pressure put on railroads by truckers. Not everything tried will work. Fortunately management on BNSF and UP are trying new approaches. Beats sitting still and watching independents drive off with our business.
Very impressive. It looks like four trains hitched together to me, but for all, that it was quite a show, very lucky man, right place right time, right technique. Thanks very much
Here in Brazil we call these compositions "distributed" but because of the conditions but the railways are in 130 wagons with a maximum of 6 locomotives and the speed is only 50km / h. This distributed American and monstrous. Congratulations to the Americans!
Greetings from Brazil!!!!
This is a pure LOCOTROL concept!!
We have a kind of Locotrol trains here, the only company who compares to this UP Train is the VALE.
Great train!!!
I got to see this live and up close...in the first car in line waiting at a crossing in Riverside, Ca. The train had to slow down there for a curve, I believe the limit is 35 for freight on that curve, and they were working on a couple of grade separation bridges in that area at that time as well, so it could have been even slower yet. I didn't think I was ever going to see the end of it, just a couple more engines, and more train...
Cool Clip. I read an LA Times article saying this had 9-locomotives, I saw the 3 in the front 2-middle and 2-end, the article also said it was 9-football fields long....Again....Thanks for the Post!!
Awesome!!!
This would tick impatient drivers off for sure. Awesome awesome awesome
great video! read about this train and the local gov's were pissed because UP didnt inform them of this test train
I have never gotten so excited over a stack train before.
Thats one sweet horn! I think this video is really really cool!!! NICE:)
The slack on that train must be hell to control! Great catch man.
You guys run some bad ass trains in Brazil....and you are getting better at it. Dramatic improvements and it's good to see the investment Brazil is making in this mode of transportation. Brazil is going to be a world power in far less time than many people think. Be safe.
Uhh, but that's US... not Brazil!
this is the mackdaddy of all freight train intermodal consists!!!, nice job!!!!
@charlieb640 - According to Wikipedia (grain of salt), the tractive effort of a Big Boy was 135,375 pound feet. I don't think it would be unrealistic given that the Challenger has a TE of 97,350 pound feet and pulled a 143-car intermodal double-stack back in the early 90s; it didn't even break a sweat. No doubt the operating costs would have been astronomical...I wasn't being serious when I typed that. Despite it being a fantasy, you can't deny it would look amazing seeing a Big Boy pull that.
Insane sight of heavy trains long before PSR is common.
aww why isnt it your best shot snuffy? its great. a rare catch too.
the length is just crazy. non stop stacks of containers!
It's basically three long trains in one which adds up to about 200 cars.
The way they balanced the power out for that train was well thought out and the right way to split the duty for a train that big. The axle count was most likely near the 1000 axle mark or more,
Everything is bigger from Texas so there :p
Thats some serious haulage there. Great catch mate
Was this that 'experimental' drag that everyone was worried about? I remember seeing an aerial shot of it on FoxNewsNZ, the locals along it's route were up in arms over such a dangerously long train passing through their communities if one ever got out of control....Wow that's impressive by the way, and I thought our 1km long freight trains were impressive enough.
I'm sure some people at the crossing gates weren't too thrilled LOL. Nice catch Snuffy.
I can only imagine 2 things. When this train arrives to its port (or cargo station to be loaded on trucks) to unload, and how long this will take until the freight stop pushing the engine for 3-4 miles before it stops in an emergency. And finally when the air rake system gets through the whole train to stop the freight pushing the engine.
That's the reason they put remote-controlled locomotives at strategic places in the middle of the cars.
This train is VERY long... but actually lighter than even a 110 car coal train, which weigh roughly 16,000 tons. Whereas this train was ~15,000 tons I believe. Intermodal trains are some of the lightest trains there are... I guess only roadrailers are lighter, since the trailers they carry aren't even on cars at all. So yeah, 9 locomotives weren't really necessary from a power perspective... hell on my subdivision, 16,000 ton coal trains can be moved by 2 modern diesels alone!
Of course there's other factors. If you have 2 trains, one long and one short, that both weigh the same, then of course the long one will need more power to pull due to friction and drag and whatnot. Also with a train this long you'd never be able to move it with only locomotives on the head because you'd never be able to pump up the brake pipe to an adequate pressure all the way to the rear. The helpers are there to pump air and keep the slack manageable more than anything.
No thank
phillyslasher Oh don't get me wrong the grades on my sub are relatively light and even the steepest section is only uphill in the direction you're going with empties as far as grain/coal goes. I'm just saying that intermodal trains are VERY light for their length compared to unit trains like grain and coal. So even at 15,000 tons this train, at like 3 or 4x longer than your average coal train, needs the extra units probably more for slack/air reasons that actual motive power.
I like to see more long trains like this. I am used to seeing them on the Southern Pacific in Tucson, when SP ran before UP took over.
IMPRESSIVE!!! CONGRATULATION!!! THE BIGGEST TRAIN!!!!
Holy COW!!! That sure was HUGE!!! Won't see that anywhere in my area! But I'd gladly sit and wait for it to go by :-)
Jesus Christ! 3 engines + 99 platforms + 2 engines + 98 platforms + 2 engines + 98 platforms + 2 engines. = 295 total platforms and 9 engines. Cool video!
On Sunday January 10 2010 a long Union Pacific crossing Maple Ave Montebello California
I counted 296 cars and nine locos. 620 double stacked containers. By my calculations, it's around 3.5 miles, give or take. Also, by using that sign as a reference, and the time between cars, I estimate it was traveling at 60 mph. All these numbers are close but it's hard to make perfect claculations from just one viewpoint.
A total of nine engines?! Holy horsepower!
And I've never seen engines embedded in the train like that.
3 leading 4 in the middle 2 at the back.
Holy Shit!!! Did I count 10 engines to move that many cars? I lost count. Geezzzzz.Great timing if you knew it would that long.
I loved this video ,I have never seen this long a train before. Excellent video!
I like this. And in addition to having displaced locomotives pulling/pushing the train while in motion, it also helps coming to rest. Controlled consistent action.
I've heard BNSF and CP do something similiar on higher priority manifests going on the Transcon, they will place loaded cars in the front of the train, then have a group of locos in the middle and then empties on the rear, thus your dpu's are not pushing on empties they are pulling them.
We got 295 also. That was a very long double stack. Doing a good track speed to pass by in under 5 mins. good catch!
Awesom Train video
Great video... those car drivers must've been ticked
I counted 9 locomotives, 295 cars and just over 600 containers. Each train had at least 95 cars in the set between locomotives. That is one long train! That's a lot of trucks off the road with those 600+ containers on the rails.
Damn I never seen a long train like happy for 295 cars that is a super long Union Pacific train like the video thumbs up
4:26 That driver must be pissed off LOL!!
4:26
I bet waiting at the crossing would be a nightmare. XD
Third longest train ever with actually 295 cars (not 296) and 9 engines (3x2x2x2)
Not only that, the weight of a stack train is basically the containers themselves not the actual train (the well cars). The well cars are pretty much hollow shells with wheels. Their is little to no slack do to the articulation between so many cars and the lighter weight compared to other cars/loads.
This type of train is ideal for this type of test, not to mention that these containers need to be moving at all times.
That pissed off driver at the end was a nice touch. They're trying to figure out ways to beat the deep draft container ships after the upcoming Panama Canal expansion. The computers are built to handle 7 remote consists, and the company is pouring money into new track, so get ready to see this a lot.
INSANE! I wonder how long it'd take to stop at that speed if the brakes were thrown into emergency all at once.
I like train. I grew up in neighborhood surrounded by rail yards.
Trains are cool.
DANG that was long! I wonder how far the traffic was backed up at the crossing!
Yes, this train it says 296 cars
Totally awesome dude! Thanks for sharing. Really held my breath for long as it took to pass......I can pass out now. Only an orgasm is better. Serious motive power always enjoyed by us railfans. thx again.
Wow!!! What a train!! I think that was when they did that test to see if they can pull long trains like the one you got.
IDILBF-08 - Lead unit is the UP 7454 (Train is DP'ed 3x2x2x2)
295 Loads - 0 Empties - 15,498 tons - 18,061 Feet
Thanks for this! FYI, this train was mentioned on WSJ.
WOW this is great Counted 298 Double stacks and 7 Engines Awsum !!
Wow that's some long train. I've seen a 2 mile BNSF stack train but not a 3 mile train. 10/10 awesome!!!!
This is awesome! And I also came across another video of it from above by by gp60m122 to complement this shoot from below, effin' great!
There was only one crew on that train, possibly one on the helper on the rear. The mid train units were being operated by the engineer on the lead locomotive. Its called distributive power...and the BLET (locomotive engineers union) is part of the Teamsters, so they don't care.
two crew members on the head end.
That is so crazy. Can't wait till it starts coming over the hill.
296 welds 108 cars 9 engines 854 axles 46 five piece 3 3 piece 59 1 piece ( singles )
2P+100W+2P+98W+2P+99W+2P O ILE SIĘ NIE POMYLIŁEM W OBLICZENIACH ;p TO JEST MOC !
As a former employee of the CNW(Cheap and Nothing Wasted), I'm not going to tell you what we thought UP meant.
They do know how to run a railroad.
That's insane my dude, great video, New subscriber!
OOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
I won´t sleep tonight!!!! I´ve never seen this!!!
like here in Spain, no more than 750 meters, and more than 500 meters in special trains!!
Greetings!!
We have 16K footers in regular service and PSR has created occasional 24K footers, which are too big for most yards. For conversion, that's 4.75km for a 16K footer, and 7.3km for a 24K.
Saw a lot of these in Vegas. Two, three sets of locomotives with 200+cars.
Sometimes they build trains like this take them to a crew change point and separate them so that the DP units become the head end power for the rear section that's headed to a different destination. Saves crew costs between some terminals.
The secret is "Don't look back"
Mouth hung open!! The record for number of cars I'd seen in a train video was previously 160. That has been blown away. This train had 295 cars in it!!
@Atlantique325 Railroads in Brazil are really coming along. You guys are moving amazing tonnage.
I heard a CSX dispacter in Richmond say he saw 500 car coal trains (yes, loaded) with mid - train helpers when he was young.
Wow! That's one long U.P. Awesome video of it.
@Bran01E A container on this train is basically a truck. There's no 4 to 1 ratio between what is being hauled here and a truck.
Nine units, three front, two 1/3 back, two 2/3 back and two on the tail -- that is distributed power. They have worked out the kinks -- I expect to see more of this. Labor is the biggest cost and these trains save on labor.
@cisan The reason they are in the middles is because they pick up the slack. Essentially, if you tried to pull the train from only the front, you're rip the couplers right out of the train. The middle units relieve the pressure on the couplers to an acceptable limit.
Also, most locomotives can run in multiple with only one crew operating from one cab. These CERTAINLY would have that capability, being some of the newest stuff around.
@alladinmoua You summarized it quite well. A train is only as strong as the strength of the drawbar pulling the most train weight. I've seen many instances when drawbars are just simply pulled out of the car. Normally this is do to "train handling" and not overall train weight.
I never worked in the mountain district on UP (SP) but I've talked with many who have. Amazing terrain.
Have a good one.
@iceman977th The horsepower actually doesn't pump air per se. It does provide electricity to operate air compressors that in turn produce air pressure. Basically only so much air is going through the pipes at any given time no matter how much horsepower
Great catch!
@Pendragon1989, not as long as one might think. When you apply the brakes they start applying from all the locomotives. And since there are 9 locomotives throughout the train the air sets rather quickly.
This train was 18,061ft. long! 618 containers I believe was the total count! Nice catch! 3 1/2 miles long. Don't get that to often!
Cool video man!
The dude waiting in the car at the crossing is like...I'VE GOTTA PISS!!!!!!!
Not only that, locomotives evenly distributed along the train help pull evenly helping prevent derailment. If not the train would be vulnerable to derailment at either half of the train to 3 quarters of the train without the DPU's.
I beleive I read it was 3+98+2+98+2+100+2 (Plus/minus 1)
@mikey69up - The movements involved in this shipment and others like it were within scheduling tolerances based on customer ETA's. This included making scheduled sailings and drayage deliveries.
Whether or not these movements continue will be subject to study. There is no "lack of planning" involved. A great deal of study went into moves like this. Just like when the first 110 car unit trains were run.
Two more locomotives carrying another load at the same time ?that's crazy!
Holy s- -t, thats one long train, railroad has just gotta be up there among the greenest ways to move freight around. Wonder how long it takes to stop!!!!
Excellent catch, thats extreme railroading at its best!
WOW. Nice catch. Awesome train.
Woooooooow!!!!!
I was wondering why you said there were 9 locomotives, then I watched the entire thing and saw the helpers in random places throughout the entire consist! So if there were over 500 containers, and each car carried two, there must've been over 250 cars.
That is a MONSTER !! This Iron Leviathan navigating California with all it's prohibitive curvature and gradient was a sight to see. Great Post !!! Great Catch !!! How often do see something like this !!! What was the this ? A transfer move to a nearby L.A. Port?
Awesome ROLLIN DOWN THE RAILS
There is an O gauge record of 751 cars and ten engines, for a total length of 685 feet. Naturally, it had to be done outdoors, but this particular train could be done--all you need is the space and the funds to buy all those cars :).
In France 4 locomotives with a total power output of 18.56 MW / 25 200 hp for 16 passenger coaches is common... that's a double TGV and it goes at 320 km/h.
Keep in mind if you had to walk the lenght of the train? If the train stop at the red light? Small derailment? If would be complicated task..
I got tired of counting. Thats Amazing!
@galovergirl711 It has always been a 'concerted group effort'. Railroads have almost always taken freight to warehouses or distribution centers where trucks in turn delivered to final destinations. In the 1800's it was steam taking freight to warehouses where horses moved the product to the end.
Good observation
@msharmsen
The locomotives in the middle and back are distributive power units. With current technology, locos not attached to the first engine can now be controlled by the conductor at the front of the train by use of computers.
The more locomotives you put at the front of a long train, the more strain there is on the couplers and the greater the risk of breaking the train apart. By distributing them semi-equally throughout the train, there is a less likely chance of the train tearing apart.
correction 46 five piece (weld) cars 3 three (piece) cars 57 singles 9 engines 858 axles