What Is A Freight Train?

Freight trains transport goods worth billions of dollars across the US annually. So, what is a freight train and when were freight trains invented? They are railroad trains that carry goods typically meant for shipping that were invented in 2,200 B.C.E. For centuries, they have played critical roles in the seamless transportation of commodities, making them viable across various sectors.

In this article, you will find answers to questions such as how fast does a freight train travel and how to track freight trains. You will also find educative content regarding how long can a freight train be and how do freight trains pull heavy loads.

How Fast Does A Freight Train Go?

When people find out the answer to the question, “How much does a freight train weigh?” The next they want to ask is, “How fast does a freight train go?” The reason for this question is that the weight of a freight train might make you assume it will be slow. That’s far from the truth.

How fast are freight trains? The actual speed of typical freight trains ranges from 50 to 124 mph (80 to 200 km/h). However, just like automobiles, they have speed limits, depending on the policy of the country. In the US, the Federal Road Administration (FRA) is responsible for regulating the speed of freight trains.

Based on the policy of the FRA, the speed limit of a freight train is 49 mph (79 km/h). This policy has been in effect since 1951 although it was officially issued in 1947. It became necessary after the crash involving two trains in Naperville, Illinois in 1946.

In 1987, another train collision occurred. Since then, the authority has ordered that freight trains have locomotive speed limiters. This order is applicable particularly to freight trains with operation in enhanced-speed corridors. The enforced locomotive speed limiters ensures that these trains slows down forcibly.

Freight train companies enlighten and instruct their employees regarding speed limits. Besides, speed limits are indicated along tracks on signs to serve as reminders. It is noteworthy that speed limits can change depending on various circumstances. For example, when traveling across a densely-populated area, speed limit can be around 35 MPH. This limit also applies when the freight train is transporting goods such as acid or propane.

The enforcement of speed limiters for freight trains has effectively reduced the risk of a freight train clash. Consequently, it has enhanced the safety of using freight trains to transport commodities across the US.

How To Track Freight Trains

“What do freight trains carry?” Valuable shipments. Therefore, tracking freight trains is crucial because it enables you monitor your goods. The peace of mind that comes with this practice cannot be overemphasized. How can you do this? Finding a solution is challenging but possible.

A quick internet search will alert you to the difficulty of finding a freight train tracking app in the US. A real-time map that can track the movement of your train would have been a viable option. However, a quick internet search will make you realise this is also a herculean task. So, what is the best solution? Find an excellent freight train company!

Such organisations have automated tracking systems that helps you effectively track your shipment. With such an arrangement, you can choose the carrier to deliver your goods and monitor its progress until delivery. Such organisations helps you to focus on your business instead of being anxious about the delivery of your shipments.

Another benefit of an automated tracking system is that it makes it easy to recover stolen or lost items. In case of such a dramatic situation, this system helps freight train companies know the location of the item, making recovery seamless. This feature effectively enhances the safety of freight trains, explaining the trust of North Americans in this transportation system.

The use of an automated tracking system also helps such organisations with data regarding their operations. With such data, the company can evaluate its performance and improve when necessary. This approach helps such organisations continuously satisfy their customers and serve them better.

What Is The Longest Freight Train?

Due to their heavy-duty nature, freight trains are typically long. Therefore, the safety of trains is usually the major focus rather than their length. In the US, a long freight train is described as a train that is at least 7,500 feet. This is according to the standard of the Association of American Railroads (AAR). However, many freight trains exceed this length regularly.

Have you ever wondered, “How much can a weight train pull?” In 2001, the world record for the longest freight train was set in Western Australia. The train was 24,123 feet 11.61 inches long. This record is documented in the Guinness Book of Records. This train travelled to Port Hedland from Newman and Yandi. It consist 682 ore cars powered by eight diesel-electric locomotives. It travelled for 171 miles (275 km).

It is noteworthy that this freight train arrived its destination safely. This record indicates that the length of a freight train does not affect its safety. Over the years, the record of safety of freight trains in the US has improve drastically thanks to the enforcement of speed limits. Therefore, safety measures such as speed limits are more important than the length of the freight train.

The length of freight trains contributes to their ability to deliver shipments on time. Due to their length, these trains can move the commodities of many individuals and companies to their destinations in one day. This makes it possible for freight train companies to satisfy their numerous customers.

Thanks to the automated tracking system of these organisations, every customer can know the location of their shipments in real-time. Therefore, the length of freight trains don’t interfere with the effectiveness of delivery.

How Do Freight Trains Pull Heavy Loads?

One of the remarkable features of freight trains is their ability to pull heavy loads. Despite the great burden of moving many heavy shipments, these trains function effectively. How is this possible? The secret to this is their powerful locomotives. So, if you were wondering, “Why do freight trains have multiple locomotives?” Now you know the reason.

The locomotives powering a freight train might be up to eight as seen in the case of the longest freight train ever. However, it can be less, depending on the workload. Thanks to these powerful locomotives, the wheels of these trains generate traction, creating a pulling force. The couplings between each car also helps to pull the carriers. Meanwhile, the train of the weight offers additional traction.

More so, freight trains have steel wheels operation on steel rails. Consequently, the resistance to their movement is limited. Note that freight trains are not dragging carriers, which could have been challenging due to dragging resistance. Rather, these trains are rolling on rails with their wheels, offering low rolling resistance. So, once they get moving thanks to their locomotives, the rest is history.

This low rolling resistance is the reason these heavy-duty trains can move so fast that they need speed limits. Speed limits are vital because it is challenging to stop these trains once they are in motion, especially when the speed is excessive.

How Much Does a Freight Train Weigh?

Freight trains are designed to carry a wide variety of loads, and the mass of these loads adds to the gross weight of each train. Freight trains are also designed with efficient weight carriage and transport efficiency in mind. Modern train models are a perfect example of an unstoppable force transporting an immovable object. The 2001 record set by BHP Billiton is still the standing record with a train weighing 99,732 tonnes and 7.353 km in length. There is no record of freight trains by net weight as it is a commercially unviable notion. A commonality seems to arise between car count and weight gain.