[Atlanta]

Hey Ya'll,

In central europe every freight car has got lot of notifications onto both sides, the most important one is the ABC List of Load and Speed Limits of the freight cars.

Important to know is that all speeds are in Km/h and all weights are in metric tons.

There are different possible speed limits for freight cars:
-> nothing ahead the ABC list means 80 Km/h
-> 90 ahead the ABC List means 90 Km/h
-> S ahead the ABC List means 100 Km/h
-> SS ahead the ABC List means 110 Km/h
-> 120 ahead the ABC List means 120 Km/h
-> 140 ahead the ABC List means 140 Km/h
-> 160 ahead the ABC List means 160 Km/h

Behind the ABC List could be stars:
* --> max. 100 Km/h with special break
* * --> max. 120 Km/h with special break
* * * --> max. 140 Km/h with special break

160 Km/h are around 100 mph.

This Container Car may run onto C and D tracks with 60 tons by 110 Km/h but mith 62 tons onto track C and 70 tons onto track D by 100 Km/h.

Ya Ingo

 

[pokey_toaster]

What do A, B, C and D represent? Quality of track? This is not a topic I know much about but in the US there are different classes of track but I think they all assume the cars are loaded to the maximum 286,000 lb or 130,000kg. Sometimes trains are limited if they carry certain commodities, like our infamous crude oil. Then they are limited to some lower speed regardless of track condition.
Paul

 

[Atlanta]

Hey Paul,

Yes the A, B, C, D is indicating track conditions for Sidings and private owner tracks mostly Class A, Branchlines with older Rails mostly Class B, Mainlines of older Standards are mostly Class C and Higher Standards mostly Class D...High Speed Standards are Class E.

It give only a handful freight trains which can run max. 160 Km/h that are around 100 mph.

The Rails have different standards in what weights per axle may have in maximum.

The most common modern rail is the UIC 60 Standard Rail in Central Europe, it is being used onto most mainlines of older standards and allows train speeds up to 200 Km/h but sometimes reduced by local speed limits or by the used signalling system.

Ya Ingo