Yes, your right. That came out in later years when unit trains were beating the main lines to death. They may have saved the carriers money in one way but the damage they did was awful. Junctions, crossing other railroads, kept a crew on with constant welding and replacement parts.

I was really speaking of sidings, yards and not very well maintained track. Going down a 19,000 Ft. siding with a bunch of engines or short train at 10 mph took forever. Get that speed up to 20 and it rode just fine.

Yes, the "clickity - clack" is just about gone in most places. The only new sound is the corrugation that builds up on top of the rail when using cement ties, especially in curves.

Nudge