Are American railroads cheap or hard up for money?

In both those videos the loco's that were wheelsliping definitely were defective and in need of being shopped, as they were over spinning, when none of the rest of the loco's were wheelsliping. Aside from completely stopping the train causing hours of delay, cutting out the defective locomotives, and waiting on dispatch to send more loco's to couple on and assist, there was little the train crews could have done. I am certain this is a rare occurrence, and does not happen 100% of the time.

I personally witnessed such an occurrence in 1975 on the PC, when the 4th loco back (in a set of 4 loco's) began wildly over spinning, over reving at ludicrous wheel speeds completely out of control, requiring a complete shutdown
 
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In both those videos the loco's that were wheelsliping definitely were defective and in need of being shopped, as they were over spinning, when none of the rest of the loco's were wheelsliping. Aside from completely stopping the train causing hours of delay, cutting out the defective locomotives, and waiting on dispatch to send more loco's to couple on and assist, there was little the train crews could have done. I am certain this is a rare occurrence, and does not happen 100% of the time.

I personally witnessed such an occurrence in 1975 on the PC, when the 4th loco back (in a set of 4 loco's) began wildly over spinning, over reving at ludicrous wheel speeds completely out of control, requiring a complete shutdown

Maybe those pesky train stalls aren't as common as all those yoo-toob posts might lead one to believe. I don't blame the train crews but the profit-hungry corporations running the railroads.
They might too cheap to properly maintain railroad equipment, keep locos in ship-shape at all times, or provide a sufficient amount of serviceable equipment wherever it is needed.
 
Nah this is being cheap. Pan Am Railways' typical lack of maintenance on their locomotives.


The video was taken about 5 miles from where I live. The tracks here go from double track to single back at the signal seen in the distance. There's also a bit of a grade here that extends about 4 miles from the Merrimack River up to this crossing in Plaistow, NH.
 
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A load test is performed when a locomotive is shopped

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ga5G9C65uQ0

Which tests the operation of the generator, stator, alternator, and various other engine compartment equipment ,on a static stationary standstill track, (as the actual wheel rotation is cut out), however if traction motors are defective, or will over rev out of control, it may not be fully evident until a loco actually gets rolling along a grade, under load, then the defective traction motors actual performance may prove to be way off.

The PRR used to have a dynamometer roller bearing test bed that let the wheels revolve under a simulated load, on a locomotive

A locomotive load test is quite a spectacular sight on a frigidly cold single digit temperature winter morning, white exhaust plumes shooting 100 foot in the air, and when in notch 8 the engine sound is absolutely gut shaking !
 
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Nah this is being cheap. Pan Am Railways' typical lack of maintenance on their locomotives.


The video was taken about 5 miles from where I live. The tracks here go from double track to single back at the signal seen in the distance. There's also a bit of a grade here that extends about 4 miles from the Merrimack River up to this crossing in Plaistow, NH.

Not an expert in loco science myself, isn't there an idiot light that tells somebody a turbocharger is blown?
Why RR's neglect their equipment and demand profits is beyond me.

The thing that angers me the most is that railroads in shambles put human lives in danger.
I also fear lack of RR upkeep costs consumers money over the long haul. I'm angry at not just railroads
but other businesses that are ran sloppy as well like Walmarts, airlines, trucking outfits, etc.

I don't like messy or dirty retail stores. I don't like store employees who are dressed like homeless bums.
I don't like the way airlines nickel and dime everybody for things like headsets and pillows. I don't like idiots
in trucks who endanger me out on the highway.


I have a fantasy railroad in mind: the Redwood Empire RR in northern CA. If I could work my will, I would acquire right-of-way land for it
and government approval as well as the necessary capital to build and operate it. I would have zero tolerance for locomotives' not maintained by the book.
I would have zero tolerance for trains that stall on grades. I would have zero tolerance for RR personnel who beat up train jumpers and hobos. No unnecessary
force would ever be used against RR trespassers. RR personnel would be allowed to carry concealed handguns for security. My passenger trains would be dog-friendly
allowing passengers with leashed pets in designated areas. No smoking would be allowed on any train. Engineers would be encouraged to smile and wave at children out the window.
My RR personnel would display no animosity against rail-fans as long as they stay clear of RR property and all this would be my policy. I would call it my "Happy Train" policy.


 
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Not an expert in loco science myself, isn't there an idiot light that tells somebody a turbocharger is blown?
Why RR's neglect their equipment and demand profits is beyond me.

The thing that angers me the most is that railroads in shambles put human lives in danger.
I also fear lack of RR upkeep costs consumers money over the long haul. I'm angry at not just railroads
but other businesses that are ran sloppy as well like Walmarts, airlines, trucking outfits, etc.

I don't like messy or dirty retail stores. I don't like store employees who are dressed like homeless bums.
I don't like the way airlines nickel and dime everybody for things like headsets and pillows. I don't like idiots
in trucks who endanger me out on the highway.



Yeah it annoys me too.

What railroad would run things like that? One that's using the railroad as a tax write-off because it's owned by a bigger banker and hedge fund. PAR is owned by Tim Mellon of the Mellon bank fame. We have standing derailments like the PennCentral did in Lawrence, MA yard and in East Deerfield (pictured).


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THere seems to be quit a lot of annoyances, dislikes, hatred, and animosity, of railroads, and other things, listed in these latest threads :confused:

I absolutely hate hoppy bitter dark micro brewery IPA's, beets, peas, succotash, kale, collard greens, ocra, and Lima's !

Everything else I absolutely love, including liver, cuttlefish, squid, octopussy tenticles, things with suction cups, horsemeat, and scrapple.

I like railroads, fire breathing smoky wheelsliping ALCO's, and I absolutely love Trainz, and AI, and that's my complete list.

Most probably nothing that I have bought in my life, besides a Corvair, Gremlin, Malibu, and F150 pickup truck, that were ever were shipped by railroads. :cool:
 
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Hating the railroads has been an American pastime even as the first track was laid.

Not me! :) I hold a LOT of UP stock as well as some CP rail, and have made a lot of money on both (will beyond four times my investment). Unlike many people, I firmly believe the railroads remain the best way to move bulk commodities that are not time sensitive. I have talked with some UP executives, and their concept of time sensitivity is different and interesting. To them, the wall clock time to move a load is not as important as the consistency of the time to move a load. Taking this approach means that the receiver has a constant rate of delivery for the materials needed, be it for manufacturing, shipping, or whatever. Whether the materials are in motion in one, four or even ten consists is immaterial as is the time of transit. It is the fact that a load is available where it is needed, and when it is needed, that is important. Modern handling technology and positive train control have reduced the overheads of "loads on the tracks", thereby reducing operating overheads. Over time these same technologies will permit rail replacement, increase mainline speeds and improve yard transit times. But, from the consumers perspective those facts are irrelevant -- all that is cared about is a predictable, constant and low cost supply chain.

Recent innovations pertaining to electric, driverless trucks are ideally suited to solving the "last 50 miles" problem at terminals of origin and destinations, but are not so suited for long over-the-road trucking. That, coupled with the impact that heavy trucks have on the highway infrastructure, bodes well for future tonnage projections for the railroads as long distances related to trading continue to increase. Highway and road maintenance and replacement are a public liability, where as rail replacement and upgrade is entirely a railroad matter and largely without the need to secure funding through a web of governments and/or politics.

Robert704
Tacoma & Eastern RR (v)
 
My GF's dad worked for GE, as he "liked", GE he sunk 100% of all his paycheck savings into GE stock, because he "believed" (a blind trust in something that you presume, some thing intangible that you can not actually physically see and feel) in a Company, that he bought a house within walking distance, 5 & 1/2 blocks away, would surely continue to do well for a thousand years to come. Sinking all his lifesaving's lumping all his eggs into one basket. And now that he is dead and gone, the GE stock has been continually losing money hand over fist for decades, and soon will be worthless. Just because you "Like" something (like RR's) does not mean that it will not become a worthless "money pit" !
 
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My GF's dad worked for GE, as he "liked", GE he sunk 100% of all his paycheck savings into GE stock, because he "believed" (a blind trust in something that you presume, some thing intangible that you can not actually physically see and feel) in a Company, that he bought a house within walking distance, 5 & 1/2 blocks away, would surely continue to do well for a thousand years to come. Sinking all his lifesaving's lumping all his eggs into one basket. And now that he is dead and gone, the GE stock has been continually losing money hand over fist for decades, and soon will be worthless. Just because you "Like" something (like RR's) does not mean that it will not become a worthless "money pit" !

Agreed, liking something does not mean success. I have confidence in UNP that is based on lots of research, constant review and close monitoring. To remain competitive a railroad must be an innovator. Union Pacific has a long history of innovation that continues to the present day. Most recently, the first railroad to embrace and fully implement Positive Train Control. Add that to the long line of firsts related to implementation of operational safety, the automated HUMP yards, the RORO piggyback operations, and precision scheduling software that they have developed based on employee inputs. Not to mention the major emphasis on international interchanges with Canada and Mexico, and the Port Development Initiatives. All of this is coupled with a coordinated effort to develop a positive public perception -- Rebuilding the Big Boy, for example, or the emphasis on personnel in their ads.

Robert704
Tacoma & Eastern RR (v)
 
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