The formula for our 2018 fuel economy rating is as follows: (Source: CSX R-1 Report 2018)
- Lines 1+3 (Line 4) of Schedule 750, Diesel Fuel Consumption (Freight + Switching) = 423,998,863 gallons
Over the previous decade, CSX has spent more than $2.8 billion on improving locomotive fuel efficiency and lowering pollution.
The ton-mile-per-gallon is a unit of measurement used to compare the effectiveness of various types of transportation while moving freight.
The rail business keeps track of revenue ton-miles and publishes them “Surface Transportation Board Annual Report” (commonly referred to as the R1 Report). ‘The’ “The annual value of “Ton-Miles of Freight” is reported in Schedule 755, line 110 of the R1 Report. In the R1 Report, Schedule 750, line 4, the rail sector also tracks and reports annual fuel usage. The system-wide train efficiency value is calculated using these two stated values.
For example, CSX recorded 208,712,027,000 ton-miles of freight in the R1 Report in 2018, and the combined line haul and switcher reported fuel usage was 423,998,863 gallons.
In other words, based on our 2018 revenue ton miles and fuel use, CSX trains can move a ton of freight nearly 500 miles on a gallon of fuel.
A freight truck’s fuel economy can be calculated in a similar method. For example, assuming an average 7 miles per gallon truck fuel efficiency and a typical truck payload of 19 tons, a heavy-duty diesel truck moving 19 tons of freight over 500 miles would burn approximately 71 gallons of diesel fuel. This freight haul’s efficiency would be computed as follows:
This efficiency could be described as follows: “On a gallon of gas, a truck can transport a ton of freight 134 miles.”
Similarly, a normal train might transport 3,000 tons of freight for 500 miles while using 3,049 gallons of diesel fuel. This freight haul’s efficiency would be computed as follows:
This efficiency could be described as follows: “On a gallon of fuel, a train can transport a ton of freight 492 miles.”
As illustrated by the ratio of 492 train ton-miles per gallon split by 134 truck ton-miles per gallon in this example, the train is nearly 3.7 times more efficient at moving freight.
What is the fuel consumption of a locomotive per hour?
Fuel consumption for typical locomotives can range from a low of roughly 3 gallon per hour (gph) while idling to a high of 188 gph while at maximum notch, as shown in the table in Figure 5. Switch engines similar to the GP 9 or GP 38 locomotives are commonly used in intermodal yards.
How big is a locomotive’s fuel tank?
At AAR’s Transportation Test Center in Pueblo, Colorado, locomotives are being checked out at the test fuelling station. Carcon Locomotive Fueling Group provided this image.
Fueling technology for locomotives is undergoing advancements that will improve efficiency, safety, and environmental protection. The expenses, legal ramifications, and environmental issues involved with spills during locomotive refueling are driving these modifications.
The railroads in the United States are divided into four categories for regulatory purposes. They are as follows:
The focus of this essay will be on the fueling of Class I railroads, which are determined by the total ton/miles of freight moved in a given yeartypically 100 million tons or more. Union Pacific, Norfolk Southern, Illinois Central, and Burlington Northern Santa Fe are examples of typical Class I railways (BNSF). There are now eight Class I railroads in North America as a result of recent mergers. The majority of mainline railroads utilized by passenger and freight trains are Class I railroads.
During the winter, the diesel electric locomotives that pull (or push) these trains normally use a No. 2 Diesel with an alcohol additive. A locomotive typically has a fuel capacity of 4,000 gallons and is refueled twice a week.
Railroads have their own fuelling stations that they own and operate. Fuel is suction-pumped from the cargo tank into a fixed aboveground storage tank when delivered by vehicle. DTL (Direct Truck to Locomotive) fuelling is done by a combination of railroad staff and contracted fuel jobbers. Every major switching yard has a fixed fuelling facility, and there are over 2,000 fueling locations in North America.
Each month, a single Class I railroad fuelling plant will transfer between 500,000 and 1.2 million gallons of fuel. Controlling the cost of fuel inventory requires effective fuel management. Full SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) reporting is used in these fuel management systems. Railroads can use this graphical representation of inventories and the fueling process to charge fueling expenses to foreign locomotives that pass through for fueling.
A standard fuelling system employs a pressured manifold design, which maintains a consistent pressure in the manifold while the locomotive is fueled. The principal control valve in the gasoline distribution system is a vacuum or hydraulic shut-off nozzle. A fuel adaptor is put into the fill pipe of the locomotive. In the case of a vacuum-type shut-off, this adapter has a vent tube; in the case of a hydraulic-type shut-off, it has a hydraulic tube.
Efforts to prevent spills are currently centered on ongoing operator training and equipment maintenance. Railroads emphasize the need of fuel knowledge to its employees on a regular basis. All facility fuelling takes place over collection pits, which catch and store spilt fuel for recycling. Although DTL fueling does not have this advantage, it is becoming more popular due to its convenience. Although this can be done in a variety of places, they lack set fuelling systems as well as spill prevention and containment. DTL fueling, while easy, can increase the risk of uncontained spillage.
Class I railroads use around 3.5 billion gallons of diesel fuel per year, second only to the US military in terms of diesel use. And the 3.5 billion number excludes the fuel used by short-line and regional railroads! However, the statistic includes fuel that was lost due to theft, delivery errors, or spills.
Diesel fuel prices vary depending on where you reside and how much you order. In 1998, the average cost per gallon was $.65. Fuel expenditures contribute for around 11% of a railroad’s operational expenses, as indicated in Figure 1.
Preventing, containing, and cleaning up fuel spills is by far the most pressing issue for locomotive fuelling operations. The locomotive fueling is a big aspect of the preventative and containment strategy. Gasoline leaks do happen during fuel delivery, although they are significantly less of a problem than spills during locomotive fuelling. This is due to the fact that fuel is transferred from the truck to the storage tank by suction pumping, which reduces fuel loss in the truck cargo tank.
Fuel spills account for around half of one percent of the 3.5 billion gallons of diesel fuel utilized yearly, according to railroad estimates. While a modest percentage, this figure equates to approximately 17.5 million gallons. This translates to $11.4 million at $.65 per gallonand the cost doesn’t stop there.
Spill containment and collecting systems can cost up to a million dollars per site. Reclaiming fuel from containment zones, which requires separating, treating, transporting, and disposing of water, can increase the cost of spilled fuel by more than $4 per gallon. The cost of reclamation or remediation (which includes managing the spill, collecting and treating soil, and disposing of waste) for spills that occur without containment measures can reach $100 per gallon. And, if a spill occurs on a mainline piece of track, the cost of remediation might be many times higher than the costs of cleanup.
Given the financial and environmental implications of spills during locomotive refueling, the railroad industry is taking initiatives to increase the effectiveness of spill prevention and containment. Railroad firms are dedicated to environmental protection and cost containment in their fuelling operations, including losses, reclamation, and cleanup. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has the authority under federal rules (CFR 40, Volume 19, Parts 300-399) to penalize groundwater polluters and compel businesses to clean up contaminated land and water.
How much diesel does a train consume?
For all passenger and cargo trains, the average fuel consumption per kilometer is 7.97 L/ km. 7.92 L/km is the value for local, trafficking, railway track laying, and maneuvering trains.
Is it true that trains use less gasoline than trucks?
Railroads use three to four times less fuel than trucks on average. This means that shipping freight by rail rather than vehicle reduces greenhouse gas emissions by up to 75% on average.
Why are train engines not turned off?
Because trains are so enormous and heavy, they require the highest possible brake line pressure to stop safely. Loco pilots never compromise on brake line pressure for obvious reasons. Another reason to keep diesel train engines running is the engine itself.
Are trains equipped with gears?
Trains that travel on tracks that connect villages, cities, and metros are an integral part of the Indian public’s daily lives. We all travel by train on a regular basis, but we are occasionally unaware of crucial railway information. How many gears are accessible in a train’s engine is one such question. How much top gear does the train have when it is speeding down the rails with passengers?
Train engines, like other vehicles, have gears. How would the drivers be able to manage the train’s speed if the gears were missing? We spoke with a loco pilot to find out how many gears there in the engine.
When did we ask him how many gears are in the train’s diesel engine? So, first and foremost, they informed us that train engines have gears similar to typical trains, but they are referred to as notches.
How many gears are there?
Diesel locomotive engines and electric locomotive engines, he explained, are designed differently. They run on diesel engine train lines, therefore they informed us of this as well as the frequency with which scratches occur.
How do trains get their fuel?
Trains have used numerous forms of fuel from the commencement of rail transportation in the early nineteenth century. Initially, both coal and wood were used to power locomotives, but in the twentieth century, electric and diesel power became more popular.
What kind of fuel do trains use? Trains run on diesel, electricity, and steam power. Steam was used in the early days of the railroad, as it was in many other businesses. Electric and diesel-electric power technology advanced and became popular in the early twentieth century, and they are still the major way of powering trains today.
There are a number of distinctions between these motive power forms. Different characteristics of these railroad-powering systems differ, such as the type of fuel used and how electricity is picked up by electric locomotives.
Steam Power
From the commencement of the industrial revolution in the early nineteenth century until the mid-twentieth century, the steam engine, which dates back to 1812, was the pinnacle of transportation. Locomotives expanded in size as steam technology advanced, and they were powered by coal, oil, and wood. Steam locomotives, although being the first source of motive power to strike the rails, were complex devices with many moving parts that required more people than any other sort of motive power.
Many railways adopted oil-fired steam locomotives as many new locomotives were intended to burn oil and others were converted from coal. Oil-fired locomotives, like coal-fired locomotives, required steam heating and frequently used thick Bunker C oil, which resembled tar. Many railways found that burning oil rather than coal was more efficient since it was easier to fill the tender and there was no need for coal to be regularly pushed into the firebox. The use of oil for burning steam locomotives became popular in the late 1920s, when the substance became more widely available as a result of expanded automotive manufacture.
A steam locomotive has many distinct parts and many different mechanisms that must work together to burn fuel efficiently. A steam locomotive operates by lighting a fire in the locomotive’s boiler, which heats pipes inside the boiler and so raises the water temperature. Boiling water produces steam, which is piped down to the locomotive’s driving wheels and into a pair of cylinders near the front, which drive the side-rods, turning the wheels.
The fuel, whether coal, wood, or oil, was frequently transported behind the engine on a railcar known as a tender. However, in some cases, such as with a tank engine, the coal is carried in compartments aboard the locomotive. These locomotives, on the other hand, were used for yard switching and other light duties.
Diesel-Electric Power
In the 1930s, the diesel-electric locomotive replaced many steam locomotives on many railroads’ premium trains. The Electro-Motive Division’s (EMD) E-series locomotives, a six-axle locomotive designed for passenger service, were one of the first commercially successful diesel-electric locomotives. The E-units’ streamlined appearance made them a popular addition to numerous railroads. EMD had even more success when they introduced its F-unit locomotives in the 1940s, starting with the FT series. The four-axle F-units were designed primarily for freight traffic, but they quickly proved popular on high-profile trains like the Santa Fe “Super Chief.”
A powerful diesel prime mover is installed in diesel locomotives, which generates current for the electric traction motors that drive the axles.
Because they require less people and consume less fuel, diesel locomotives are more cost effective and efficient to operate. Furthermore, several locomotives can be operated from the lead unit by a single crew due to various electrical connections. Diesel locomotives are still one of the most prevalent types of locomotives in use today, as they are used for both passenger and freight transportation.
Diesel locomotives are also lighter than steam locomotives, causing less damage on critical infrastructure like the roadbed, tracks, and ties. Furthermore, while steam locomotives were less expensive to construct, the exponential maintenance costs made diesel locomotives more financially viable. Diesel locomotives were more easily available than steam locomotives due to their low maintenance costs; in contrast, steam locomotives require so much maintenance that they spend half their operating life out of service. Diesel locomotives are also more efficient in terms of fuel consumption. A diesel locomotive can go 134 miles on a single gallon of fuel, according to CSX Transportation, one of the nation’s top freight carriers.
Gas-Turbine Power
Gas-turbine locomotives appeared about the same time as diesel locomotives and work similarly to diesel locomotives in that the traction motors are powered by a gas turbine system. The gas-turbine, which was first created in France in the 1940s, has been used in various parts of the world, although its use has been short-lived. ALCO and GE produced numerous gas-turbine locomotives for Union Pacific in North America to power its various transcontinental trains, however they were significantly less fuel efficient than diesel locomotives. Due to the escalating expense of Bunker C oil, which was used to fuel the locomotives, these locomotives were withdrawn by the late 1960s.
Despite its lack of success in freight operation, the gas turbine locomotive was quickly adopted for passenger service around the world. Its rise to prominence in passenger services began in the 1970s with the TGV 001 prototype, which led to the UAC Turbotrain’s adoption in North America, as well as Amtrak’s RTG and RTL Turboliners, which were used in eastern Canada and the eastern and midwestern United States.
The gas turbine-powered APT-E was essential in the introduction of high-speed trains in the United Kingdom and around the world. The APT-E (Advanced Passenger Train Experimental) was developed in the 1970s and contained tilting technology in order to operate on existing routes on the British Rail network, the majority of which were built in the late 19th century. The tilting mechanism of the APT-E enables it to travel around tight turns at far higher speeds than a normal train. Due to the exorbitant cost of building a separate high-speed railway or improving existing infrastructure, the APT-E was born. However, due to the oil crisis of the 1970s, the project was converted totally to electric traction, with a concentration on the West Coast Mainline. In favor of the far more fuel efficient and reliable diesel-electric locomotive, gas turbine power is practically extinct in railroading globally.
Electric Power
Electric trains first gained popularity in the early twentieth century, with the opening of the Hudson River Tunnels on the Pennsylvania Railroad’s Philadelphia-New York mainline in 1910. These tunnels provided direct access to Manhattan in New York City. Due to the strong vapors, steam locomotives were prohibited due to the length of the tunnels. To transport trains through the tunnel, the PRR designed the DD-1 electric locomotive. Electric trains became popular as the twentieth century proceeded, thanks to several high-speed projects such as the electrification of the PRR’s different mainlines. This paved the way for the legendary GG1 locomotive, which was built by General Electric and designed by famed designer Raymond Loewy.
Electric trains became more common as high-speed rail projects grew in popularity, most notably in Japan and France. The Tokaido line was the first Shinkansen line to open in 1964, and it was the first Shinkansen line in the world. The Shinkansen’s success prompted the creation of high-speed trains around the world, the most noteworthy of which is France’s TGV, which commenced service in 1981 with the opening of the Sud-Est route between Paris and Lyon. When building a high-speed rail network, electric trains are favored because they are the most efficient, have the best power-to-weight ratio, and are the easiest to maintain.
Electric trains use either a DC third rail or overhead power lines to collect current. This current (whether AC or DC) is then passed through a transformer, which then sends the power to a rectifier, which converts it to direct current. The DC current is then passed through inverters, which convert it to alternating current again. The traction motors, which power the wheels, receive this three-phase current. The unused electricity is subsequently returned to the power lines, resulting in greater efficiency.
What is the average rail mileage?
The average value for passenger trains is 4 to 4.5 litres/ 1000GTKM, while for cargo trains it is 2.25 to 2.75 litres/ 1000GTKM.