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Questions for thought:
Questions for thought:
What types of trains are there?
What are differences between passenger and freight trains?
How has distributed power made bigger trains?
Activities- 20 points
Activities- 20 points
Activity:
Activity:
Read all the materials and watch the videos before answering the questions!! In a Google Document do the following:
Explain the differences between passenger and freight trains.
What do you notice in the videos about the length of the trains?
Why would it be necessary to have such long trains?
Explain precision scheduled freight and the main intent of it. How does it affect customers?
Why would there be a locomotive in the middle of the freight train?
What can trains haul?
What types of trains run through your town?
What are the differences you notice in size between railroad train cars and locomotives, Light rail and subway?
What are trains?
What are trains?
Trains are a system of transporting goods and people across distances using tracks at great speed. We need to understand why there are rules by understanding what exactly a train is.
There are three types of trains:
Passenger-
Passenger-
These include trains run by Amtrak, NJT and tourist railroads. These trains are meant to carry people with seats, toilets, a snack bar, dining car and of course protection from the weather. Generally they start and stop at stations. Some of these stations are like Penn Station in New York. These are major transportation hubs and these are places on the railroad that people are allowed to be in. These trains will move at high rates of speed. They run on both diesel electric and on electrified rail lines. Some will be express trains. These will stop typically at one or two stations.
In an effort to reduce the time to move the locomotive for a return trip, turn it and recouple to the other end of a train, railroads use "push pull." These mean that the locomotive is on the other end for forward travel and will push the cars down the track for the other direction. A "commuter cab" is used on the other end of a train. This is in a vestibule of a converted coach with a throttle and brake connected to the locomotive. There is a horn on the roof and a bell. Usually, commuter cabs also have windows on the end as well as headlights and taillights. These cars need the locomotive to move and have no traction motors.
Some electric locomotives will have 2 cabs on both ends.
Subways and light rail are also considered passenger trains.
Subways and light rail are also considered passenger trains.
LIGHT RAIL- trains are smaller, but still just as deadly. They are about the size of a trolley or streetcar. These trains tend to run more on the street level. Light rail will usually pick up power from an overhead wire. In the case of NJ Transit, the trains actually run on parts of reclaimed right of way that were previously abandoned. They can run very fast.
SUBWAY- Subway trains run mostly underground and elevated track above street level. The cars are bigger and heavier. Subways and elevated tracks use a third rail to get power.
*Both of these have station stops and are closed to any other type of rail traffic.
This is an example of a commuter train NJ Transit runs. Note the types of locomotives, coaches and the push- pull operation.
User:JeremyA, CC BY-SA 2.5 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5>, via Wikimedia Commons
Here is an example of a commuter cab car used on a commuter train. This example is on Chicago's Metra and NJT has similar looking cars in both single or double deck designs.
Freight-
Freight-
These trains originate in a rail yard and end in a rail yard before being sent to their final destinations. What do they haul? Freight is anything else other than people hauled in a train. Freight trains haul coal, steel, containerized freight (double stacks), food, chemicals, garbage, ores, and automobiles just to name a few.
Freight trains also tend to not stop as often as passenger trains. They usually go directly to their destinations via a railyard in smaller trains. The crew is in the locomotive. You have a brakeman, freight conductor and the engineer. There are also multiple locomotives in the consist. These are not occupied and they are controlled by the lead locomotive in front.
Freight trains are not designed to carry people. There is no caboose, space for people or a toilet- unless it's a cargo in a boxcar. Cargo is sealed and secured.
Freight trains are now getting longer and longer. The trains of today are well over two miles long with locomotives in the middle. This is called distributed power. Railroads like CSX are doing a concept called "Precision Scheduling." This means less trains coming, but longer ones going through town. This added length will increase the distance to stop.
Now that we have compared types of trains, her is some more information to help you understand the size and forces involved.
Work Trains-
Work Trains-
Work trains are trains with specialized heavy equipment that run in between scheduled trains. Their purpose is to ensure that the track is safe and they inspect, repair, replace sections of track as needed. We will be talking about the hazards of these trains later on the Do Not Do These page.
Extras-
Extras-
These are trains not listed on the schedules and they can be any type of train needing to travel on the tracks.
The video above shows the concept of a "Precision Scheduled" freight in La Grange, KY. Note in this video where the train is running and keep that in mind as we examine this topic on later pages.
The video on the left deals with the concepts of "Precision Scheduled" freight trains.
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