Western Railroad Discussion > Don't forget the wind!

Recent discussion about losing one unit etc failed to discuss what the wind can do to your performance.
I've had four (4) big jacks, over 2 HPT, a lengthy train of mostly double stacks, TOFC, all of which catch the wind like
a sailboat and my speed dropped down to 12mph!  On level track with a few curves thrown in. Wind off the coast or a Mt Range
can play hell with your speed.  All 6 axle power!   SP Coast Line. The best stretch of track in the world! No bugs, no humidity!

ApproachCircuit Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Recent discussion about losing one unit etc failed
> to discuss what the wind can do to your
> performance.
> I've had four (4) big jacks, over 2 HPT, a lengthy
> train of mostly double stacks, TOFC, all of which
> catch the wind like
> a sailboat and my speed dropped down to 12mph!
>  On level track with a few curves thrown in. Wind
> off the coast or a Mt Range
> can play hell with your speed.  All 6 axle power!
>   SP Coast Line. The best stretch of track in the
> world! No bugs, no humidity!

I remember one train we took north out of UP Eugene yard with a pair of units and somewhere around 80 centerbeams.  Most runs north required little throttle but that one had to be pulled.  All those cars acting like sails.

This is a good point!

Trying to think of what would be the worst wind for a stack train.

Seems a good strong quartering headwind could significantly affect performance.  

Chuck

On the other hand, a solid trainload of covered auto racks would be fairly aerodynamic, as would a train of spine cars loaded with containers (not trailers), since they don't have much of a gap to cause turbulence.

mapboy

The old pig trains pulled 10X better than containers. Empty coal buckets are nothing but sails, hell to pull into a quartering wind.

Regards

Posted from iPhone

Drknow Wrote:
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> The old pig trains pulled 10X better than
> containers. Empty coal buckets are nothing but
> sails, hell to pull into a quartering wind.
>
> Regards
>
> Posted from iPhone

We were following an empty coal train out of Dalhart, TX on the old FW&D, powered by three SD-70MACs with only two on line.  They just couldn't make track speed, so the crew asked Ft Worth to get the OK to put the third unit on line.  Those Chinook winds off the mountains can wreak havoc with everything.  I seen some get to 100 mph before they fade away.

RR

Try humping cars into the wind. At least an engine pulls them. Nothing like watching a lumber flat go down the track, stop, and come back at you.

Posted from Android