# How long is too long for a train? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 27, 2003, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-is-too-long-for-a-train/151324 "2003-01-27T20:37:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-is-too-long-for-a-train/151324/1 "2003-01-27T20:37:24Z")
I was recently sitting at a railroad crossing where a massive train was going by for-- I kid you not-- 21 minutes. After the train passed, the traffic going the opposite direction as me was lbacked up for a good 2 miles. But as I was sitting there watching the freight cars rumble by, I was wondering what would happen if an ambulance or other emergency vehicle had to get through. Is there some sort of law, whether state or federal, that limits the length of trains? If not, there should be, dammit! That’s 21 minutes of my life I want back! Happy ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-is-too-long-for-a-train/151324/2 "2003-01-27T20:48:34Z")
. . . Shows the way my mind works; I was going to say, “short enough so the people walking behind you won’t trip over it and tear it.” ---
**Author:** ![Sn-man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sn-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sn-man)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-is-too-long-for-a-train/151324/3 "2003-01-27T21:39:58Z")
I was curious about this same question. I remember counting close to 200 cars on a train when I was a child. Recently, I have counted 100 to 110. I found information on BNSF web site. I did a search on track capacity and it looks as if the maximum car capacity for a lot of facilities is 110 cars. [http://search.bnsf.com:7800/search?q=track+capacity&start=10&webServeTestProduction=Test\_Production\_Index&client=www\_prod&proxystylesheet=www\_prod&output=xml\_no\_dtd&site=www\_prod&btnG=Search&ip=216.111.80.167&num=10](http://search.bnsf.com:7800/search?q=track+capacity&start=10&webServeTestProduction=Test_Production_Index&client=www_prod&proxystylesheet=www_prod&output=xml_no_dtd&site=www_prod&btnG=Search&ip=216.111.80.167&num=10) ---
**Author:** ![stuyguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@stuyguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stuyguy)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-is-too-long-for-a-train/151324/4 "2003-01-27T21:55:59Z")
Eve, Eve you innocent child, you. There are FAR, FAR more sordid ways to misunderstand the OP involving exhausted cheerleaders and such. [Winky here.] ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-is-too-long-for-a-train/151324/5 "2003-01-27T22:03:12Z")
My original title was “How long is too long…yeah, baby!” 🙂 Happy ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-is-too-long-for-a-train/151324/6 "2003-01-27T22:58:21Z")
From [here](http://www.dotars.gov.au/transprog/rail/facts.htm): > [@](#): > > Longest train: BHP Iron Ore claims a world record for a 10-locomotive, 540-wagon train 5.9 km (3.7 mile) long that ran with a crew of just two people 426 km from Mount Newman to Port Hedland, (Western Australia), on 28 May 1996. The trip took seven hours to complete. The record is based on weight. The actual haul was 57,309 tonnes of iron ore, excluding the weight of the train. The loading per axle was 35 tonnes. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-is-too-long-for-a-train/151324/7 "2003-01-27T23:15:38Z")
If an ambulence or fire truck or the cops had to get past, they’d have to wait like everyone else. The train can’t go anywhere in a hurry. Most places have time limits on how long a train can block a crossing, and the railroad company can be fined if they block a street for too long. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-is-too-long-for-a-train/151324/8 "2003-01-27T23:23:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Diceman \* > \*\*If an ambulence or fire truck or the cops had to get past, they’d have to wait like everyone else. The train can’t go anywhere in a hurry. > > Most places have time limits on how long a train can block a crossing, and the railroad company can be fined if they block a street for too long. \*\* There’s a train line here that’s regularly blocks a main traffic artery at rush hour. The train doesn’t actually go anywhere. They’re just moving cars to and from different tracks somewhere near the port. They do get fined if they block traffic too long, but they don’t really care since the railroads have plenty of money. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-is-too-long-for-a-train/151324/9 "2003-01-27T23:37:08Z")
Sorry **TLD** but it would seem South Africa has the Aussies beat on this one… > [@](#): > > The heaviest and longest train, with the largest number of wagons recorded, was run on the 3’6" gauge Sishen-Saldanha railway in South Africa on 26-27 August 1989. The train consisted of 660 wagons each loaded to 105 tons gross, a tank car and a caboose (guards van). The train was moved by nine 50kv electric and seven diesel electric locomotives distributed along the train. The trai was 7.3km (4.5miles) long and weighed 69393 tons, excluding locomotives. It travelled 861km (535 miles). > > SOURCE: Taken from the Guinness Book of Railway Facts and Feats, 6th edition ( [http://terrapin.ru.ac.za/~iwdf/sartrain.html](http://terrapin.ru.ac.za/~iwdf/sartrain.html) ) ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2003, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-is-too-long-for-a-train/151324/10 "2003-01-28T00:09:44Z")
Most states have laws about the time a train is allowed to block an intersection. Here is Iowa’s: "Iowa Code Section 327G.32 relates to blocked public crossings. It states that a railroad corporation or its employees shall not operate a train in such a manner as to prevent vehicular use of a highway, street or alley for a more than 10 minutes except in any of the following circumstances: !) when necessary to comply with signals affecting the safety of the movement of the trains; 1. when necessary to avoid striking an object or person on the track; 2. when the train is disabled; or 3. when necessary to comply with governmental safety regulations, including but not limited to speed ordinances and speed regulations. * * * Do local and county authorities have any jurisdiction over railroads blocking public crossings? Section 327G.32 makes it illegal for a railroad to block vehicular traffic more than of 10 minutes, except for the reason listed in the previous question. City and county law enforcement officers can issue tickets to railroads that violate Iowa Code Section 327G.32." ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2003, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-is-too-long-for-a-train/151324/11 "2003-01-28T04:19:34Z")
Sigh. The stories I could tell… Typically, the longest trains in the US are unit trains of about 110 cars in length. However, there are many pinch points in the US now, due to some overloaded tracks (too many tons/day), poor maintenance, and congestion. So some unit trains are now reduced to 80 or so cars in the West. The situation East of the Mississippi is much better. ---
**Author:** ![Cillasi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@Cillasi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cillasi)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2003, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-is-too-long-for-a-train/151324/12 "2003-01-28T04:35:06Z")
Trains usually run on schedules. Emergency vehicles, and indeed any local residents, will know what time to expect that very long freight train, how long it takes to pass, where the underpasses are, and/or how far “back” to drive in order to get around it. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2003, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-is-too-long-for-a-train/151324/13 "2003-01-28T05:00:50Z")
Thanks for the responses. Another question: who decides how many cars they haul? The engineer? ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2003, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-is-too-long-for-a-train/151324/14 "2003-01-28T13:00:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Happy Lendervedder \* > \*\*Thanks for the responses. > > Another question: who decides how many cars they haul? The engineer? \*\* The setup is checked before the train leaves on its route. This includes how many cars, how many loaded cars, and the positioning of the locomotives along the route (whether they are all in front, have some in the middle, or have some at the end). The engineer participates in the decision, along with the track controllers, but it’s really a somewhat fixed formula, so to speak. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-is-too-long-for-a-train/151324/15 "2003-01-30T02:49:13Z")
> [@](#): > > My original title was “How long is too long…yeah, baby!” Ad in the back of a local alternative newspaper has the catch line: **"Where ten inches is considered small…**" It’s for Lilly’s Pizza. ---
**Author:** ![consolid8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@consolid8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/consolid8)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-is-too-long-for-a-train/151324/16 "2003-01-30T04:55:14Z")
Here the local law is 25 minutes max for a train to block a crossing. After that, if a cop witnessed the violation, the fine is $50. And the train can only get that fine once per violation. Last year the City went on a rampage about it, ticketed trains whenever thay could for a week, made about $150 per day. I’d guess the idling locomotives burn fuel faster than the city collected money, so CSX didn’t really care. Besides, it takes a lot of time to disconnect a train, then reconnect it, then wait for the air to come up to pressure so the brakes release. Regarding schedules, CSX claimed that freight trains are not finitely scheduled, but that the computers controll the signals and flow of traffic, based on the overall system load. Trains don’t get loaded and unloaded exactly on schedules at all the drop points so the computers route them as they get free to travel some more. The human controller for the Eastern USA is in Jacksonville, Florida and mainly monitors the computer system, not the actual trains.