RESEARCH PAYS OFF--IMPROVED UTILIZATION OF MULTILEVEL AUTORACK RAILCARS

The procedures used to manage multilevel cars were examined in an effort to reduce unproductive, empty railcar mileage and to increase the time the equipment was available for loaded movement. A linear computer program was used to examine different possible car flow patterns and to analyze the costs and benefits. On the bases of favorable results of the analyses, reports of car status and location were developed for use in making decisions on the routing of empty cars. In the first year, the empty car handling was reduced to 20 to 30%. The empty car moved 335 fewer miles, took 36 hours less, and had 0.42 railroad-to-railroad interchanges than it would have had before the project started. By the 1983 model year, it was estimated that project resulted in an annual savings of 96 million empty miles or $34 million. Substantial reductions in fleet size were also made possible.

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/trnews/rpo/rpo.trn112.pdf
• 
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/07386826
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved
• Corporate Authors:

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• Publication Date: 1984-5

Media Info

• Features: Photos;
• Pagination: p. 12-13
• Serial:
  • TR News
  • Issue Number: 112
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0738-6826
  • Serial URL: https://doi.org/10.17226/895

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Benefit cost analysis; Computer programs; Fleet management; Railroad cars; Routing; Savings; Utilization; Vehicle design
• Uncontrolled Terms: Fleets; Mileage
• Old TRIS Terms: Multilevel autoracks
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Research; Vehicles and Equipment; I91: Vehicle Design and Safety;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00387331
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Sep 28 1984 12:00AM