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Originally Posted by trebuchet03
Arg... I really hate statements like this...
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Tires make biggest difference in MPG below 50 mph; aerodynamics is the most important factor over 50 mph.
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Yeah, that sounds to be an oversimplified statement -- probably to appeal to city-only drivers to focus mostly on tires, etc. The graph doesn't seem to equate. I used the x=0 as well (which is confirmed by the legend). Probably what their doing is stating that aero and tires are equal at 50, but is actually double, which negates the x=0 assumption of evenness -- which happens at, what ~18 mph?
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Originally Posted by Big Dave
Even the UP's Sherman Hill grade and CSX' Cheviot Hill got bypassed.
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The UP/BNSF Cajon Pass (~11%) and Tehachapi Loop series at 2.2% is also a tricky combination. But -- it's the main passage from LA to points East (big Intermodal traffic) so they keep rolling. Risky business.
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The train at the top of the hill is released and goes into dynamic braking and feeding the electricity back into the catenary, where the climbing train can use it. Very efficient.
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That sounds like a great idea -- aside from the cost, the fuel saved on the ascent would pay for itself quickly.