INNOVATIVE CONCEPTS IN UNIT TRAIN OPERATION

The transition to haulage of taconite pellets on the Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range Railway found unit train services attractive. To achieve optimum train operation, DM&IR coupled its short ore cars in four-car sets with drawbars, introduced the Wabco straight-air retainer system, and eliminated angle-cocks and air-hose connectors where the drawbars are installed. The road uses a planned 1,188 cars assembled in "miniquads" in 124-car unit trains. With this operation so successful, attention has now turned to on-train monitoring of derailed equipment and plans for a more comprehensive real-time measurement of condition throughout any unit train. It is concluded that more can be done to improve the operational control, efficiency and safety of unit trains.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • This is a paper from the proceedings of the 11th Annual Railroad Engineering Conference held at Southern Colorado State College, Pueblo, Colorado, October 23-24, 1974. Other individual papers from this conference have been accessioned separately for RRIS. The following is a list of the RRIS numbers of these papers preceded by its section number as it is contained in the bulletin: 03 097308, 03 097309; 13 097310, 04 097311, 03 097313, 04 097314, 03 097315, 03 097316, 03 097317, 03 097318, 03 097319. The entire proceedings 03 097307 has also been accessioned. All of these are contained in Bulletin 7502.
• Corporate Authors:

  Federal Railroad Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Abramson, J E
  • Ojard, D R
• Conference:
  • This is a paper from the proceedings of the 11th Annual Railroad Engineering Conference held at Southern Colorado State College, Pueblo, Colorado, October 23-24, 1974. Other individual papers from this conference have been accessioned separately for RRIS
• Publication Date: 1974

Media Info

• Features: Figures;
• Pagination: p. 78-84

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air brakes; Cold weather; Couplers; Derailments; Drawbars; Fail safe systems; Freezing; Operations; Safety; Unit trains; Vehicle design
• Identifier Terms: Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railway
• Old TRIS Terms: Car component design
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Design; Railroads; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00097312
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Federal Railroad Administration
• Files: TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Aug 13 1976 12:00AM