how many train cars/locos in a typical prairie freight train

[gasolene]

How many train cars/locos in a typical prairie freight train?

... and how long should looping/shunting/siding tracks be?

 

[whitepass]

What time frame? Trains can be from 1 to 100 cars and you have seasonal changes to.

 

[gasolene]

A modern freight train running in summer/fall.

What happens in real life when a train is longer than a looping or shunting track (I hope I'm using the correct terms)

 

[American_Connections]

five miles long

The BigBoys could pull consists up to five miles long, not sure what the Alleghenys could do. How many diesels ya think it would take to do the same job!

 

[RooRocz]

A modern freight train running in summer/fall.

What happens in real life when a train is longer than a looping or shunting track (I hope I'm using the correct terms)

Length depends on many factors: destination, type of cars, type of cargo, type of train, available motive power, state of the local economy, state of the national economy, etc.

If the train is longer than a passing siding then you have to do a saw-by maneuver where the shorter train stops in the siding and the longer one passes it.

 

[gasolene]

I think i made this question too technical, let me rephrase

Would 20-30 train cars look "believable" for a modern freight train running on prairies pulling box/grain cars. Or would that be too short.

...and what would the minimal "believable" length of a typical looping/siding track in a rural town be.

 

[cascaderailroad]

I think a standard through history has always been that over 100 cars on the prototype is a rather difficult to control train.

All my trains are 1 mile long ... but then again mine are through fast freights ... local switch jobs are shorther.

 

[legolistic]

I'd say 50-60 cars for an average manifest.

 

[bchester]

A modern freight train running in summer/fall.

What happens in real life when a train is longer than a looping or shunting track (I hope I'm using the correct terms)

All depends on Era:
1980's and early 90s on the CPrail - Winnipeg Division, there are 4 types of "typical" freight trains:
1) Grain:
- - Empties typical between 100 and 130 govt hoppers with One SD40-2
- - Loads typical 100 with 2 SD40-2s

2) Merchandise (Containers and Piggy-back and boxcar mixed)
- - Empties (hotshot) up to 100 with 3 or 4 SD40-2s
- - Loads (mainly) up to 100 with 4 to 8 SD40-2s (12 with robots on the Minnedosa sub)

3) Bulk Commodies (Coal or Sulphur typically)
- - Empties 100 with 2 or 3 SD40-2s
- - Loads 100 with 4 SD40-2s on the lead and 2 SD40-2 robots in the middle

4) Mixed Freight (anything goes)
- - Anywhere from 10 to 150 mixed freight
- - Anywhere from 1 to 8 Units (Usually SD40-2 but just about anything goes)

As far as the 2000s to 2009 go, CPRail has, for the most part, stopped using the SD40-2s and switched over to the AC type locomotives. Saddly being forcably retired due to injury, I was unable to keep up with the unit designations. CPRail has switched to mostly Bulk commodities or what is referred to as Unit Trains! These trains now consist of all coal, sulphur, Container, Auto Carriers, Tankers or Grain. Only rarely do you see mixed freight trains. Almost all trains consist of greater than 100 cars and up to 200 are typical on the Canadian Prairies. I have spent many Long minutes (felt like hours) waiting for these crazy long trains to pass. It is also extremely rare to see trains without engines at both ends and very frequent to see units in the center as well as at both ends.

In terms of the what happens when the trains are too long - the dispatcher ensures that they meet in places such as the Austin to Sydney hill where it is double track mainline for almost 10 miles on grade or on double track mainline between Winnipeg and Portage la Prairie where all trains operate in one direction only - North rail is for Westbound traffic and South rail for Eastbound traffic.

On subdivisions which did not have these long double track sections, the company installed longer sidings to accomodate the lengths.

Hope this helps,

Bricey
(ex engineman (ESB))

 

[gasolene]

Thanks, that answers my question perfectly.

I need to do some serious enlarging of my siding tracks. Currently 600m (1/3 mile) long.