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Re: Is the NWP still intact north of Willits?
Author: BOB2
Date: 07-11-2008 - 22:45
Cost will depend on the class you want to acheive. When the SDA&E Line restorations was considered a few years ago the high end class 3 was quite pricey. They did it for a lot less, but most of it is not class 3, but most of it never was, in the first place. This is a similar situation with more rain damage, some locations of really unstable geology, and some really badly damaged sections, but the rest is mostly clean up and upgrades. New or rehabbed from the ground up on a fairly intact existing ROW would run in a range from 5-10 million a mile, major realignment cost would depend on the geology and what you want to do....skies the limit. Freeway lanes in this type of terrain are pretty pricey, as well.
As to Bit's earlier question on the 100 car double stack? It depends upon the tunnel clearances up there. This is some pretty old RR which probably would need to have the track lowered to increase the clearance.
As to can you run a hundred car train? Yes, if it is engineered right, and operated correctly.
Factors would include: the tonnages or type of container or other traffic (and I once had a container break the back of an 89' pig flat, it weighed in at over 135,000 pounds of Korean steel and it was on your highways before it got to the railroad???), the curvature, grade, speed, etc.. Helpers vs no helpers, or distribution of power, degree of l over v through the curves are factors, and then what is the operating speed and operating cost you want to achieve? It is safe to say this line would need some substantial work if that 1000 container scenario was to occur. If it is aggregate shipping--no clearance issues, shorter but heavier trains then it could be less.
As I tell my clients, choo-choo's is an expensive hobby, especially the big ones..... Perspective is good though: It may cost less than we have wasted, thus far, on trying to restore the Iraqi railroads?
As to Bit's earlier question on the 100 car double stack? It depends upon the tunnel clearances up there. This is some pretty old RR which probably would need to have the track lowered to increase the clearance.
As to can you run a hundred car train? Yes, if it is engineered right, and operated correctly.
Factors would include: the tonnages or type of container or other traffic (and I once had a container break the back of an 89' pig flat, it weighed in at over 135,000 pounds of Korean steel and it was on your highways before it got to the railroad???), the curvature, grade, speed, etc.. Helpers vs no helpers, or distribution of power, degree of l over v through the curves are factors, and then what is the operating speed and operating cost you want to achieve? It is safe to say this line would need some substantial work if that 1000 container scenario was to occur. If it is aggregate shipping--no clearance issues, shorter but heavier trains then it could be less.
As I tell my clients, choo-choo's is an expensive hobby, especially the big ones..... Perspective is good though: It may cost less than we have wasted, thus far, on trying to restore the Iraqi railroads?
