3 ms·
What's particularly interesting here is that the Pilbara, where the mines and trains in the article are located, is only 500–1000 metres elevation, and the trai
by perilunar 3y ago
What's particularly interesting here is that the Pilbara, where the mines and trains in the article are located, is only 500–1000 metres elevation, and the train tracks are hundreds of kilometres long. So we are talking of an average grade of one in several hundred. i.e. very much not steep!
Topographic map of the Pilbara: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilbara#General https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilbara#General
Map of the rail network: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Railways_in_the_Pilbara https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Railways_in_the_Pilbara
- defrost 3y agoAlso worth mentioning that Pilbara ore trains are consistently almost the longest trains in the world, (although just for fun BHP railways holds a record of operating the longest train in the word at 7.3km 99k tonnes in 2001). But they are likely the heaviest at around 42,000-43,000 tonnes per train with an average length at just under 3000 metres (1.85 miles) each. That's a lot of mass to drive recharging, and the laden to unladen ratio easily exceeds that of a European swallow. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBXZbn7q7jQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBXZbn7q7jQ
- perilunar 3y agoYeah, there's probably a nice formula with peak and average grades, ratio of laden to unladen weight, rolling friction, and drive and recharge efficiencies, to determine whether it's possible or not.
- defrost 3y agoOddly enough I made such tables ~ 1985 as a side project to some mine event recording for optimising operation software I wrote as a side project to doing a degree.