How much can they pull?

Racn

New member
The more I get to know in Trainz the more I want to know about trains in our world. Coupling 12 coal cars behind dual modern day engines in Trainz shows your pulling about 1000 tons. How much weight can a dual engine configuration pull in Trainz, and in the real world when Im seeing 4 locomotives hooked to a mile long train how much are they pulling?
 
Depends on what kind of locomotives they are and the enginespecs for em.. I have seen some do some 60 car trains...
 
Is there some realism to the physics in Trainz, in the quick drive menu I have chosen "realistic", but have no idea if its even close.
 
On the IMRR, (Formally) Union Pacific and now BNSF use 2x1 (2 on the point and 1 DPU) lash ups pulling 120-140 coal hoppers to powerstations. That is barely enough to crest the steep grades at sometimes 5 MPH.
 
On the IMRR, (Formally) Union Pacific and now BNSF use 2x1 (2 on the point and 1 DPU) lash ups pulling 120-140 coal hoppers to powerstations. That is barely enough to crest the steep grades at sometimes 5 MPH.

Why do they use DPU's rather than just putting another loco on the front end, is it for coupler strain?
 
Yes I believe so. If you have all your power on the front end, and the opposing strain of the cars will overpower the locomotive and you're either going nowhere or sliding backwards.
 
On the IMRR, (Formally) Union Pacific and now BNSF use 2x1 (2 on the point and 1 DPU) lash ups pulling 120-140 coal hoppers to powerstations. That is barely enough to crest the steep grades at sometimes 5 MPH.

If the weights in Trainz is similar to what your saying thats like +100,000 tons? That just doesnt seem possible.
 
It is possible. I have seen coalies reaching the top of the grade in Tice, IL with 130 loaded coal cars going 5 MPH tops.
 
There are some amazingly long iron ore trains in the Pilbara of Australia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longest_trains

Which states beside other countries about Australia:

Australia

Rio Tinto—29,500 tonnes of iron ore—2.4 km, three locomotives
BHP Billiton Iron Ore typically 336 cars, 44,500 tonnes of iron ore, over 3 km long, six to eight locomotives including intermediate remote units.
Leigh Creek coal - 2.8 km, 161 wagons and 2 locos.

In the Soviet Union the longest and heaviest freight train ran on February 20, 1986 from Ekibastuz to the Urals, was carried out with the coal train. The composition consisted of 439 wagons and several diesel locomotives distributed along the train. The mass of is 43,400 tonnes and the total length of 6.5 km (4.03 mi).

The above are all ore or coal trains but for passenger trains, again in Australia:

Australia – up to 49 coaches (approximately 1.2 km) on The Ghan. I can confirm that as I used to live in Alice Springs, 1500 km into the 3000 plus km long Ghan route and I have seen some of these huge passenger trains stopping there. As well as huge freight trains running along the same route to Darwin and back with often up to 200 freight wagons or more, usually container well cars or such attached. As this 3000 km route is relatively flat all the way, seldom are more than 4 locomotives seen pulling such trains.

FYI

VinnyBarb
 
That is simply amazing, would have never guessed trains could pull that much when all they have is steel on steel for traction.
 
That is simply amazing, would have never guessed trains could pull that much when all they have is steel on steel for traction.

You have to remember too that once the train gets going, there is inertia behind it to keep it moving. All that mass is really pushing the train along behind the locmotive that's pulling. This is why it takes so long for trains to stop and the same reason why it takes those big tractor trucks to stop on the highway when an idiot cuts them off.

John
 
You have to remember too that once the train gets going, there is inertia behind it to keep it moving. All that mass is really pushing the train along behind the locmotive that's pulling. This is why it takes so long for trains to stop and the same reason why it takes those big tractor trucks to stop on the highway when an idiot cuts them off.

John

In the city where I live, having a Tractor trailer tailgate you about 2 cars lengths behind you doing about 75 mph on a crowded interstate will really get your attention too. Happens all the time.
 
Heh ... not much point in worrying about it. If there's a pileup in those conditions, you're probably toast whether it's a rig behind you or just a bunch of cars. And at least the rig is awkward enough that it's unlikely to do anything too crazy while it's back there. I worry a lot more about the punks in the pimped-out little Japanese cars ... :eek:
 
to remember too that once the train gets going, there is inertia behind it to keep it moving
the friction of train wheels is much less than the friction of trailor track wheels. And the friction of cargo ship is the least (during travelling over the oceans of course :)).

So if the rails are flat and stright, the train could be moved with a small traction force. But if there are gradients or curves...

For example, USSR-built double unit diesel locomotive "2TE10M" with maximum traction force ~ 60 tonns usually carries 4400 tonns trains. In the mountains, in West Sebirea, it ables to move only 2400 tonns trains (gradients up to 2.0%). And if there was a "flat plain" like in Australia, and stright rails, the same locomotive was able to pull up to 20 000 tonns...
 
In the city where I live, having a Tractor trailer tailgate you about 2 cars lengths behind you doing about 75 mph on a crowded interstate will really get your attention too. Happens all the time.

I've seen that too and it's illegal too. I've seen truckers get pulled over for that up here. I found out too that many of them are "foreigners" to put it nicely and barely meet the driving requirements.


Heh ... not much point in worrying about it. If there's a pileup in those conditions, you're probably toast whether it's a rig behind you or just a bunch of cars. And at least the rig is awkward enough that it's unlikely to do anything too crazy while it's back there. I worry a lot more about the punks in the pimped-out little Japanese cars ... :eek:

Very true! I've seen this too! :eek:

A couple of weeks a go on I-495, some brat cut off a truck, causing a jack-knife and two deaths. The kid tried to beat the truck out while he was coming on to the interstate he should have yielded. Instead he caused a 4-1/2 hour tie up that extended all the way to Lowell and all the way to I-95 in Woburn.

John
 
In reality the condition , profiles and sizes of the rails , tyres and wheels play a very important role too in efficient traction , in actual fact the contact area between rail and tyre is very little, I can't remember exactly how much but it is less than one would imagine, something like a pinhead on new stuff.
Sand plays a big role too and has to be a certain size -and dry - to work properly.
I actually would like to know whether any of these conditions and profiles mentioned have any effect on performance in the trainz game as far as creating locos rolling stock and rails is concerned as I am not into creating yet and don't know much about it.
 
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