Re: BHP Iron Ore 330 car trains.

[mauried@tpg.com.au (Maurie Daly)]

On Mon, 18 Dec 2000 21:43:08 +0800, "Toad" <toad@norcom.net.au> wrote:

>G'day All,
>these trains have 4 AC 6000 locos (being 6000 hp), 2 up front, 1 at 110
>cars, 1
>at 110 cars. In one case saw 2 dash 8's, 110 cars, 2 dash 8's 110 cars, 1
>dash 8, 110 cars, 1 dash 8 bringing up the rear! Dash 8's being 4000 hp each
>equals 24000 hp. If the train was loaded at one of the Yandi mines it would
>be 38940 tonnes of ore (based on average of 115 tonnes @ car. The set point
>aim per car is 120 t! 39600 tones!! ), compared to Whaleback loadings of
>around 100 tonnes per car (33000 tonnes), plus 18 tonnes per ore car 5940
>tonnes, equals a gross weight of 44880 tonnes. Plus 200 tonnes per loco,
>total tonage would be in the order of 52880 tonnes!! Total  horsepower in
>the order of 24000 hp!! Based on the 220 car trains being 2.1 kilometres
>long, these trains would be in the order of 3 kilometres (3000 metres or
>about 10020 feet).
>Hope this is of some help.
>Regards,
>Richard Montgomery.
>Pilbara Railway Pages: http://www.railways.pilbara.net.au
>E-mail: toad@norcom.net.au
>ICQ: 100420100

The above figures are amazing stuff, but the figure thats the most
amazing and is one of the reasons why BHP and Hamersly have the most
efficient trains in the world is the HP / tonne required to do all
this.  A mere 0,45 HP/tonne.
Contrast this to the average NRC train which runs at around 4 - 5
HP/tonne, nearly 10 times as much.
This is the penalty we must all pay for having such lousy rail
infrastructure and such pathetically low axle loads on Govt Railways.

MD