Eastern Railroad Discussion > Very Long CSX Q606 with DPU

CSX Q606 (New Orleans to Waycross, GA) through Folkston last night.  Over 2.7 miles long.

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Great catch !

Ed Stewart
Jacksonville, FL

Question to engineers,
Who do you handle a train like this?

Uncle Joe,Seffner,Fl.

Thanks for sharing........great!

retcsxcfm Wrote:
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> Question to engineers,
> Who do you handle a train like this?
>
> Uncle Joe,Seffner,Fl.

​Generally speaking the longer a train the EASIER it actually is to handle... because instead of the whole train being on an uphill or downhill slope, parts of it will be going up and parts will be going down, etc.  So the forces kind of even out and you pretty much leave the thing in 8 most of the time if it's heavy enough.  Short, heavy trains are the hardest... light engines too.  The issues with long trains come when there's a problem or when you have to stop them.  Take FOREVER to walk after an emergency in motion, most "usual" stopping places for train meets and pickips / setouts don't fit trains that long without blocking crossings and interlockings, etc.  Just the general logistics of doing ANYTHING with a train start taking forever with a train this long.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/30/16 13:54 by Totallamer.

That is quite a train........

​Thanks for sharing it with us.

​Any idea what the tonnage was....???

ns1000 Wrote:
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> That is quite a train........
>
> ​Thanks for sharing it with us.
>
> ​Any idea what the tonnage was....???

Nope, sorry I was getting the info on axles and length from the Defect Detectors.  A engineer friend with CSX was telling me it takes some skill operating on hillls with the mid-train DPU.  When they first started running them around here they were pulling drawbars and knuckles. Seems like they have it down now.

CSX ran one from Louisville to Cininnati about two weeks ago.  I don't remember the exact details but it was something like 13,000 feet and 14,000 tons.  I think it was 3X2. They did pull a drawbar before pulling out of Osborn Yard (Louisville) but other than that, the rest of the trip went OK.  Once they get out of Louisville the longest passing track is in the 6000 to 7000 ft range.  It took 8 minutes to clear LaGrange, Ky.

We might be seeing some more by fall.  CSX is directionalizing the line to a "North to South" running railroad this fall.  No need to worry abbut passing tracks on a one way road.

John

wa4umr Wrote:
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  It took 8 minutes to clear LaGrange,
> Ky.

> John

I bet the town folks really enjoyed that.

Uncle Joe,Seffner,Fl.

One interesting side note, I was recording the length of this train based on the defect detector transmissions. It gained over 200 feet in length between the Bolougne DD and the Hague DD.  Reason being, the Hague DD is at the top of a hill and the train was stretched out.  That is a lot of slack!