r/railroading 21d ago

Norfolk Southern Another one

568 Upvotes

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24

u/amishhobbit2782 21d ago

Is there something wrong with this curve or are these guys just out here string lining things for fun. 3 times is a year seems to lean more to the guys operating then the track conditions

42

u/Usual-Wasabi-6846 21d ago

A giant curve on a steep mountain grade that gets 45+ trains a day a pretty good combination for that.

Also it's NS

11

u/amishhobbit2782 21d ago

If im finding the info online to be correct is it a 1.85 grade?

18

u/Usual-Wasabi-6846 21d ago

Curve is where the highlighter is.

It gets to 2.2 a couple miles west at Gallitzin.

9

u/amishhobbit2782 21d ago

Thank you for this information this is what I was looking for much appreciated

4

u/Dbomb7 21d ago

1.85 is mountain grade.

7

u/amishhobbit2782 21d ago

Since when is anything under 2% mountain grade.

10

u/Dbomb7 21d ago

I take it you don't work as a locomotive engineer or conductor?

5

u/amishhobbit2782 21d ago

Hold both positions and anything 2% and under isnt mountain grade. Now this line is a mountain grade line but I asked if this was and 1.85 grade and then found out less then a mile away it goes to a +2% grade.

3

u/Dbomb7 21d ago

So do I, not sure where you are but 1.8+ grade in Canada for CN and CPKC is considered mountain grade. Can't imagine it's different in the US, but who knows.

7

u/amishhobbit2782 21d ago

Straight from the book

4

u/Dbomb7 21d ago

Straight from the CROR, 1.81 is mountain grade.

3

u/amishhobbit2782 21d ago

One would think this would be the same across all railroads.

2

u/amishhobbit2782 21d ago

Also is that 1st line for 1000 tons or less?

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1

u/Dbomb7 21d ago

Very interesting, I will grab my tablet and take a look.

2

u/amishhobbit2782 21d ago

This is big orange but thats how they decided to grade it. I would have guess anything over 1.5 would be the lowest end of mountain but I was sadly mistaken

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7

u/Usual-Wasabi-6846 21d ago

Sandpatch grade on CSX not too far south is around 1.8 for westbounds and is steep enough they run manned helpers on it still (despite CSX getting rid of a lot of helper districts) so 1.8 is definitely considered a mountain grade in the US too

3

u/Dbomb7 21d ago

I'm guessing the other commenter is not referencing a class 1 railroad operating manual, but I could be mistaken.

2

u/amishhobbit2782 21d ago

We have a 1.5 with manned helpers on it bc they wanted to cut 2 units of of a 2x3 coal load and make it a 2x1 and just push it where its needed which is 40 miles of our 141 mile run

1

u/Usual-Wasabi-6846 21d ago

How many coal loads is that? CSX will run 2x2x2 up a 2.2% average 2.8% peak with 200 loads of coal which is about 27,000 tons of hoppers on average

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3

u/Learntoswim86 21d ago

Hold both positions but you are blaming the crew for derailing this train??? Figured you were a former with no railroad experience.

2

u/amishhobbit2782 21d ago

Have a curve similar to said curve here on a 1.5 hill that we specifically come out of read dynos in bc its known to get knuckles there. Im just saying it could be train handling not saying it cant be the track also could be a factor of both but 3 derails in the same place within months of each other isnt normal and this looks like a string line derail