You do realize this works out to within 50 miles using the old service limits....in 3 days you are still shy of the coast.. (and this assumes you can do that average. Coast to coast still means going up a few hills. 15 minutes at 45mph ditches about 4 miles, which requires an uninterrupted hour at 64 to get back to 60mph average.)

And most companies are going to GSM equipped cheater boxes and a 62-65mpg governance. Since the best handling semi in the dry handles like a minivan with 4 flat tires, on fire, and on an icy cliff, I support very reduced truck speed limits - to the point that it becomes painful and flatcars get loaded.

I hung it up when I graduated college. But my stepfather and brother are still OO's in the household relo industry. The both would like to see freighters off the road for good but for different reasons: not enuf money in freight to support an OO operation so everyone is a slip seater with no stake in the game, and as such highball it into snow storm whiteouts, take out 70 cars at once and close the road for 3 days, or wipe $1000 of chrome and mirrors off your truck at the flying J because the CDL test portion for backing up is 'multiple choice'. I submit that will hurt your average.

in the 20's yes. Today track gangs can lay 10 miles a day. If the derailment does not include a tanker of liquid death the line is usually back in operation in a few hours. (god forbid the hdtvs at circuit city are late....)

 

I would like to see the rail make a little comeback. We need rail, truck, and air to get everything done.

But, I think that rail is pretty well down, a lot of it seemingly due to their own short sightedness. As long as I can remember, they've been trying to reduce their market. First it was the bad passenger routes, then all passenger routes. Next they wanted to limit freight routes, and I think the latest thing they tried was to focus mainly on coal -- because they apparently owned some coal mines.

My father in law tells some horrible stories about the management as well. However, I can't say I've always applauded the union reactions -- featherbedding, slowdowns and the like.

So today, there are few section crews, and the trains are lucky to go 30 in places where 60 used to be a breeze. Plus, I don't know what's left after all the merging and downsizing.

Also, did you know that they don't make the overtime on runs anymore. At quitting time the train stops, and the crew goes to a hotel.

They have done one cost saver -- no more caboose, and presumably no more brakeman. Now they have FRED -- Fine Rear End Device.

So, I don't know how much longer rail will be at all viable, and that's too bad. I think that we'll all suffer because costs will go up. A good rail system moves humongous loads really well, trucks move big loads with a lot of flexibility, and planes get those really dinky loads to places really fast. They all have their place.

 

I think you will find the rr, with all their challenges, are moving more freight than ever these days. How they stack up % wise vs. long haul truck, I don't know. But they are far from out of the game. If I wasn't ready to hit the hay, I'd look it up myself....maybe tomorrow....

 

havent you ever heard of a "team" in a truck? look at the FMCSA log book rules for the last few years we've been alowed 14 hrs on duty and 10 sleepin. and realy if you only drove 10 hours and only made it 550 miles something is wrong with ya! well i gess if your east of ill and north of I-40 then ya 550 would be normal

 

well given that 2/3's of the US population lives north of I40, hence origins and destinations....well....ya....the half hour stop for a quick burger, at 0mph...how many hours do you have to run clean at 65 to get that back? given the belt buckle pressure presented at most truck stops, I dont think many drivers are missing many burgers ifn ya know what I mean!

 

well i gess i run different then most cuzz i dont stop for that quik burger or realy dont stop any way untill the day is done, if ya just sip on a bottle of water instead of drinking it you can go alot hours with out even a restroom break. you miss under stood what i said about I-40 and Ill so ill just say it a different way if ya run in 55mph states a 550 day would be normal and out west its pretty easy to avg a 66 mph day

 

In the 70's this was true, today, every surviving/consolidated RR is making $$ with strong balance sheets.

Again, back in the 70's, after passage of the staggers act RR's were free to set rates and compete where they wanted to compete - including dropping unprofitable routes. pre-staggers they had to keep track operating because of the method in which right of way was granted to the RR's (in the mid 1800's) It was both a blessing and a curse.

pre-1972 all RR's were forced to carry passenger revenue but that had been declining sharply since the 40's and the advent of private passenger car ownership. Congress created Amtrack at this point and the RR's were only too glad to give it up, the deal being amtrack got use of the rail lines with no fee. Even still - amtrack has to pay for nothing other than equipment and labor and loses millions each year - passenger travel is unprofitable unless you are cattle car'ed in. The largest passenger 'RR' - MTA (which includes the subways and metro north) makes money, with huge subsidies, local taxes, and 8M riders each DAY.

Large companies today like CSX do own mining interests but for the most part the entities are in alliance. RR's do best where the commodity is moved in super bulk - the heavier the better. (increasing the weight of a RR car does not materially affect its rolling resistance therefore bigger and heavier is way better)

Bulk foods, coal, and fuels are far more profitable than moving by truck (its even better to move by boat - but, how many deep draft rivers exist?)

TOFC and DS trains are not as hugely profitable, but the overall industry average is that rail movements over distance favor rail vs truck over 3:1. Take a moment to undertand what that says.

If you buy a car that gets 30mpg, and I get one that gets 33mpg, I do better by 10%. 3 or 4 to 1 means the RR movement is more efficient by 300-400%. These are no supposed numbers but rather rooted in reality - the total tonnage for both modes is well known, as well as fuel purchased or total costs, so if the overall is 3-4 times as efficient...and this takes into account turnaround or positioning. trucks and planes can simply sit at destination and reload for the return trip to cut down on non-revenue miles. A coal train must return the same distance and a good portion of the same weight to the mine from the power plant empty - the plant has nothing to take back.

this is why intermodal (TOFC and DS) frieght is desired in greater numbers - the locos get to run revenues both directions. Of another concern is the weight of the frieght car compared to laden weight. Only heavy bulk equipment like ores and fuels give the best return, a boxcar full of dvd players is mostly car going down the track, yet the car must be strong enuf to perhaps have 14000 tonnes hitched behind it. With a newer brand of intermodal - road railers the equipment weight is minimized (you might notice amtrack trains trailing 30-40 triple crown trailers hauling mail on simple rail bogeys - almost no weight penalty to the motive power but additional revenue to make a train profitable)

On each of the mega RR's in existance, 60mph is the average with open limits of 100. granted most locos are geared to stay under 80 but the passenger runs are allowed to hit 100 even on the non-aceala/metroliner runs

division rules were ended with staggers. given the regular use of lines now, crew switches to get you home in your shift is a relatively easy exercise.

 

QD,

Thanks for the info.