[gumby79]

Originally Posted by brucepick

I'm pretty sure those CSX ton-miles are all about payload, aka cargo. If you don't carry anything I think the ton miles would be zero.

No the rail road duse not count freight only. They count evrything that is not a engine(power ' unit).
06-09 I worked for Union Pacific. My training was on Cascade Summit .Eugene, Oregon to Klamath Falls, or 197mi 2.2% grade 40+ mi continues. Not as tall as Donner but much worse @2.3 the FRA (federal Railroad Administration) would close the route as un safe for freight citing "to long and steep continuous grade to maintain speed going down".
Fraight standerd cuppler weight limmit 6,800t on this grade reduced from 10,000T on account of gravity.

Power requirements 23EPA (equvlant Powered Axle ) 5x AC-45/DC-70 .@4000HP EA. =20,000HP 2.8HP / ton @2.6HP/ton you stall in tunnle #7 . 1/2 mi long(had to be certified to carry compressed breathing air.) Over 2.9HP/T and you rip the train in hafe.
Consist ( power arrangement) was 3 on the head (front) and 2 DP ( Distributed Power, rear helpers). As a comparison the daily Grain Train out of Reno is 13'000T (100cars @30Tcar+100T of grain ea.) Requires 5 units(20'000HP) on the head, and 4DP (16'000HP)(cut in. 1/3 frome the rear) =36,000Hp for 13,000T if 1 unit gose down the hole train stalls or brakes in hafe.(front unit failure =stall/rear unit failure = broken " Knuckle".) I dont know the fuel figures off thetop of my head for Donner.

Fuel 500ga each unit.x 5 =2500ga

Don't know if I m doing the math right
Ga÷T. 2500ga ÷6800t==.368 Ga /T
-------- ----------------------- ------------------ =535.326TMPG
Mi. ______ 197mi. =========197
If I got all the right values in the right places,then a train can move a 2000lbs car@ 500+mi up the hill on 1 gal
Ran
G÷M
-------=AND GOT 72 TMPG
T
Don't know witch formula is right 72 seems right it is a hill
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My first RC (remote control) was a 300'000 lbs pair of yard switchers. Requires a fredral license.