Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
trains are obvious: trains that could formerly haul 120 trailers in
a piggyback configuration can now carry up to 240 containers
without adding to the length of the train. These double-stack cars
are certainly easy to spot, and you'll see them almost exclusively
on western routes. When loaded with two nine-foot-high con-
tainers, they are too tall to run on many eastern routes, which
run under low bridges and through tunnels.
Many of these flatcars are now articulated—that is, perma-
nently linked together—so that each set of wheels actually serves
two flatcars. The net effect of this ingenious arrangement is to
reduce the total number of wheels touching the track, meaning
there is a corresponding reduction in drag. That, in turn, trans-
lates into a significant savings in fuel costs.
Auto-Rack Cars
You soon get to recognize these cars quickly. First of all, they're
high—a full 16 feet. Automobiles and small trucks are driven inside
and tied down into position
on one of the two or three
levels. The sides of these rail-
cars are very distinctive, too.
They're made from panels of
lightweight aluminum, which
are designed to protect the
cars and trucks inside from
being damaged by material
swirling up from the roadbed
or—more commonly, I'm
sorry to say—from stones
thrown by youngsters from
the sides of the tracks.
New cars are shipped across the country in
special multilevel railcars.
Photo courtesy of CSX
Transportation
Search WWH ::
Custom Search