Richard's American Train Adventures

[Osgood]

Be fun seeing the grey one negotiate @Jordan or Plymouth Mad ‘s top drawer siding!

 

[Osgood]

The 90 deg. crossing at Rochelle shows the (uniquely?) American way of fitting as many sleepers ties under the rails as possible at heavily trafficked zones.
Is this is down to the sheer volume of tonnage over the rails rather than heavier individual axle loadings, or something else?

 

[Jordan or Plymouth Mad]

Be fun seeing the grey one negotiate @Jordan or Plymouth Mad ‘s top drawer siding!

With occupant?

Is this is down to the sheer volume of tonnage over the rails rather than heavier individual axle loadings, or something else?

Likely a combination of the two, I'd have thought.

 

[richard carr]

The 90 deg. crossing at Rochelle shows the (uniquely?) American way of fitting as many sleepers ties under the rails as possible at heavily trafficked zones.
Is this is down to the sheer volume of tonnage over the rails rather than heavier individual axle loadings, or something else?

Axle loadings are much higher in the states, up to 36 US tons or 32 UK tons based on the maximum freight car weigth of 286,000 pounds.

RIchard

 

[mickoo]

Both GE and EMD offer 'heavy' locos and CSX, UP are certainly two who have taken up that offer; they're standard locos with extra ballast for traction.

GE's ES44AH comes in at a whopping 432,000lbs weight, just over 196 tons on 6 axles; as Richard notes, a smidge over 32 tons per axle.